A search of the University of Hawaii database using Carlweb turned up no matches, which reinforces that supposition. Using Uncover gave the same negative results. Is this pest similar to a pin worm or a grub or a weevil?
More follows below:
On 11/06/99 at 2:43 PM Anita Graf (Staff) wrote:
>Often times "sustainable" amounts to
>figuring out if something ought to be grown in a specific place in
>the first place.
What criteria are you applying to determine whether or not "something ought to be grown in a specific place"?
>it may be time to reasses the planting regime from the beginning.
Could you do that for us?
>Uh, not having anything technical to add to this discussion, I would
>still like to make a comment.
Obviously. But why? Was this what you consider to be a philosophic contribution, or perhaps metaphysical? You began with the following supposition that was far from established:
>If soils are fertile and well cared for and other basic
>sustainablity steps have been taken
I suggest that more attention be given toward resolving the underlying problems, rather than supposing that a given crop - in this case, a tropical fruit with a multitude of varieties that have adapted to a multitude of soil and climatic conditions, "ought not be grown in a specific tropical place", with no valid basis for making that unwarrented assumption. More than "forever trying to fit square pegs into round holes", some of "us humans" don't bother looking for round pegs to fit into round holes.
Lastly, a careful selection of seed sources for relatively resistant (to known local diseases), natural (not GMO) varieties is always a good place to start. The next step would be to contact the Brazilian / Portuguese equivalent of a "Centro de Investigacion sobre Control Biologico" or a "Laboratorio de Reproducion de Organismos Beneficos", in order to determine what they've got or could breed for you. (You will probably have anticipate the pests that are likely to attack and contract the breeding of both preventive and remedial beneficial organisms, to order. And you may have to contract a series of tests first, in order to determine which variety or strain of which organism will prove most effective).
Douglas Hinds
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
On 11/06/99 at 2:43 PM Anita Graf (Staff) wrote:
>> There are no really good remedies for it here, either. Late blight is a
>> major problem for tomato and potato growers in some areas, regardless of
>> what chemicals they use. We deal with it on our farm by using long
>> rotations (five years) and strict field sanitation (all residues
>> incorporated immediately after last harvest).
>>
>Uh, not having anything technical to add to this discussion, I would
>still like to make a comment. Often times "sustainable" amounts to
>figuring out if something ought to be grown in a specific place in
>the first place. When nature starts a full-on combat of something,
>it can sometimes mean that that something just isn't appropriate to
>the area. If soils are fertile and well cared for and other basic
>sustainablity steps have been taken and still it takes an arsenal of
>toxic chemicals (organic or not) to get a harvest, it may be time to
>reasses the planting regime from the beginning. Granted, I don't
>think that this kind of thinking comes naturally to us humans who are
>forever trying to fit square pegs into round holes, but it should be
>considered.
>
>Anita
>
>
>Anita Graf
>313-F Conner Hall
>Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics
>University of Georgia
>Athens, GA 30602-7509
>(706) 542-1915 phone
>(706) 542-0739 fax
>agraf@agecon.uga.edu
>
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