DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
David Livingstone of Australia-based Greencare shows the different tines on the Coremaster 1560 that are used to aerate grass fields. The demonstration was part of a two-day agricultural and landscape industry conference that began yesterday at Kapiolani Park.
A Hawaii agricultural and
landscape event offers new
technology and equipment
Day one of a two-day statewide conference encompassing both the agricultural community and the landscape industry kicked off yesterday with a field day held at Kapiolani Park.
Sponsors of the event include the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii.
The overall goal of the conference is to help participants improve their businesses and expose them to new ways of enhancing and improving what they do.
At yesterday's field day, an array of new technology and new equipment ranging from new compact tractors and tree trimmers to aerators, compost and pest control systems was on display and, in some cases, demonstrated.
State-of-the-art equipment included an irrigation system, which can measure precisely how much water has evaporated from grass during a day and replace the exact amount to prevent over- or underwatering.
"A weather station measures evaporation and tells the computer how much evaporation there has been and replaces it the next day," said Ken Ota, general manager for Irrigation Systems Inc., which distributes the system made by RainBird Sprinkler Systems. Ota says the system is proving popular with Hawaii's resorts. The Sheraton Maui hotel said it saved about $2,100 per month on its water bill with the system, Ota said.
Another piece of equipment making its U.S. debut at the field day was an aerator called the Coremaster 1560. Made by an Australian company called Greencare, the aerator, which opens up turf grass so nutrients can get down into the soil, is attached to a tractor. As it moves, the aerator is able to reach a depth of 6 1/2 inches -- twice the depth of previous models, its designer, David Livingstone, said. The machine comes equipped with a full range of hollow and solid "tines," which are used to either extract stolons of grass or poke holes.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kaleo Kuoha, right, of Hawaiian Earth Products, sprays Menehune Magic, an organic soil compost, on the grass as Colin Yamamoto looks on at the agricultural and landscape conference.
Livingstone said it is the first new aerator model on the market in 20 years. Ideal for large expanses of grass found on golf courses, resorts or sports fields, the machine made its first appearance at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
"You can aerate up to five putting greens in about one hour," he said.
The aerator, which will be distributed in Hawaii by Allied Machinery Corp., will be priced around $20,000 to $30,000, Livingstone said.
Representatives of local company Hawaiian Earth Products, which produces compost and mulches made out of recycled green waste and produces soil blends under its Menehune Magic brand, were also on hand to demonstrate several of their products. Those products included a liquid extract from compost called mulch tea, which is used as a foliar spray or a root drench.
"The product puts in beneficial organisms to counteract disease, General Manager Lorra Naholowa'a said.
Hawaiian Earth Products, an 11-year-old company, takes in about 5,000 tons of green waste per month, she said.
The conference moves indoors today to the Pacific Beach Hotel, where attendees will hear agriculture, landscape and business experts cover a diverse range of topics.
Featured speakers include David Cole, new chief executive officer of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., and David Minor, director of the James A. Ryffel Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Texas Christian University.
