Location: Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research
Project Number: 2040-22430-027-053-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Feb 12, 2024
End Date: Jul 1, 2025
Objective:
This project focuses on three coffee-producing regions (Guatemala, Honduras, and Hawaii) with broad goals of improving plant and soil health and farm profitability. This project will generate dual benefits for US and Feed the Future (FTF) coffee growers.
Approach:
Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council and USDA-ARS scientists propose to achieve this by: 1) characterizing existing nutrient deficiencies through extensive landscape-level soil/leaf tissue testing and farmer surveys; 2) exploring foliar fertilizers to improve nutrient uptake, yield, and quality; 3) investigating ground covers and shade trees to increase soil fertility and moisture retention and reduce herbicide use and pest/disease reservoirs; and 4) Capacity Development and scientific exchange between US and Central American researchers and farmers. Work in FTF countries will be through partnerships
established through an RFP package with a review panel including USAID and/or IFDC personnel and coordinated by a USDA-ARS post-doctoral fellow with on-ground experience in these FTF countries. The full project is expected to run five years, with this concept note covering project initiation and the first 12 months of activities.
