Disease Control for Emerging Vanilla Industry

A significant attempt is being made to establish a new vanilla industry in Hawaii. This industry will generate a new product for Hawaii and also employ displaced sugarcane employees. At present, several potential plant pathogens have been found at the new vanilla nursery. These fungi and bacteria need to be tested immediately as pathogenic species are major threats to vanilla vines. Disease-free plants need to be grown to test these fungi and bacteria. But more importantly, disease-free plants are needed to build a solid foundation for this new industry. New growers are already very interested in beginning their nurseries, but clean plants are an absolute requirement. In Phase I, the production of disease-free plants will be started and potential pathogens will be tested. In Phase II, a large stock of disease-free plants will be grown to supply new growers and to replace the present stock of contaminated plants at our nursery. Strong marketing arrangements are already in place and the demand for vanilla beans is very high.