Sustainable & Organic Research &
Outreach News
News from Hawai'i's Researchers and Extension
Compost: Using it Effectively
Ted Radovich,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, CTAHR
Composting is a controlled form of biological decomposition in which organic materials are combined and managed to produce a stable or mature product (compost) that can promote plant growth several ways. These include:
- Enhance microbial activity of soils
- Provide some plant nutrients
- Ameliorate an buffer acids in soils
- Improve N fertilizer use efficiency
- Suppress disease
- Increase water holding capacity
- Improve soil structure
One of the most important characteristics of compost is the ratio of carbon to nitrogen by weight (C:N) it contains. Compost C:N should be about 20 to allow for release of plant available nitrogen and avoid “nitrogen robbing” from surrounding soil. Compost is relatively low in nutrients (nitrogen = 0.5-3%), and large amounts (20-40 tons per acre) generally need to be applied in the field to observe short term changes in soil quality or plant growth. The transportation and production costs associated with these application rates can be prohibitive. Innovative use of smaller quantities of compost may improve cost effectiveness and still provide benefits to plants. These include:
- Combining with high nitrogen fertilizers to improve fertilizer use efficiency
- Using aqueous compost extracts (compost tea) to extend applications over a larger area
- Incorporating composts into seedling media to target applications directly to the seedling and replace imported materials
For more information on compost and composting, please see:
FMI: Ted Radovich, email: theodore@hawaii.edu
Growing Your Business
Linda J. Cox,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, CTAHR
Many agricultural operations do not know how profitable they were over the past year are until they complete their taxes the following year. Making good business decisions is difficult when much of the important information is not known until as much as a year later. If your profits are not as large as you would like them to be, you cannot make any changes to improve things until the next year. In order to plan ahead you will need a managerial information system that tells you your cost of production, among other things, so that you know what you must sell your products for in order to profitable.
Read here.
FMI: Linda J. Cox, email: lcox@hawaii.edu
Improving sunn hemp benefits by integrating with solarization
Koon-Hui Wang ans Sharadchandra Marahatta,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, CTAHR
If your land has been cropped continuously for a long period of time, you might want to plant a green manure cover crop to revitalize your soil. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) has been identified as an ideal cover crop that can generate great amounts of organic biomass within 2 1/2 months of growth during spring to summer in Hawaii. Growers in Hawaii can also take advantage of solar heat to suppress various soil-borne pests. Recently, sunn hemp cover cropping followed by soil solarization to improve weed suppression was investigated.
Read here.
Sunn hemp for Soil Health and Nematode Management YouTube video
FMI: Koon-Hui Wang, email: koonhui@hawaii.edu
Grafting for Managing Soil-borne Diseases
Scot Nelson,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, CTAHR
Plant grafting is a highly successful organic method used for the management of root pests of tree species worldwide. Pathogen-susceptible tree varieties are grafted onto the root stocks of related plant species that possess resistance to or tolerance of important plant diseases. Two research projects underway on the Big Island examine the potential of grafting to manage coffee nematode decline caused by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne konaensis and koa wilt caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. koae. These are the two most important and deadly diseases of Coffea arabica and Acacia koa in Hawaii.
Read here.
FMI: Scot Nelson, email: snelson@hawaii.edu
Varroa Mite in Bees (CCP)
Mark Wright and Ethel Villalobos,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, CTAHR
Varroa mite control posses many challenges since it may be difficult to kill mites without affecting the bees. Formic acid, an organic compound, can be used as a bio-pesticide for Varroa destructor control. A new formic acid treatment was tested at 42 hives and the large number of mites killed within the first ten days after treatment indicate that the treatment holds great promise.
Read here.
FMI: Mark Wright, email: markwrig@hawaii.edu
Ethel Villalobos, email: emv@hawaii.edu
Publications & Programs
for sustainable and organic production systems
New from CTAHR
FMI/FYI
Beneficial Microorganisms
Many farmers would like to use micro-organisms such as Rhizobia and Mycorrhizae to enhance crop growth. Some local vendors are importing inoculum and many maniland sources are available. If you do import innoculum from the mainland, please be aware that you must obtain an approval from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Contact Amy N. Takahashi, Microorganism Specialist, Plant Quarantine Branch, 1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819. Phone: (808) 832-0589. Fax: (808) 832-0584. Email: Amy.N.Takahashi@hawaii.gov
For more information on using beneficial microorganisms in agriculture, please see:
What is the most common pesticide violation found on organic farms by Hawai'i HDOA?
Actually, it's the same problem found for all farms: lack of Worker Protection training and signage. This is a serious, but simple problem for farmers to fix. Training in the Worker Protection Standard is required for any employees at a farm (with the immediate family being exempt: mother, father, wife, children, brother, sister). A specific poster must be displayed and records of training and application must be kept. Farmers who are unaware can learn about the requirements from the pesticides education program by contacting Mike Matsukawa, HDOA 793-9424.
Emerging Issues in the U.S. Organic Industry
This report examines recent economic research on the adoption of organic farming systems, organic production costs and returns, and market conditions to gain a better understanding of the organic supply squeeze and other emerging issues in this rapidly changing industry.
Report highlights include:
- More than two-thirds of U.S. consumers buy organic products at least occasionally.
- Growth of the U.S. organic livestock sector is constrained by the lack of organic feed grain supplies.
- The average retail prices of most organic fruits and vegetables are almost 30% more than those of conventional commodities.
- Organic producers face competition from producers interested in other niche markets, particularly "locally grown."
For the full report, please see:
http://ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB55/
Western Region Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education Program (WSARE)
Grant Deadlines
- 11/3 PDP Grant Application Due
- 11/13 Research and Education Full Applications Due
- 12/4 Farmer/Rancher Grant Applications Due
- 12/4 Professional + Producer Grant Applications Due
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 Hawai'i. 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 involced 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 Hawai'i WSARE co-coordinators Dr. Ted Radovich (
theodore@hawaii.edu) and Jari Sugano (
suganoj@ctahr.hawaii.edu).
Mahalo nui loa to Kalae Akioka and Kukui Maunakea-Forth for their guidance with naming our newsletter.
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,
Jari Sugano and Dr. Ted Radovich
Sarah Moore, technician and editor
Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program
Cooperative Extension Service
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa