Sustainable Agriculture
February 2007
SA-1

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future
John J. Cho,1 Roy A. Yamakawa,2 and James Hollyer3
1

Departments of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and 2Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences,and 3the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific projectTaro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, called kalo
in Hawaiian, is one of the oldest cultivatedcrops.(8, 41) A member of the plant family Araceae, which comprises at least 100 genera and morethan 1500 species, taro is a major staple in the diets ofpeople around the Pacific and is the world’s fourteenth
most-consumed vegetable.(34)

Movement of taro into Polynesia
Cytological and archaeological studies indicate that taro
probably originated in the Indo-Malaysian Peninsula
over 50,000 years ago.(53) Taro may have been grown
for thousands of years in Southeast Asia and the western
Pacific islands, including New Guinea, as archaeological evidence indicates human use of the plants 28,000

years ago in the Solomon Islands.(35) Evidence from thefields of biogeography and plant genetics indicates thattaro domestication may have occurred independently
in different areas long before people first moved into
Polynesia. This movement likely began in about 1600
to 1200 BC, when long-distance voyaging canoes weredeveloped and taro was taken further east into Fiji andwestern Polynesia (Samoa and Tonga), then into eastern
Polynesia with the movement of migrating voyagers to
the Cook, Society, and Marquesas Islands around 800 to
900 AD.(8, 17, 18, 29, 31, 56, 57)
Taro arrives in Hawai‘i
Around 900 to 1000 AD, a rapid colonization of allof Polynesia occurred that included the discovery andPhoto: Hanalei Valley, Kaua‘i, a major center of flooded kalo production.
Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822.
An equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/freepubs>.

UH–CTAHR

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and FutureSA-1 — Feb. 2007

settlement of Hawai‘i.(2, 3, 4, 5, 29, 54, 56, 57) Archaeologicalevidence suggests that kalo, banana, breadfruit, coconut,
mountain apple, sugarcane, and yam were among thefoods introduced to the islands by Polynesians, most
likely in multiple arrivals.
The Hawaiian staff of life
The early Hawaiians planted kalo in marshes near themouths of rivers. Over years of progressive expansionof kalo lo‘i (flooded taro patches) up slopes and along
rivers, kalo cultivation in Hawai‘i reached a uniquelevel of engineering sophistication.(30, 31) As a food crop,
kalo played an important role in the diet of the Hawaiian people.(32) In places like Kona, where conditions for
its cultivation were not optimal, other crops, including
breadfruit in the moist uplands and sweetpotato in thedrier lowlands, were significant, but taro remained thefavored food.(39, 44)
To Hawaiians, growing kalo was not merely an activity of food production but was strongly bound to theirculture and beliefs about creation. According to one
legend about creation, sexual union between the godbeings Wäkea (male) and Papa (female) first formed
the islands. Their union produced a child named Häloanaka, who did not survive and was buried. From thechild’s body grew the first kalo plant. The next child,named Häloa, became the first human to live in theislands, and from him the Hawaiian people descended.
Thus, some believe that the kalo plant, arising from theprior-born child, is superior to and more sacred thanman. The younger Häloa would respect and care for theelder brother and in return would receive sustenance andnourishment.(21, 26, 38)
Because kalo was a principal food source for mostearly Hawaiians, it had great social importance. Certain
kalo cultivars had ceremonial significance and were used
as offerings to the gods; others, such as the red cultivars
Lehua and Pi‘i ali‘i, were reserved to be eaten only by
the chiefs (ali‘i); and some, including those with low
acridity such as Lauloa and Haokea, were used for medicinal purposes in healing.(20, 21) The Hawaiian conceptof family, ‘ohana, is derived from the word ‘ohä, theaxillary shoots of kalo that sprout from the main corm,
the makua. Huli, cut from the tops of mäkua and ‘ohä,
are then used for replanting to regenerate the cycle ofkalo production.(20, 21)

The Hawaiian kalo cultivar ‘Ula‘ula Poni was also the sourceof a red dye for kapa (tapa) cloth.

Nutritional value
Kalo starch is one of the most nutritious, easily digested
foods.(33) Kalo corms are high in carbohydrate in the formof starch and low in fat and protein, similar to manyother root crops. The starch is 98.8 percent digestible,
a quality attributed to its granule size, which is a tenththat of potato, making it ideal for people with digestive
difficulties. The corm is an excellent source of potassium(higher than banana), carbohydrate for energy, and fiber.
When eaten regularly, kalo corm provides a good sourceof calcium and iron. Kalo leaves eaten as a vegetable(called lü‘au in Hawaiian) are excellent sources ofprovitamin A carotenoids, calcium, fiber, and vitamins
C and B2 (riboflavin), and they also contain vitamin B1(thiamin).(40, 42, 50)
Kalo, like other plants in its family, is considered poisonous because its tissues contain an acrid component;
thorough steaming or boiling eliminates this and allows
it to be eaten.

