Enhancing Ecological Disease Management on Guam Through Building Agriculture professionals' Understanding of Soil Nutrients

Project Overview

EW08-018
Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2008: $49,962.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2012
Region: Western
State: Guam
Principal Investigator:
Roger Brown, Jr.
Email
University of Guam
Co-Investigators:
Dr. Robert Schlub
Email
University of Guam

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Vegetables: cucurbits, eggplant, tomatoes

Practices

  • Crop Production: conservation tillage
  • Education and Training: demonstration, extension
  • Pest Management: cultural control, integrated pest management, mulching - plastic, row covers (for pests)
  • Production Systems: agroecosystems
  • Soil Management: soil analysis

    Abstract:

    Enhancing Guam’s agriculture professionals’ knowledge of ecological disease management through soil nutrients

    Training was held to build agriculture professionals’ ability to detect plant nutrient imbalances and knowledge of soil nutrients in plant health and disease suppression. Instructional materials were derived from Guam soil and agriculture reports and data collected from fertilizer plots. The course included classroom, lab, and field instruction. Trainees learned how to detect plant nutrient levels using field test kits and symptomotology and how to best advise growers on soil nutrient management. At the conclusion of the course, trainees hosted a workshop for the general public at the test plots and a manual on soil fertility and nutrient management was published.

    Project objectives:

    Phase 1: Course Development
    1. Conduct a farmer survey
    2. Establishment of plant nutrient data plots to develop data for instructional manual
    3. Photograph plant symptoms
    4. Assemble materials for training manual for use in year two
    5. Advise National Institute of Health summer intern student on project (additional activity, not in original objectives).
    6. Conduct half-day workshop for instructors and trainees (additional activity, not in original objectives).

    Phase 2: Instruction
    1. Install and maintain field day instructional plots
    2. Finalize training manual
    3. Classroom, lab, and field instruction
    5. Development of field day program

    Phase 3: Field Day and Evaluation
    1. Field day
    2. Follow-up farm survey
    3. Follow-up review of agriculture professionals
    4. Produce a publication from the training manual that is peer reviewed by agriculture and soil professionals.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.