ISCA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: Small growers in Hawaii have the potential to produce an abundance of high value fruit and

Description

Small growers in Hawaii have the potential to produce an abundance of high value fruit and vegetables supplying for the needs of local island markets as well as the mainland markets. However, due to the insidious, unrelenting, high pressure of fruit flies, especially from the two key Bactrocera invasive pest species, Oriental Fruit Fly and Melon Fruit Fly, these growers cannot achieve their production potential. Many of the current small farm growers are found running fledging agricultural production enterprises with very few prospects of a better future; the new generations look for alternatives to the small farm life. Solving the problem of Bactrocera fruit flies would provide a reinjection of new energy that would foster the fruit and vegetable production in Hawaii.