Agreement Number
NR1992510002G001
Awardee Name
Univeristy of Hawaii
Grant Type
State
Project Title
Finding new friends for sunn hemp to revitalized degraded soil in the tropic
Awardee State/Territory
Hawaii
Involved States/territories
Hawaii
Award Year
2019
Start Date
End Date
Award Amount
$75,000.00
Production/Use
Farmland Agricultural
Resource Concern (Broad)
Soil
Resource Concern (Specific)
Soil Health
Organic matter depletion
Conservation Practice(s)
Cover Crop
Project Background
The overall purpose of this project is to address disease issues that are challenging the use of a popular tropical leguminous cover crop, `Tropic Sun' sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), in Hawaii. `Tropic Sun' sunn hemp, Crotalaria juncea, has been a popular green manure since its release in 1983 due to its vigorous growth, high nitrogen content and nematode suppression properties. However, in the last decade, farmers growing sunn hemp are suffering from Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium udum f. sp. crotalariae (Fuc) that causes the plants to wilt within 30 days after planting. Most recently, two viruses were found on sunn hemp in Hawaii: tobacco streak virus (TSV) that causes necrosis and seedling death in India, and an unclassified tobamovirus that is mechanically transmitted. The second virus greatly reduces plant biomass and is hampering the seed production in Hawaii. With `Tropic Sun' in trouble, and the virus found on the wild Crotalaria, C. spectabilis, this project is aiming to find alternatives to 'Tropic Sun' in Hawaii for soil health management
Project targeted to Historically Underserved producers?
No