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Cooperative Extension Service Sustainable Agriculture College of Tropical Agriculture and Human (Resources February 2007 University of Hawal'I at Menoa SA -1 * ( F4 Y ~ ~ ~ 4 f~ a. Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future John J. Cho,' Roy M. Yamakawa,2 and James Hollyer3 Departments of 'Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and 'Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, and 3the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific project Taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, called kalo years ago in the Solomon Islands.(35) Evidence from the in Hawaiian, is one of the oldest cultivated fields of biogeography and plant genetics indicates that crops (1.41)Amemberoftheplant familyAraceae, taro domestication may have occurred independently in which comprises at least 100 genera and more than 1500 different areas long before people first moved into species, taro is a major staple in the diets of people Polynesia. This movement likely began in about 1600 to around the Pacific and is the world's fourteenth most- 1200 BC, when long-distance voyaging canoes were de- consumed vegetable!") veloped and taro was taken further east into Fiji and west- ern Polynesia (Samoa and Tonga), then into eastern Movement of taro Into Polynesia Polynesia with the movement of migrating voyagers to Cytological and archaeological studies indicate that taro the Cook, Society, and Marquesas Islands around 800 to probably originated in the Indo-Malaysian Peninsula 90o AD,(8, 17, 18, 29, 31, 56, 57) over 50,000 years ago!") Taro may have been grown for thousands of years in Southeast Asia and the west- Taro arrives in Hawaii em Pacific islands, including New Guinea, as archaeo- Around 900 to 1000 AD, a rapid colonization of all of logical evidence indicates human use of the plants 28,000 Polynesia occurred that included the discovery and settle- Photo: 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, Coopwa&s Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Harrell at Mores, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. An equal opportunlty/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawaii without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, enter", disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or satus as a covered veteran. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <hltplAV .ctahr.hawail.eduaraepubs>.