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

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that taro yield and quality have declined sharply on all islands due to diseases and pests that affect the leaves and corms of taro. The diseases, leaf blight and pocket rot, have been in the islands for many years, but severe yield losses ranging from thirty per cent to seventy per cent have only been reported since Hurricane Iniki (after 1992). These two diseases are now spreading rapidly throughout the State.

In response to urgent appeals from taro growers to the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources to provide workable strategies that would enable them to restore taro yields to pre-Iniki levels, a team of researchers and extension agents, in concurrence with taro farmers from Hanalei, reached consensus on undertaking short-term and long-term strategies to deal with this taro yield decline problem.

In order to obtain answers to the cause of the taro yield decline problem, an interdisciplinary team of college of tropical agriculture and human resources will work to achieve the following objectives: determine the role of microbial pathogens on taro pocket rot and phytophthora leaf blight; determine the effect of soil and crop management on crop yield and the severity of taro pocket rot and phytophthora leaf blight; and evaluate poi quality and luau taro varieties for resistance to taro pocket rot, phytophthora leaf blight, and pythium root rot.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $190,970, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, for research on diseases and other problems with taro throughout the State, to be performed by the University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.