Journal of Hawaiian and Pacific Agriculture, 2006, Volume 13
UHH Home > Academics > College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management > Research
W. W. M. Steiner. 2005. The Coming Paradigm Shift: Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources, and the Future. vol. 12, 3-8. 
A CONTINUING TRADITION
As the new Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management, may I welcome you the reader to the reinstitution of the CAFNRM publication, Pacific Agriculture. After a hiatus of many months as we sought a new editor, we are happy to be bringing this publication to you once again, thanks to the care and vision of our new editor, Lorna Tsutsumi. Previously, this journal played an important part in disseminating quality information to the growers, ranchers and farmers in the central Pacific area and around the Pacific Rim. We wish to continue the tradition established in the past and seek our reader’s input and help to make this journal even more important. Reinstatement of publication comes at a time when challenges face the region that did not exist a decade ago. These are related to threats brought on by global climate warming, shortages in fuel supplies that are driving energy prices upward and potential economic impacts brought on by mismatches in trade agreements, limited resources, the failure to recognize the value of culturally-based economies, and dependence on ephemeral income bases that are in turn dependent on the price of oil.
M. Shintaku, C. Seeve, A. Shimabukuro. 2005. PCR Assay of the Rhizosphere Soil of Weeds Associated with an Outbreak of Bacterial Wilt of Ginger in East Hawaii. vol. 12, 9-14
ABSTRACT
Weeds were collected from a ginger field experiencing a bacterial wilt outbreak. These weeds were assayed for the presence of the pathogen (Ralstonia solanacearum) using a PCR assay. The pathogen was detected from the rhizosphere soil of many but not all samples. We hypothesize that weeds that consistently harbor high populations of this bacterium may serve as an alternate host, and indicator plant for, this pathogen.
N .V. Hue, H. C. Bittenbender and M. E. Ortiz-Escobar . 2005. Managing Coffee Processing Water in Hawaii. vol. 12, 15-21.
ABSTRACT
Hawaii is the only state in the USA that grows, processes, and roasts coffee. Coffee processing, however, poses some challenges. One is the processing water, which must be treated, and should be reused. We surveyed and collected several coffee processing water samples, both influent and effluent, from four small-scale (2-5 ha) coffee farms in Kona on Hawaii (Big Island), and from a large (1200 ha) coffee farm on Kauai. The samples were kept refrigerated during transport and storage. Subsamples were filtered and analyzed for biological oxygen demand (BOD), pH, and plant nutrient concentration. Aeration and lime (CaCO3) were applied in an attempt to lower ROD and phosphorus (P). Our findings showed that the Kauai coffee effluent and its reuse (irrigation) is more environmentally friendly in terms of ROD and plant nutrients than those in Kona. This is perhaps because the Kauai processing uses the hydropulping technique, which does not involve fermentation. Farms in Kona use the wet fermentation technique to remove the mucilage from the parchment coffee. Aeration for 7 days with 1% lime helped reduced ROD to about 300 mg L’ and P by several fold.
B. W. Mathews and C. J. Thurkins . 2005. Agronomic Responses in the Short-Term to Some Management Options for Sugarcane Top Residue. vol. 12, 23-34.
ABSTRACT
Agronomic responses in the short-term to various management options for the discarded tops of harvested sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp.) are largely unknown. This greenhouse study examined the effects offour simulated sugarcane harvest managements on the soil chemical properties of an Acrudoxic Hydrudand and growth of two tropical maize (Zea mays L.) varieties (‘Hawaiian Supersweet #9’ [HS] and ‘Tex-Cuban’ white flint fTC]). Simulated harvest managements consisted of removing the tops (leaves, sheaths, and immature cane-i.e., above the growing point of the mutable stalk) from the field (control), burning the tops (10,0000 kg ha’) with ash returned to the soil (burnt tops), returning chopped tops (10,000 kg ha’) to the soil as a mulch (mulched tops), or removing tops from the field with replacement of the K contained in the tops (145 kg ha-’) as KC1 fertilizer (K replacement). The mulched tops management increased soil oxidizable C but decreased soil available inorganic N relative to the other managements. However, it was estimated that about 73% of the immobilized N in this management could eventually be replaced via an increase in the pooi of mineralizable organic N. Both the mulched and burnt tops managements slightly increased modfied-Truog extractable P. About a third of the K in the mulched tops was not immediately available. This K pool was slowly released with the greatest increase in exchangeable K concentration occurring between 60 and 90 d after sugarcane top incorporation into the soil. The slow release nature of a third of the K in the mulched tops management resulted in lower maize seedling K concentrations (30 d after emergence) than observed for the burnt tops and K replacement managements. The HS maize variety appeared to have a greater internal plant K concentration requirement than TC. Future research should explore the feasibility of composting sugarcane tops possibly in combination with other by-products of the sugar industry in order to decrease the C/N ratio and thereby potential for N immobilization.
U. P. Surmsuk Salakpetch, S. Chandraparnik and M .A. Nagao. 2005. Soil Moisture Stress and Irrigation Management Promote Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostena L.) Flowering. vol. 12, 35-41.
ABSTRACT
Soil moisture stress experiments were conducted on 23 year-old man gosteen (Garcinia man gostaL.) trees at the Chanthaburi Horticultural Research Center, Thailand to develop a practical method to promote flowering of mangosteen. It was demonstrated that irrigation strategies after attaining a threshold water stress condition could be used as an agro-management practice to stimulate mangosteen flowering. Trees were subjected to the stress conditions that induced a leaf water potential of —0.93 to —1.08 MPa. Irrigation with either 1.85 times the total daily evaporation every 3 day or an initial application of 35 to 40mm of water per tree plus half that initial rate applied at 7-day-intervals induced production of the largest amount offlowers and fruits.
