Enhancing Phyto-Nutrient Content, Yield and Quality of Vegetables with Compost Tea in the Tropics (2006): Theodore Radovich, principal investigator, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, University of Hawaii, 3190 Maile Way, St. John 102, Honolulu, HI 96822, (808) 956-8351, Theodore@hawaii.edu. Western SARE funding: $162,500. Compost teas, which are aerated liquid extracts of compost, have been shown in many areas to improve crop yields and plant nutrient quality. Applying compost teas in Pacific island agriculture could potentially have significant benefits, but little is known about the interactions between the teas and various crops under tropical conditions. The purpose of this Research and Education grant is to engage farmers, researchers and industry professionals to address these knowledge gaps. It will quantify the independent and interactive effects of compost quality and vegetable type, under both conventional and organic systems, on yield and nutrient content of root, fruit and leaf vegetables. It will assess the effect of compost tea applications on yield, nutrient content and profitability on commercial vegetable operations on three Hawaii islands. And it will teach producers how to employ compost tea to increase yields and plant nutrients.

Research and Education Grant: SW07-073

Choosing the Best Figs for Hawaii (2006): Ken Love, Project Coordinator, P.O. Box 1242, Captain Cook, HI 96704, (808) 323-2417, ken@mycoffee.net; Kent Fleming, technical advisor, (808) 989-3416, fleming@hawaii.edu. Western SARE funding: $25,000. Hawaii's range of microclimates makes it possible to grow hundreds of different crops, although each has varying degrees of profitability for farmers. The previously funded Western SARE "12 Trees Project" identified figs as one crop with a large profit potential, estimated at 12 times that of Kona coffee. However, only three fig cultivars are currently available to Hawaii growers, so this Farmer/Rancher project will test additional fig cultivars that produce at different times at varying altitudes. The cultivars will come from the USDA germplasm repository in Davis, Calif., which keeps more than 130 fig cultivars in its collection. The SARE project will investigate the figs' water requirements, susceptibility to pests and diseases and yields. Taste testing for chefs, cost of production and marketing of fresh and processed figs will also be analyzed along with Asian pruning and growing systems and packaging for wholesale and grocery markets.

Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-034