The use of ground covers during the establishment of heart-of-palm plantations in Hawaii

Abstract

Pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) is being evaluated in Hawaii for production of fresh heart-of-palm. Yields and offshoot (sucker) production were evaluated in response to woven black polypropylene mat (control), three legumes [Arachis pintoi Krap. and Greg., Cassia rotundifolia Pers., and Desmodium heterocarpon (L.) DC], and a grass (Chloris gayana Kunth) used as ground covers. D. heterocarpon and C. gayana formed closed canopies quickly and controlled weeds well, but required more frequent mowing. A. pintoi formed a closed canopy slowly and only controlled weeds after forming a thick canopy, but required less mowing. Cassia rotundifolia died out after flowering and setting seed. All vegetative ground covers delayed heart-of-palm harvest and had reduced yields 1.5 years after planting. A combination of polypropylene (adjacent to plants) and vegetative ground covers (in service rows) may provide the best solution to minimizing labor for vegetative management in this orchard crop.