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<br /> UH-CTAHR Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future SA-1 - Feb. 2007
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<br /> Lola, Naua, `Apowale,'Elepaio, Makohi, Makoko, Piko, and taste, and thus far nothing looks outstanding.(")
<br /> Nawao, Kd'oho, Ualehu or He'ualehu, Kani'o, and In 1995, Dr. Eduardo Trujillo and his colleagues0l,11)
<br /> Manini. Important groups lost included `Ahe, Eulu, and made crosses between a Hawaiian commercial cultivar,
<br /> Lau. Further, cultivars within each group have also been Maui Lehua (the standard poi kalo grown in Hawai`i),
<br /> lost. For example, older Hawaiians recognized at least and a Palauan cultivar, Ngeruuch, resistant to taro leaf
<br /> five cultivars in the groups Pi'i ali`i and `Apuwai, but blight (TLB). Two hundred hybrids were generated from
<br /> the UH effort collected only one in each group.0', 54) this cross, and three TLB-resistant hybrids were selected.
<br /> Some cultivars that were collected were the major ones One of these (cultivar Pa'lehua) matured earlier and had
<br /> grown for food, but many, such as Lauloa Keokeo, which twice the yield potential of Maui Lehua, suggesting it
<br /> was used to treat pulmonary aliments, had medicinal, as apossible replacement forMaui L.ehua.Unfortunately,
<br /> cultural, and ceremonial significance to Hawaiians554) subsequent field trials, particularly in Hanalei under
<br /> Haokea was used as an offering to the gods, and its ld'au wetland conditions, found Pa'lehua to be susceptible to
<br /> was highly prized by the kahuna. Pi'i ali'i, meaning as- corm rots, probably caused by a Pythium pathogen.
<br /> cending from the ali'i, is one of the oldest cultivars and Currently, only a few Hanalei growers produce small
<br /> was held in high esteem by the chiefs. Uahiapele, mean- amounts of Pa'lehua, and it is cultivated by a few grow-
<br /> ing smoke of Pele due to the smoky appearance of its ers on O'ahu,(s') but the commercial potential of this hy-
<br /> leaves, was prized for medicinal purposes and as an of- brid is uncertain.
<br /> fering to the gods. In 1998, another cultivar improvement program( was
<br /> For over 70 years, UH-CTAHR has been preserving initiated by one of the authors (Cho) to improve com-
<br /> these valuable cultivars in a living collection at the Kaua'i mercial kalo cultivars through traditional breeding; the
<br /> Agricultural Research Center; the collection has served goals are to increase resistance to pests such as TLB and
<br /> as a source for many plantings around the state. How- aphids, increase plant vigor and yield, and develop new
<br /> ever, the security of the collection has often been com- cultivars that will be attractive for the restaurant and land-
<br /> promised. hi 1992, only 70 of the original 84 remained in scaping trades. hi this program, Hawaiian kalo cultivars
<br /> the center's nursery. After Hurricane Iniki in 1993, feral are being used to provide desirable corm color, low acrid-
<br /> pigs consumed and eliminated an additional 10 cultivars, ity, soft-rot tolerance, early maturation, and attractive leaf
<br /> and they caused further damage to the collection in 2005. color. Although there are many Hawaiian kalo cultivars,
<br /> A decline in UH-CTAHR's budget during the past couple their genetic background is similar, which makes them
<br /> of decades poses a more serious threat to the collection. susceptible to the same pests and diseases. This limits
<br /> Appropriate maintenance of this important collection will their usefulness in contributing genetic variation for re-
<br /> require an infusion of funding and a long-term strategy sistance in a breeding program.0-'• 11) Therefore, culti-
<br /> for preservation of these heirloom materials for future vars from India and Southeast Asia, the genetic home
<br /> generations. and area of greatest genetic diversity for kalo, are being
<br /> used to broaden the genetic base and contribute increased
<br /> Kalo breeding for the future pest resistance and yield.
<br /> Since at least 1936, UH-CTAHR scientists have used Introduced cultivars from Micronesia, Palau, Indo-
<br /> classical plant breeding techniques, such as may have nesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Nepal are be-
<br /> been practiced by ancient Hawaiians, to try to improve ing used to increase resistance to TLB. Cultivars from
<br /> commercial kalo cultivars, stem the decline in produc- Micronesia and Indonesia are being used to increase
<br /> lion, and stabilize the kalo industry.(n• n) In 1988, Dr. aphid tolerance!') The breeding strategy seeks to com-
<br /> Ramon de la Pena(15. 11) made further attempts to breed bine different sources of pest resistance to increase dura-
<br /> cultivars with higher yields and pest resistance. Several bility of the resistance. This requires at least two breed-
<br /> hybrids were generated in this program, and one hybrid, ing cycles that together involve about 6 to 8 years of
<br /> called 50 Baby, is grown today in small amounts, pri- crossing, evaluation, and selection. The technique uses
<br /> marily for home use. Most of the other hybrids from traditional cross-pollination between a Hawaiian culti-
<br /> that program are only recently being evaluated for yield var and introduced cultivars.
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