UH–CTAHR

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Futuretion, areas under its cultivation covered more than 20,000
acres (about 31 square miles) over six islands.(30)

Nutritional value of cooked taro
Unit
			
Water
EnergyProtein
Total lipids
Carbohydrate
Fiber

Leaf

Shoot

Corm

(amounts per 100 g)
95.3
14
0.73
0.08
3.2

g
kcal
g
g
g
g

92.15
24
2.72
0.41
4.02
2.0

no data

63.8
142
0.52
0.11
34.6
5.1

mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg

86
1.18
20
27
460
2
0.21
0.140
0.371
0.9

14
0.41
8
26
344
2
0.54
0.094
0.130
1.0

18
0.72
30
76
484
15
0.27
0.201
0.449
0.9

mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
IU

35.5
0.139
0.38
1.267
0.044
0.072
48
0
4338

18.9
0.038
0.053
0.81
0.076
0.122
3
0
51

5.0
0.107
0.028
0.51
0.336
0.331
19
0
84

Minerals
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
SodiumZinc
CopperManganese
Selenium
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Thiamin
Riboflavin
NiacinPantothenic acid
Vitamin B6
Folate, total
Vitamin B12
Vitamin A

SA-1 — Feb. 2007

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17 (2004)

Expansion of kalo production in Hawai‘i
Early settlers probably brought only a few varieties (cultivars) of kalo. During the early years of colonization,
production was mainly confined to the wet, windwardsides of the islands. As the population increased, people
spread throughout the island chain, again mainly on wet
windward sides, and kalo still was mostly grown underflooded conditions. From 1100 to 1650 AD, the Hawaiian
population expanded to over 400,000 people,(30, 49, 56) andsettlements were dispersed throughout windward zonesof all islands and extended into dry leeward valleys andcoasts.(30, 31) It is estimated that at the peak of kalo produc-

Decline of kalo production
Since the early to mid-1800s, following the arrival of
Captain Cook and the subsequent immigration of nonPolynesians, kalo cultivation and the demand for kalo hasmarkedly declined, and many of the ceremonial, medicinal, and upland kalo cultivars became neglected and werelost. The reduction in kalo cultivation can be attributed
to a variety of causes, including the following:• Diseases introduced with the arrival of foreigners
dramatically reduced the Hawaiian population, which
affected both the supply of and demand for kalo.(10, 49)• Much agricultural knowledge was lost with the passing of Hawaiian elders as a result of natural causesor the new diseases.(10, 44)• Alternative foods arrived, and starches such as rice,
grown in flooded areas formerly used for kalo, andimported wheat supplanted kalo, sweetpotato, andbreadfruit as dietary carbohydrate sources.
• Beginning around 1819, many Hawaiians were directed to the harvest of sandalwood, which left kalo
crops poorly attended.(1)• The breaking of the kapu system after 1820 allowed
Hawaiians more individual freedoms, including being
allowed to eat the kalo previously reserved for ali‘iand to undertake other means of obtaining sustenancethan working in the lo‘i.(14)• After the Great Mahele of 1848, some Hawaiians
walked away from traditional lands to pursue otheropportunities, some rented out their lands, and somewere forced off the land by those who had been granted
it or who used the court system to acquire it.(12, 14)• Extensive subsistence kalo production by Hawaiians
in small lo‘i was replaced by intensive commercial
production in larger, rice-paddy–shaped kalo patches
patterned on the agricultural styles of immigrant
farmers from Asia, who began farming the available
agricultural land.(11, 12)• Many kalo lands were converted to produce othercrops (mostly sugarcane grown by plantation companies, but also rice grown by immigrant farmers),
or in some cases to housing.(11, 12, 19)• Plantations used the courts to acquire rights to thewater that had fed lo‘i.(60)UH–CTAHR

