Project Overview
Commodities
- Agronomic: corn, potatoes, soybeans, sugarcane, sunflower
- Fruits: avocados, bananas, citrus, figs, melons, papaya, pineapples
- Nuts: macadamia
- Vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucurbits, eggplant, garlic, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), okra, onions, peppers, radishes (culinary), sweet corn, sweet potatoes, taro, tomatoes
- Additional Plants: coffee, ginger, herbs, native plants, ornamentals
- Animals: bees, fish, poultry
- Animal Products: eggs, honey
Practices
- Animal Production: aquaculture, feed/forage, manure management, rangeland/pasture management
- Crop Production: agroforestry, application rate management, alley cropping, beekeeping, biological inoculants, conservation tillage, continuous cropping, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, drought tolerance, fertigation, fertilizers, foliar feeding, food processing, food processing facilities/community kitchens, food product quality/safety, forest farming, forestry, grafting, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, irrigation, no-till, nurseries, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, plant breeding and genetics, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, postharvest treatment, seed saving, strip tillage, tissue analysis, terraces, varieties and cultivars, water management, windbreaks
- Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, focus group, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
- Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, agritourism, farmers' markets/farm stands, financial management, value added
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, drift/runoff buffers, riparian buffers, wetlands
- Pest Management: biofumigation, biological control, botanical pesticides, chemical control, compost extracts, cultivation, cultural control, disease vectors, economic threshold, field monitoring/scouting, flame, genetic resistance, integrated pest management, mulches - general, mulches - living, mulching - vegetative, mulching - plastic, physical control, precision herbicide use, row covers (for pests), soil solarization, trap crops, traps, weather monitoring
- Production Systems: agroecosystems, aquaponics, dryland farming, hydroponics, integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture, organic certification, permaculture, transitioning to organic
- Soil Management: composting, earthworms, green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: community development, employment opportunities, food hubs, leadership development, local and regional food systems, urban agriculture
Abstract:
The Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program (SOAP) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR) remains committed to conducting annual professional development educational opportunities for agricultural professionals (AG PRO) in cooperation with WSARE, on evidence based, sustainable agricultural practices. The WSARE PDP program allows us to continue servicing and educating agricultural professionals in advancing sustainable agricultural practices which are in line with WSARE’s goals in advancing stewardship of the island’s natural resources by providing site-specific, sustainable farming and ranching methods that strengthens agricultural competitiveness; satisfies human food and fiber needs, maintain, conserve, enhance the quality and productivity of soil; conserve water, energy, natural resources, and maintain and improve the quality of surface and ground water. We anticipate providing agricultural professionals and producers with the technologies, skills and competencies to increase on farm productivity and efficiency; safeguard human, farm, biological and natural resources; reduce unnecessary crop and chemical inputs; and improve the overall quality of life of Hawaii’s farmers and agricultural communities through education, outreach, and applied research.
Project objectives:
Based on results from stakeholder and advisory member engagements, ongoing and increased emphasis in the 2019-2020 training period are expected to be placed on the following topics:
- Reduced reliance on imported inputs for plant and soil health
- Fruit tree / organic seed production
- Protected environment (e.g. screen house) production
- Improved dissemination of information directly to growers
- Improving agricultural professionals’ capacity to serve new and beginning farmers