Project Overview
Annual Reports
Information Products
Commodities
- Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, berries (blueberries), berries (brambles), berries (cranberries), berries (other), berries (strawberries), cherries, citrus, melons, peaches, pears, plums
- Nuts: almonds, macadamia
- Vegetables: peppers, sweet potatoes
- Additional Plants: herbs, native plants, ornamentals
- Animals: bees
Practices
- Crop Production: cover crops, application rate management
- Education and Training: farmer to farmer, workshop
- Farm Business Management: value added
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, habitat enhancement
- Pest Management: cultural control, genetic resistance, integrated pest management, physical control, mulching - plastic
- Production Systems: organic agriculture
- Sustainable Communities: partnerships, urban agriculture
Proposal abstract:
The goal of this project is to increase agriculture professionals'' awareness about the need for pollinators in food production and to promote the practical skills needed to manage bees for crop pollination services. The project''s main audience includes the University of Hawaii extension agents, employees of the National Resources Conservation Services, Farm Service Agency, as well as staff from Hawaii''s Department of Agriculture (HDoA). The project will provide instruction and assistance to agriculture professionals via workshops, printed materials, and online web courses that cover a variety of knowledge areas including pollinator biology, basic beekeeping, pesticide use and in-farm pollinator conservation strategies. We will create a Pollinator Website where agents and stakeholders can download manuals on pollinator identification and beekeeping basics, and gain access to training videos. This website and the educational materials produced will become tools that the agents can use to assist growers and will help improve the yield of bee dependent crops not only in Hawaii but also in the Pacific region. The fragmented and diverse nature of our islands requires that we identify and train agents that have interest on pollination issues within each island. As such, the proposed island by island training workshops will also help us adapt our suggestions and approaches to the local environment and farming practices. Among the goals of this project is the creation of "teaching apiaries" at each island. These small apiaries will become education and dissemination centers where agents can showcase sustainable beekeeping practices to stakeholders and students.
Project objectives from proposal:
The proposed project duration is two years during which we will develop:
1- a series of educational workshops on pollinator and pollinator friendly farming techniques,
2- a series of printed materials that can be distributed to agents and eventually used to educate growers,
3- a website where agents and stakeholders across Hawaii and the Pacific region can access and download educational materials on pollinators and pollinator
friendly farming strategies ,
4- online courses for agents and stakeholders illustrating beekeeping practices and pesticide reduction strategies for vine crops.