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future

In 1900, it was estimated that about 1280 acres werebeing used for kalo production.(45) By 1907, rice had
become a major crop, occupying about 10,000 acres.(13)At that time, farmers of Chinese ethnicity were growing
about half the kalo crop and milling 80 percent of thepoi. By 1937, the major kalo growers were Japanese.(13)With the outbreak of World War II in 1941, demand for
kalo declined and production dropped to 920 acres.(23)Today, less than 400 acres of kalo are planted. The cropis dominated by just a few of the most productive cultivars: Maui Lehua (the major one) and Moi for poi, andthe Chinese cultivar Bun Long for lü‘au and chips. Maui
Lehua, a high-yielding cultivar, was selected in the 1960s
and has largely replaced the once-dominant commercial
cultivar, Lehua Maoli (also called Kauai Lehua).
Today’s kalo production under flooded conditions
occurs in four major river valleys. Hanalei on Kaua‘i
accounts for approximately two-thirds of the kalo produced in Hawai‘i annually, while the remaining third isgrown in Waipio, on the Hämäkua coast of Hawai‘i, andin Keanae and Wailua on Maui. Flooded kalo can also
be found in several smaller areas on Kaua‘i and Maui
(Waihe‘e Valley). About three-fourths of the flooded kalo
grown is made into poi.
As early as 1900, agricultural researchers noted thatpests and diseases were adversely affecting kalo production in Hawai‘i. The second bulletin of the federally
funded Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, titled“The Root Rot of Taro,” was published in 1902,(47) witha condensed version translated into Hawaiian publishedthe following year.(48) The appearance of additional new
pests in recent decades has further reduced kalo productivity and made it more difficult for growers to make aprofit. The new problems include taro leaf blight (causedby Phytophthora colocasiae), pocket rot of kalo corms,
apple snail, taro root aphid, and root-knot nematode.
Very little resistance to these pest problems is found in
Hawaiian kalo cultivars.
Preservation of Hawaiian kalo cultivars
During a period of intense agricultural activity lasting
several hundred years, necessitated by the expanding
population, Hawaiians may have accumulated over 300
kalo cultivars(22) from selected natural mutations,(22) additional importations from other islands, and, possibly,
deliberate breeding.(21, 25) In the early 1900s, in perhapsSA-1 — Feb. 2007

Hawai‘i taro statistics (2005)
Number of farms
Acres
Annual production
Average price per pound
Annual sales

110
360
4.3 million pounds$0.54$2.32 million

Source: Hawai‘i Agricultural Statistics Service

Recent concerns for taro producers
1953–1982:

Production declines as urbanization andother opportunities lure farmers fromthe land. Acreage declines on O‘ahu
and Hawai‘i but increases on Kaua‘i.

1982, 1992:

Hurricanes Iwa, Iniki curtail production.

1990–1996:

Upland production increases, at one
point accounting for 45% of production.

1996–now:

Pests including apple snail, pocket
rot, leaf blight, and root aphid become
significant problems.

the first systematic study of Hawaiian kalo cultivars, MacCaughey and Emerson(36, 37) suggested that about half ofthe named cultivars were duplicates. They concluded that
there may have been only 150 to 175 unique cultivars,
many of which either were not widely grown or had been
selected for their adaptation to the upland conditions ofleeward growing areas.
A major effort was made between 1928 and 1935
by agricultural scientists at the University of Hawai‘i’s
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources(UH-CTAHR) to collect, characterize, and preserve kalo
cultivars grown in Hawai‘i before they were lost. Theycollected 200 named cultivars, many of which were duplicates; only 84 distinct types could be identified. These
included 69 derived from native Hawaiian plants, 10 fromthe South Pacific, 3 from Japan, and 1 from China.
The cultivars could be separated into eight morphological groups based upon distinct features.(54) These
groups represented a significant reduction from the 27
groups previously recognized in the 1880 Hawaiian
Almanac and Annual, which included ‘Apuwai, Haokea,
Kai, Mana, Häpu‘upu‘u, Ipulono, Lauloa, Mahaha,
Lehua, Pualu, Poni, Kümü, Nohu, Uahiapele, Mamauea,

UH–CTAHR

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and FutureLola, Naua, ‘Apowale, ‘Elepaio, Mäkohi, Mäkoko, Piko,
Näwao, Kü‘oho, Ualehu or He‘ualehu, Käni‘o, and Manini. Important groups lost included ‘Ähë, Ëulu, and Lau.
Further, cultivars within each group have also been lost.
For example, older Hawaiians recognized at least fivecultivars in the groups Pi‘i ali‘i and ‘Apuwai, but the UH
effort collected only one in each group.(36, 37, 54)Some cultivars that were collected were the major ones
grown for food, but many, such as Lauloa Keokeo, which
was used to treat pulmonary aliments, had medicinal,
cultural, and ceremonial significance to Hawaiians.(54)
Haokea was used as an offering to the gods, and its lü‘au
was highly prized by the kähuna. Pi‘i ali‘i, meaning
ascending from the ali‘i, is one of the oldest cultivars
and was held in high esteem by the chiefs. Uahiapele,meaning smoke of Pele due to the smoky appearance of
its leaves, was prized for medicinal purposes and as anoffering to the gods.
For over 70 years, UH-CTAHR has been preserving
these valuable cultivars in a living collection at the Kaua‘i
Agricultural Research Center; the collection has served asa source for many plantings around the state. However,the security of the collection has often been compromised. In 1992, only 70 of the original 84 remained in
the center’s nursery. After Hurricane Iniki in 1993, feral
pigs consumed and eliminated an additional 10 cultivars,
and they caused further damage to the collection in 2005.
A decline in UH-CTAHR’s budget during the past coupleof decades poses a more serious threat to the collection.
Appropriate maintenance of this important collection will
require an infusion of funding and a long-term strategy
for preservation of these heirloom materials for future
generations.

