Providing science-based information to serve Hawaii's Farming Community
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June | July | August 2012
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Growing Your Business
National Efforts to Evaluate Agriculture’s Sustainability
By Dr. Linda J. Cox
The need to develop a sustainability evaluation system for agriculture in Hawaiʻi was discussed in the last issue. In this article, information about what has been done to develop such a system at the national level is presented. Field to Market, The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, has been working to develop such a system since 2009 and their work is summarized here.
READ the full article here.
FMI: Linda Cox, email: lcox@hawaii.edu
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Sustainable & Organic Research &
Outreach News
News from Hawai'i's Researchers and Extension
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The Giant African Snail
Scot Nelson, email: snelson@hawaii.edu
The giant African snail (Achatina fulica) is the most ecologically devastating land snail in Hawai’i because it severely damages a wide range of plants. The rapidity with which a foraging population can multiply and then decimate crops is disheartening and costly to affected farmers and gardeners. This article details the diet, damage, and methods for managing this parasite.
READ the full article here.
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Waimānalo Farmers Implement Best Management Practices for Improved Water Quality
Jean Brokish, O‘ahu RC&D, email: jean.brokish@oahurcd.org
Waimānalo Stream is a highly altered, impaired waterbody. Sediments and nutrients from the watershed enter the stream at a rate faster than they can be assimilated and recycled. The Waimānalo agricultural community is committed to protecting local water resources. A recent project led by the Oʻahu Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) evaluated water quality in Waimānalo and provided funds to help farmers implement priority conservation practices in the watershed. This article summarizes what was done and the impact the project had on the local water resources.
READ the READ the full article here. article here.
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The Challenge of Maintaining Soil Organic Matter
Adam Reed, USDA NRCS Pacific Island Area, email: adam.reed@hi.usda.gov
Soil Organic Matter (SOM) typically accounts for 1% to 6% of a mineral soil and your soil will be healthy and productive if the SOM is high. Maintaining a high SOM in warm, moist tropical soils is difficult. This article explains what SOM is, what it does, and how to increase it.
READ the full article here.
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The Secret of the Allelopathic Effect of Sunn Hemp for Suppressing Plant-parasitic Nematodes
Koon-Hui Wang, email: koon-hui@hawaii.edu, Inga A. Zasada, and Brent Sipes, email: sipes@hawaii.edu
Biocidal compounds in the soil that are released during plant decomposition can suppress pests in the soil, which is a process called biofumigation. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) is a good candidate for biofumigation because it releases a compound that can paralyze nematodes. This article summarizes factors that might affect sunn hemp’s ability to suppress plant-parasitic nematodes.
READ the full article here.
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Preliminary Screening for Virus Resistance in Organic Field Grown Tomatoes
Jensen Uyeda, email: juyeda@hawaii.edu; Ted Radovich, email: Theodore@hawaii.edu; Jari Sugano, email: suganoj@ctahr.hawaii.edu; Koon-Hui Wang, email: koonhui@hawaii.edu, Mike Melzner, email: melzer@hawaii.edu; and Linda Cox, email: lcox@hawaii.edu
Organic field grown tomato production is very challenging due to heavy pest pressure and the restricted use of effective pesticides. Three viruses, tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), and pepper mottle virus (PepMoV), pose major challenges for the State’s tomato producers. This article presents results from an organic field trial to screen six commercial cultivars reported to have resistance to TYLCV and TSWV.
READ the full article here.
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Nutrition Benefits of Fish Consumption
Corilee Waters, email: WattersC@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Fish consumption, which is the primary source of the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA, is associated with numerous health benefits. Research indicates that the median intake of fish in Hawaii is 5.3 ounces per week, which is below the recommended intake level of 8 oz per week by the American Heart Association. Healthy Seafood Hawaii is a project funded by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration to bring better seafood nutrition into the homes of Hawaii consumers and this articles summarizes the multi-pronged approach being used to achieve the goals of this project.
READ the full article here.
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Publications & Programs
for sustainable and organic production systems
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Workshops | Conferences | Meetings
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Protecting Beneficials in Hawai‘i and the American Pacific
O‘ahu RC&D
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers: Producing Quality Fruit for the Future of Hawaiʻi
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Western Region Sustainable Agriculture and Education Program (WSARE)
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Four Hawaiʻi projects were funded by WSARE for 2012
- Producer Grant: FW12-034, “Grapes for Tropical Hawaii,” Principal Investigator: Ken Love, Hawaii, ken@mycoffee.net; $17,370.
- Professional + Producer Grant: OW12-041, “Effectiveness of Beauveria Bassiana on Coffee Berry Borer in Different Agroclimatic Zones,” Principal Investigator: Elsie Burbano, Hawaii, eburbano@hawaii.edu, $49,403.
- Research and Education Grant: SW12-040, “Low-input Integrated Management of Tomato Viruses in Hawaii,” Principal Investigator: Mark Wright, Hawaii, markwrig@hawaii.edu, $297,296.
- Research and Education Grant: SW12-114, “Secondary Effects of Behavior-based Pasture Management,” Principal Investigator: Matthew Stevenson, Hawaii, stevenso@hawaii.edu, $37,125.
Dr. Linda Cox has been awarded a scholarship to attend the WSARE Conference “Strengthening Agriculture's Infrastructure: Adding Value, Breaking Down Barriers, Increasing Profits.
Since 1988, the WSARE program has been supporting agricultural profitability, environmental integrity and community strength through grants that enable cutting-edge research and education to open windows on sustainability across the West, including Hawaii. The goals of WSARE are:
- Promote good stewardship of our natural resources.
- Enhance the quality of life of farmers and ranchers and ensure the viability of rural communities.
- Protect the health and safety of those involved in food and farm systems.
- Promote crop, livestock and enterprise diversification.
- Examine the regional, economic, social and environmental implications of adopting sustainable agriculture practices and systems.
For more information, please see: http://www.westernsare.org/ or contact Hawaii WSARE coordinator Dr. Ted Radovich at theodore@hawaii.edu.
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This e-publication has been prepared by CTAHR research scientists and extension staff to deliver science-based information about sustainable and organic production systems to serve Hawaii's farming community.
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Mahalo nui loa,
Eric Collier, Education Specialist and Managing Editor
Dr. Linda Cox and Dr. Ted Radovich
Jody Smith, e-Extension Manager
Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program
Cooperative Extension Service
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
The University of Hawai‘i is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
Jody Smith | Web Manager | smithjos@hawaii.edu
Copyright ©2013 University of Hawai‘i - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Updated 4 Nov, 2021
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