The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-06-25
HALFBFTAROLOST
BY ROT Which is !
M0SI:3SRIOUSPEST.
Production CANNOT Be Increased
,Until Disease IS Checked
Successfully
STUDY BEING MADE
OF CONTROL METHODS
Suggestions Are offered For
conbatting Disease BY
Plant Pathologists

hs means bf increasing production
Of low or wet 'iahd tHrO, every attempt
! should he made to rherk the taro rot
'wliigh annually usstrOvs or rehders I'M
MARI etahle about one half of the cro1,,
aceor'i'nR to G. W. Carpenter, pntholo-
gist of The United States experiment
station The high price Of taro and poi
At the present time as q result OF if-
rteased consumption, owing TO the re-
StriCtinn Ia use Of wheat, is leading 90
the cultivation of many abandope
patches, to the planting of dry land tart,
and in general to an increased interest
in this crop. N
In 1902 the United States experiment.
station Investigated methods which
could be used to reclaim taru patches
which produced little beside rotting
taro, aud the results obtained by Inning
should induce growers who are having
difficulty to give the method thorough
trial. There is little available informa-
ton regarding the organism which
tcauses the taro rot but it's scientific
aspects arc being studied at the sta
| tiOn. .rTNh
To quote from Bulletin No. . of this
station, now out of print: q, ~ .
1.-THE conditions in the experimental
plat previous to the beginning Of the
experiment wete the worst that could
possibly be obtained in the locality.
The crop harvested in 1901 was very
badly diseased, and the hnles from this
crop were used in the experiment, but
with all these adverse conditions, the
yield from the experimental plat has
been greater than in any similar area
In the Kalihi District, being at the rate
of sixteen tons 10 the acre. This is
much above the average" .t,.
| Most of the fields in water tirO have
been in this crop for great many
years, and many have not received fer
tiization for very long time, though
] the ancient growers were accustomed
| to add tree leaves, taro plant waste,
etc, for this purpoie. As result of
cOntinuous cultiVation lack of proper
| fertilization, and the decomposition of
the starch Of the yrotting taro left in
the sOil the latter has become acid, and
the plant food unavailable to such an
| extent, as to be unsuitable to the best
development of the plants. sN
| tFor badly diseased patches the follow
ing Treatment ist,Auggested: After the
crop III pulled, drain of the water,
\ apply ground burnt lime agricultural
E1he) ut the rate of two tons to the
taerei (coral sand might he substituted
lat the rate of four tons to the acre).
| Dig in the Hme OF sand and thoroughly
incorporate 1t with the soil! Allow the
patch to stand ut least month without
Just. before. the hulcs are planted
, apply eomplete Fertilizer at the rate
' Of 500 lbs. TO the acre. when obtain
able d fertilizer 81, containing large
amounts Of available phosphorie acid
and potash, anita moderate amount of
! nitrogen should be used. Harrow the
! fertilizsr into dlIe shfl. ri Two to three
months after the hules are planted, to
/ force growth, apply about 100 lbs, Of
nitrate OF soda, the wafer first having
tecn drained of 80 that the fertilizer
can be worked into the soil where it
, will be Of most use to the plants.
" appears that the patches can be
afcly drained during the first three
months After the eighth month the
water must not he drained of or rot
win RESULT The fact that this tarO is
ut home along the cllHe OF RAINING
streams should l'r kept In mimi aud the
water in the patch not allowed TO stag
nate.
! The following conditions are all i'm,
portamt In securing II good crop of tar9;
% A supply of good hulcS, free from
| disease. .'n
A patch 10 laid out az TO secure eco
uomical use of the irrigation water.
Aspiration of proper fertilizers at
the right time. Ginning with ground
burnt lime or coral sand once in hNo
wears, if under continuous cultivation
| to tarO(. .s...5r2
Constantly running stream Of water
circulating 10 all parts Of the patch. %