Project Overview
Commodities
- Fruits: pineapples
Practices
- Crop Production: conservation tillage
- Education and Training: display, farmer to farmer
- Farm Business Management: agritourism, new enterprise development, marketing management, whole farm planning
- Natural Resources/Environment: soil stabilization, carbon sequestration
- Pest Management: chemical control, cultural control, integrated pest management, physical control, mulching - plastic, prevention, row covers (for pests), sanitation, mulching - vegetative
- Production Systems: transitioning to organic
- Soil Management: organic matter
- Sustainable Communities: public participation, analysis of personal/family life, employment opportunities, social capital, sustainability measures
Proposal summary:
The island of Saipan imports roughly 90% of the fruit products consumed. The farmers in the CNMI historically have not had a great incentive to farm large areas for commercial profits. It was only when they were forced to use a large amount of land set aside to grow crops for outside profit, for example during the Japanese Occupation. In the years following World War Two, the islands were reduced to little or no vegetation. Only slowly were farms featuring local crops replanted. There are three types of pineapple varieties grown in the CNMI. The German type, the Chamorro type and the Hawaiian type (smooth cayenne). All of these varieties are grown locally but are grown in small numbers. Therefore obtaining planting material to grow for commercial production was not feasible. This project will help the farmer succeed in and showcase various methods and practices in his increased pineapple production. Most farmers to date in the CNMI will become aware that in some cases the crowns are split into quarters before planting to increase the number of slips from one crown.