REPORT TITLE:
Taro, Research, Appro.


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates $190,970 for research on taro disease and other
problems.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                             
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           229
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                     
STATE OF HAWAII                                                 
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR TARO RESEARCH.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that taro yield and
 
 2 quality have declined sharply on all islands due to diseases and
 
 3 pests that affect the leaves and corms of taro.  The diseases,
 
 4 leaf blight and pocket rot, have been in the islands for many
 
 5 years, but severe yield losses ranging from thirty per cent to
 
 6 seventy per cent have only been reported since Hurricane Iniki
 
 7 (after 1992).  These two diseases are now spreading rapidly
 
 8 throughout the State.
 
 9      In response to urgent appeals from taro growers to the
 
10 University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human
 
11 resources to provide workable strategies that would enable them
 
12 to restore taro yields to pre-Iniki levels, a team of researchers
 
13 and extension agents, in concurrence with taro farmers from
 
14 Hanalei, reached consensus on undertaking short-term and long-
 
15 term strategies to deal with this taro yield decline problem.
 
16      In order to obtain answers to the cause of the taro yield
 
17 decline problem, an interdisciplinary team of college of tropical
 
18 agriculture and human resources will work to achieve the
 
19 following objectives:  determine the role of microbial pathogens
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           229
                                                             
                                                        

 
 1 on taro pocket rot and phytophthora leaf blight; determine the
 
 2 effect of soil and crop management on crop yield and the severity
 
 3 of taro pocket rot and phytophthora leaf blight; and evaluate poi
 
 4 quality and luau taro varieties for resistance to taro pocket
 
 5 rot, phytophthora leaf blight, and pythium root rot.
 
 6      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 7 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $190,970, or so much
 
 8 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, for
 
 9 research on diseases and other problems with taro throughout the
 
10 State, to be performed by the University of Hawaii college of
 
11 tropical agriculture and human resources.
 
12      The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of
 
13 Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
14      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
15 
 
16                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________