Agreement Number
NR1892510002G004
Awardee Name
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Grant Type
State
Project Title
Soil Health Friendly Biofumigation Using Brown Mustard and Oil Radish Cover Crops for Soil-Borne Disease Management
Awardee State/Territory
Hawaii
Involved States/territories
Hawaii
Award Year
2018
Start Date
End Date
Award Amount
$74,995.00
Production/Use
Farmland Agricultural
Resource Concern (Broad)
Soil
Resource Concern (Specific)
Soil Health
Plant productivity and health
Plant pest pressure
Organic matter depletion
Field pesticide loss
Conservation Practice(s)
Cover Crop
Project Background
Dr. Koon-Hui Wang, University of Hawaii, will address a soil health PIA Priority for FY18. Many conventional farmers in Hawaii are having frequent outbreaks of soil-borne fungal diseases that are no longer responding to conventional soil fumigation. This project proposes to use a Soil Health Friendly Biofumigation approach that can help PIA farmers reduce epidemic disease problems in agroecosystems while maintaining soil health. In particular, this project will practice biofumigation by growing a brown mustard (Brassica juncea) and oil radish (Raphanus sativus) cover crop mix for 4-5 weeks, terminating the cover crop by tissue maceration (M) using flail mower, shallowly tilling (T) (< 10 cm deep) the macerated tissues into the soil, then covering the soil with black plastic (BP) for 1 week. This innovative technique will be referred to as the MTBP method.
Project targeted to Historically Underserved producers?
No