Expanding Cultivation and Uses of Moringa in Hawaii

Current Status

Cultivation of moringa in Hawaii is currently on a small scale and mostly for home use and sales at local farmers markets. Production for commercial distribution on the U.S. mainland and abroad is limited and constrained by several factors:

• High shipping and labor costs;
• Persishability of fresh moringa products such as leaves and pods;
• Lack of consumer awareness of moringa in the U.S.;
• Lower costs of  production and proximity of growing areas in international markets where moringa is routinely consumed;
• Lack of processing facilities for production of higher value, nonperishable moringa products and
  
• Quarantine restrictions. Federal quarantine regulations restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables products to destinations outside Hawaii and moringa pods must be irradiated before release on the mainland to prevent entry of fruit flies. The process is expensive for growers to perform. Recent research conducted by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii indicates that the pods may not serve as hosts for tephritid fruit flies so some relief from quarantine and irradiation requirements for the pods may be possible.

Vision

We believe that moringa has great potential for expansion as a major crop in Hawaii even if the prospects for export and use of fresh moringa products outside the state remain limited. Particularly on Hawaii Island, referred to here as the Big Island, there are large areas of agricultural land from abandoned sugar growing operations that are in not in productive use and being claimed by guinea grass, Christmas berry and other invasive plants that deplete water and contribute to fire hazards. This land could be cleared and used to grow moringa.  Moringa also has a potential for significant local uses:

• In agroforestry and permaculture with other crops such as coffee and mãmaki.  This will improve agricultural diversity, provide a crop that can be harvested and provide returns to farmers before the coffee and māmaki trees begin production, and also forage for bees and honey production.
• Excess moringa produced from agroforestry operations and intensive production of moringa could be made available at or near the point of use for livestock fodder and supplements, reducing reliance on costly imported feeds.
• Erosion control and phytoremediation of depleted soils and lands contaminated by pesticides.
• Improving food security – Hawaii imports nearly 90% of its food supply.  Moringa could be used to provide food in the event that food transportation and distribution systems become disrupted.
• Production of plant material for applications to other crops as a growth stimulant or biopesticide.

If suitable harvesting, transportation and processing systems can be developed the economic and shipping challenges limiting access to export markets can be overcome.   With these systems in place, materials derived from moringa can be made into high value, nonperishable processed products such as leaf powder, dry livestock feed and seed oil for export.  These products would not be subject to quarantine restrictions and easier to ship.

 

Past Field Growing Trails in Hawaii

We initiated field trials with several volunteer coffee growers and farmers on Hawaii island, Molokai and Oahu.   The purposes of these trials are to develop information on the suitability of various moringa species, varieties and seed sources for growing in Hawaii, and to provide bulk plant materials for our other proposed research activities.  For these trials we use seedlings from germination testing of seeds prior to placement in our seed bank.   The seeds are from a diverse international array of sources.  Approximately 2000 seedlings have been grown and distributed to farmers at no charge or for fees at or below our seedling production costs.  Each tree is tagged with individual identification numbers that are entered into a database. We request the growers to provide data on plant survival and growth observations.  Our intent is to collect this data and make it available to the public on seed lot data sheets in the Moringa Seed Bank section of our website, which is currently under development.

The initial results from most these trials have been disappointing.  Growers face significant challenges in finding sufficient agricultural labor for their operations and these workers are not able to collect and report the required data.  With our limited resources and logistics we are not able to routinely collect most of the data ourselves, particularly at farms distant from our facility. Another major problem has been training and supervision of transient workers carrying out weed control activities on the farms.  Most of the moringa seedlings planted so far have been destroyed during weed clearing operations.

The data collected from these field trials is potentially of great value but we cannot continue these as they are currently being conducted. We are seeking new partnerships with growers that have a strong interest in conducting the trials and adequate personnel, resources and funding to carry them to completion.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss participation in our field trials.

Moringa stenopetala Growing with Bananas 

 

 

New Moringa Project at South Point on the Big Island

We are pleased to have established a research agreement with He Lani Ka ‘Aina LLC for field trials to test seedlings of various species and varieties of moringa grown from our seed bank at their farm site located on Hawai‘i island near Ka Lae, the southernmost point of land in the United States.   Also known as “South Point,” it’s believed that Ka Lae is the first place Polynesians came ashore when they reached the Hawaiian Islands as early as 750 A.D.

The area is windswept, dryland and most of the project site and surrounding areas are completely dominated by guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus), a non-native, highly invasive species. The grass has degraded remnant native plant communities, prevents the establishment and restoration of native species, and provides fuel for frequent wildfires.  Soils in the area largely consist of volcanic ash and have moderate fertility and water holding capacity.  Until this project the land has only been used as pasture land, with some areas serving as marginal wildlife habitat.  Moringa may be one of the few crop species that can be grown in this harsh environment.

 

Active and Planned Agroforestry Projects in 2021

Pipturus albidus, known as māmaki in Hawaiian, is a small native tree grown for leaves used for tea and making other high value beverage products.  We are providing moringa seedlings to farmers for intercropping with māmaki in small scale tests.  Moringa is fast growing, provides shade needed by māmaki , may improve soil conditions, and an additional leaf crop for sale.  A large scale series of field trials at six māmaki farms on Hawai‘i island is proposed in a grant application currently under review.  In this project a wider array of moringa species and varieties will be tested to compare their growth rates, pest and disease resistance and suitability for intercropping.