Kalo breeding for the future
Since at least 1936, UH-CTAHR scientists have usedclassical plant breeding techniques, such as may havebeen practiced by ancient Hawaiians, to try to improvecommercial kalo cultivars, stem the decline in production, and stabilize the kalo industry.(22, 27) In 1988, Dr.
Ramon de la Peña(15, 16) made further attempts to breed
cultivars with higher yields and pest resistance. Several
hybrids were generated in this program, and one hybrid,
called 50 Baby, is grown today in small amounts, primarily for home use. Most of the other hybrids from that
program are only recently being evaluated for yield andSA-1 — Feb. 2007

taste, and thus far nothing looks outstanding.(58)
In 1995, Dr. Eduardo Trujillo and his colleagues(51, 52)
made crosses between a Hawaiian commercial cultivar,
Maui Lehua (the standard poi kalo grown in Hawai‘i),and a Palauan cultivar, Ngeruuch, resistant to taro leaf
blight (TLB). Two hundred hybrids were generated fromthis cross, and three TLB-resistant hybrids were selected.
One of these (cultivar Pa‘lehua) matured earlier and had
twice the yield potential of Maui Lehua, suggesting it as
a possible replacement for Maui Lehua. Unfortunately,subsequent field trials, particularly in Hanalei under
wetland conditions, found Pa‘lehua to be susceptible
to corm rots, probably caused by a Pythium pathogen.
Currently, only a few Hanalei growers produce small
amounts of Pa‘lehua, and it is cultivated by a few growers on O‘ahu,(59) but the commercial potential of thishybrid is uncertain.
In 1998, another cultivar improvement program(6, 7) was
initiated by one of the authors (Cho) to improve commercial kalo cultivars through traditional breeding; the goals
are to increase resistance to pests such as TLB and aphids,
increase plant vigor and yield, and develop new cultivars
that will be attractive for the restaurant and landscaping
trades. In this program, Hawaiian kalo cultivars are being used to provide desirable corm color, low acridity,
soft-rot tolerance, early maturation, and attractive leaf
color. Although there are many Hawaiian kalo cultivars,
their genetic background is similar, which makes themsusceptible to the same pests and diseases. This limits theirusefulness in contributing genetic variation for resistancein a breeding program.(6, 7, 25) Therefore, cultivars from
India and Southeast Asia, the genetic home and areaof greatest genetic diversity for kalo, are being used tobroaden the genetic base and contribute increased pest
resistance and yield.
Introduced cultivars from Micronesia, Palau, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Nepal arebeing used to increase resistance to TLB. Cultivars
from Micronesia and Indonesia are being used to increase aphid tolerance.(9) The breeding strategy seeks to
combine different sources of pest resistance to increase
durability of the resistance. This requires at least two
breeding cycles that together involve about 6 to 8 yearsof crossing, evaluation, and selection. The techniqueuses traditional cross-pollination between a Hawaiian
cultivar and introduced cultivars.

UH–CTAHR

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future

Harvest from a single mature plant (‘ohana) of UH–CTAHR
hybrid BC99-6 grown for 12 months in Hanalei on a commercial
wetland kalo farm. Average yield per ‘ohana of BC99-6 was
13 lb on one farm and 12.7 lb on a second farm, compared to
5.8 lb and 9 lb at the two farms, respectively, for the industry
standard, Maui Lehua. Huli for replanting are at right.