Soil moisture stress affects flowering intensity in several tropical fruit trees. Research on carambola and rambutan (Salakpetch et al,. 1990, 1992) as well as mangosteen (Poonnachit et al., 1996) has shown that these crops require a period of water stress before flowering. Soil moisture stress has also been shown to be aprerequisiteforfiowering in cashew (Nambiar, 1977) and mango (Singh, 1977). Alvim (1977) reported that flower initiation in cacao is enhanced by a dry period while flower growth and development are inhibited under soil moisture deficits. A period of water stress is also necessary for flower bud development in coffee (Alvim, 1960; Maestri and Barros, 1977; Schuch et al., 1992). Chandraparnik et a!. (1992) reported that a continuous dry period to achieve a mild stress condition is crucial for flower initiation in durian, but irrigation is required to promote growth and development of the flower buds to anthesis. However, rainfall greater than 10 mm/day for about 3 to 5 continuous days suppresses development offlower buds during the first stage of emergence.
Man gosteen is a high value crop due to high orchard establishment costs resulting from its long juvenile period. Once the juvenile period is complete, obtaining consistent flowering is imperative to recover investments associated with orchard establishment. Development of a practical method that can be used in an agro-management system to manipulate flowering ofmangosteen trees is needed. The objective of this study was to develop a method to promote flowering in mangosteen by regulating water stress.
E. R. Cleveland, A. M. Okinaka, and G. R. Hollis. 2005. A Survey of Breeding and Selection Practices Among U.S. Pork Producers. vol. 12, 43-54.
ABSTRACT
In 1988 and 1989, commercial pork producers from across the U. S. were surveyed concerning their use of various breeding and selection practices. Questionnaires from 1613 pork producers were included in this study. The majority of the producers were using at least some home-raised replacement guts. Rotational crossbreeding was the most popular crossing system used by these pork producers. Among these producers, the breeds most frequently used to produce crossbred sows were Yorkshire, Duroc, and Hampshire. The most popular sire breeds for market hog production were the Duroc, Hampshire, and Yorkshire breeds. Among these producers, the health status and health program were the most important criteria used in selecting breeding stock suppliers. A variety of boar selection criteria were probably used by the producers surveyed. However, growth rate, feet & legs, and feed conversion seemed to be the traits that received the most emphasis in the minds of these producers. Our results suggest that the majority of the producers surveyed preferred to buy performance tested boars. When performance tested boars were available, the majority of the producers surveyed indicated that they used performance records in making selection decisions. The vast majority of the producers surveyed indicated that some form of performance testing program should be emphasized to insure that genetic improvement occurred in the swine industry. Also, the vast majority of the producers felt that there was at least some need to verify the use of health, testing and selection practices among breeding stock suppliers.
M. J. Tanabe and K. Horiuchi. 2005. Aloe barbadensis Mill. Ex vitro Autotrophic Culture. vol. 12, 55-59.
ABSTRACT
Aloe plants can be grown autotrophically in a maintenance-free, sterile, ex vitro environment. Excel, 15-5-15 plus minors fertilizer formulation and Plant Preservative Medium (PPM) biocide was used as a very economical basal medium. In vitro micropropagatedplantlets were regenerated in Excel media with 2 g IL sucrose and 2.2 pM 6-Benzylamino purine (BA) and used to initiate ex vitro cultures in open vessels. Ex vitro media loss due to evaporation was reduced by sealing the culture vessel around the plantlets with either parafllm or aluminum foil and by adjusting gellan gum levels. Parafllm and higher levels of gellan gum significantly reduced ex vitro media loss but higher gellan gum levels (6 g IL or 8 g IL) also reduced plant weight gains compared to plants grown in 4 g IL gellan gum for 25 weeks after transplanting.
Note:
E. Cleveland, A. Miyasaki and A. Mina. 2005. The Effect of Drip Sprinklers on Sow and Litter Performance in a Subtropical Environment. vol. 12, 61-63.
INTRODUCTION
The environment has a large effect of swine performance. Both low and high temperatures can adversely affect performance in swine. Newborn pigs have a difficult time handling low temperatures (Curtis, 1970). The newborn pig requires air temperatures above 86° F (NRC, 1981). Sows start showing signs of heat stress when air temperatures are near 86° F (NRC, 1981). Because of this, it is difficult to regulate the farrowing house environment to meet the needs of both piglets and sows.
Heat stressed sow are likely to eat less feed. With a drop in feed intake, the sow’s ability to produce milk is reduced which can adversely affect the performance of nursing piglets. Furthermore, reduced daily feed intakes can result in greater sow weight losses which can lead to rebreeding problems.
Fans and air conditioning systems can help to relieve heat stress in confined sows but they can also lead to chilling in piglets. Other methods of cooling swine, such as the use of drip sprinklers, have been explored in temperate climates (Bull et al., 1997; McGlone et al., 1988; Murphy et al. 1987). The effectiveness of drip sprinklers for cooling lactating sows in a subtropical environment should also be explored. Theoretically, drip sprinklers should lower the body temperature of sows through evaporative cooling. Drip sprinklers are relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain compared to using air conditioning systems.