In the first breeding cycle, crosses are made between
commercial cultivars and introduced ones. The resulting
hybrids are evaluated for desirable horticultural traits,
and the best (elite) hybrids are selected for the next
cycle. Two crossbreeding approaches are employed.
One is to cross commercial kalo with TLB-resistantwild types from Thailand and Papua New Guinea. In
this effort, additional breeding (modified backcrossing)is needed to produce elite hybrids. This requires at least
four years. The second is to cross commercial kalo with
TLB-resistant kalo from Palau(51, 52) and Micronesia. In
this effort, elite types can be selected in the first year.
Many of the elite hybrids selected in the first cycle
are more pest resistant and productive than the industry
standard cultivars, and commercial growers could growsome of these hybrids profitably. The CTAHR program
has been successful in selecting elite hybrids with commercial potential through a close working relationshipbetween CTAHR’s research and extension personnel
and kalo farmers and processors. Accordingly, after
four years of on-farm evaluations, Hanalei wetland
kalo grower-cooperators have selected three elite hybrids (BC99-6, BC99-7, and BC99-9) for commercial
production. The three hybrids have greater tolerance
to taro leaf blight and pocket rot and yield about 30
percent more than the industry standards, to which they

SA-1 — Feb. 2007

Kalo grower Clarence Kanoa stands in a planting of a new
hybrid kalo (BC99-7) from the CTAHR breeding program; theshorter plants in the background are Maui Lehua, planted at
the same time.

Küpuna on O‘ahu taste-testing poi from new kalo hybrids.

are comparable in taste and color. Two commercial poi
millers have used the new kalo hybrids for commercial
production of poi. Currently, there are ongoing grower
distributions of the three hybrids to growers interested
in evaluating them for suitability at different farm locations on Kaua‘i, Maui, Hawai‘i, and Moloka‘i. Further
adoption of these hybrids by more growers will resultin a substantial increase in kalo production.
The proof is in the poi
In the second breeding cycle, two to three sources of TLB
resistance are combined by making crosses between elite
hybrids. As in the first breeding cycle, the resulting hy-

UH–CTAHR

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Futurebrids are evaluated for desirable horticultural traits, andthe best of them are selected for the final cycle, wherecrosses are made with elite aphid-tolerant hybrids. Finalcycle crosses from this program continue to generatepossible additional hybrids for the kalo industry.
Several promising elite candidates from the latest
final-cycle crosses have already been identified, and theirpotential role in commercial kalo cultivation is being
evaluated. The true measure of success for the CTAHR
kalo breeding program is the acceptability and adoptionof these new hybrids by the industry (kalo growers andpoi millers) and, ultimately, Hawai‘i’s kalo corm, lü‘au,and poi consumers.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Hanalei growers Rodney
Haraguchi, Clarence Kanoa, and in particular Christine
Kobayashi and Demi Rivera, and Wayne Tanji; Keanae
growers Isaac and Gladys Kanoa; and Waihee grower
Les Nakama for allowing us to conduct on-farm trials, fortheir insightful discussions and assistance in evaluating
and selecting elite kalo hybrids, and for the many hours ofmaking, tasting, and consuming large quantities of poi. We
are grateful to Eric Enomoto of HPC, Inc. for his willingness to evaluate our hybrids for poi quality. We would liketo acknowledge the assistance of staff at the UH CTAHR
agricultural research centers on Maui and Kaua‘i. We
received helpful review and assistance from Dale Evans(UH CTAHR), David Lovell (RCUH), Hugh (‘Buttons’)
Lovell, Grahame Jackson, Patrick Kirch (University ofCalifornia, Berkeley), Terry Hunt (UH Mänoa), Isabella
Abbott (UH Mänoa), Peter Mathews (National Museum of
Ethnology, Japan), and Eileen Herring (UH Mänoa). We
gratefully acknowledge partial financial support from the
UH Office of the Vice President for Research.
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Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future

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Additional references
Following are selected, recent publications about taro from UH–
CTAHR. Some are available at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/freepubs.
DeFrank, J. 1995. Azolla for weed control in wetland taro production. [Video.]
Hollyer, J., et al. 1997. Taro, mauka to makai; A taro production andbusiness guide for Hawai‘i growers. 112 p.
Hollyer, J., et al. 2000. Processing taro chips. 2 p.
Miyasaka, S.C., et al. 2001. Impact of organic inputs on taro production and returns. 4 p.
Miyasaka, S.C., et al. 2002. Nutrient deficiencies and excesses intaro. 14 p.
Sato, D.M., et al. 1997. Taro root aphid. 2 p.
Silva, J.A., et al. 1998. Interim fertilizer recommendations for wet(flooded) taro. 2 p.
Ooka, J. 1997 (reprinted). Taro diseases: A guide for field identification. 14 p.
Uchida, J.Y., et al. 2002. Improvements in taro culture and reduction
in disease levels. 4 p. [Discusses pocket rot.]