 This time on Partners, it's a voyage to the Pacific Islands, from a Hawaiian farmer's battle with a banana-killing virus, to Panipay's hope for economic independence through the power of pearls, to a Guam 4-H agent's quest to reach youth at risk through fishing. Pacific land-grad institutions are hard at work serving the residents of this vast region. We are working with the people there to help improve their lives. Welcome to Partners. In the next half hour, we'll travel the nation and see breakthrough work in research, education, and extension. That's what CSR EES is all about, helping universities generate valuable knowledge for those who need it, and educating our next generation of Americans. And now, it's time for Partners. For many, the Pacific conjures up images of blue ocean, palm trees, and idyllic beaches. But this vast region is much more complex than a simple postcard image. The area is famous for its diverse indigenous cultures, small rural villages, bustling urban cities, and distinctive agricultural endeavors with crops such as papaya, taro, and breadfruit. Far from the shores of the continental United States is a group of dynamic land-grant educational institutions that are meeting the challenges of this unique region. They are American Samoa Community College, the College of Micronesia, the University of Guam, Northern Marianas Community College, and the University of Hawaii. The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of USDA has taken a keen interest in supporting various projects of these Pacific land-grant schools. Our agency has a responsibility to work with the agricultural partnership out there of the land-grant to help those institutions work to make a better life for the people of the islands. Because of this, CSR EES has financially supported the land-grant educational institutions throughout the region and ADAP, the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific Program. The partnership strives to solve problems involving natural and human resources. For the next half hour, we'll embark on a 7,000-mile journey halfway around the globe and see just a few of the innovative projects spearheaded by the land-grant institutions of the Pacific. This is a land of lush vegetation, friendly people, crystal clear waters, idyllic bays, and while Panape appears to be paradise, like any other place, it also has its problems. Depending on the study, officials estimate unemployment here anywhere from 22 to 70 percent. Jobs are scarce and subsistence living is a way of life for many. Some get by producing wood carvings of exquisite beauty, but finding buyers is a problem. Panape's tourism industry is in its infancy. Because of its remoteness, the island only receives about 4,000 visitors annually. Others who can't find work get by the best way they can. With an average age of 19, Panape has an extremely young population and the need for work opportunities is paramount. We get people that call in almost every day looking for jobs, young people, able people. Cingero Cingeo works for the College of Micronesia, the island nation's land-grant institution. The Federated States of Micronesia has an agreement with the United States called a Compact of Free Association. And while the country presently gets annual USAID, the most recent arrangement stipulates that the nation has 18 years in which to become economically independent. In response to this, Cingero and others at the college are exploring new ways to create jobs on the island. If we are able to establish some sort of pearl farms in some of the islands based on the technology that has been adapted to simple ways of handling it, then it will be easier for the farms to be established in these many other islands and for young people to have jobs. Pearls mean big money for some Pacific islands. In the 1970s, French Polynesia began to develop a black pearl industry that now grosses over 120 million dollars annually. Understandably, they have been protective in sharing their production techniques in order to preserve their niche in this lucrative industry. The black pearl is highly coveted and fetches top prices in international markets. Pearls also have the advantage of not being perishable, and transportation costs from remote islands are minimal due to their diminutive size and weight. With Ponape's rich nutrient waters, the stage was set to develop an aquaculture industry. Or was it? We knew there are some pearl oysters in the islands, but we couldn't produce enough to have farm, and so that's why we needed the technology to do this. Enter Masahiro Ito, a marine biologist by trade. Masahiro is an accomplished scientist in pearl aquaculture. But it's his ability to choose appropriate technologies for the developing nations in Micronesia that has proved most valuable. We don't need high technology equipment, and we just need long lines, ropes, ropes, and oyster, and they have a natural environment to grow oyster and pearls. With limited resources, Masahiro has established a nursery, trained a local staff, and conducted research with Ponape oysters to see which will produce the optimum color of gem. The pearl production is a complex, multi-step process, taking several years to deliver a product. The first step is that we go to this lagoon and natural environment, and then collect, find the oyster. The goal of this oyster search is not to find pearls. In the wild, only one out of 10,000 oysters may produce a pearl. Rather, these natural specimens will provide the sperm to fertilize the eggs of the next generation of oysters. Then bring back to the hatchery here and propagate. At the hatchery, we spawn them. Masahiro has taught his staff low-tech methods to complete the spawning. For instance, since hot seawater is needed to stimulate the secretion of the sperm, Dr. Ito instructs his staff to use abundant local wood for the fire, rather than expensive electric heaters. Each oyster is carefully handled by the workers during the spawning. 400,000 larvae will be produced from this process. In three weeks, that will produce 100,000 baby oysters, about an inch-and-a-half in diameter. After hatchery, we transfer these babies to the grow-out farm and grow them two years. This is the ocean nursery phase of the project. Baby oysters nurtured in the hatchery are placed in nets and transported by boat to protected natural lagoons. To encourage pearl production, mature oysters are removed from the nets so that an implant can be inserted. In response to the implant, the oysters begin to produce pearls. The team checks the condition of the oysters and nets monthly, removing sea growth that is detrimental to the process. It is a labor-intensive business, one that promises great financial returns and precious jobs for the people of Micronesia. Last summer, they were able to extract the 10-month-old pearl that showed that pearls of such quality, roundness, and right color could be produced in this area using the hatchery technology and all the procedures that he has taught to his boys. That training has paid off. Masahiro Ito and his staff have established three ocean nurseries. One on remote Pakinatol off the coast of Panipay will eventually offer its 30 residents relief from their subsistence agricultural existence. Today, however, the crew heads to nearby Param Island to inspect the oysters there. Masahiro When he first came here, we agreed that his job is to train Micronesians to show the technology it can work. That was part of the intention, was to make something very simple that when people look at it, they want to say, ah, we can do this in other places. We focus on those programs that help raise the level of quality of life for people, whether it's in nutrition, youth, employment, projects like the pearl. And I really believe that without the land grant funding that we're receiving, I think we really, a lot of these things cannot be happening. The College of Micronesia serves three nations, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. It is an area as large as the continental United States, with residents speaking seven native languages. Here on the big island of Hawaii, less than a mile from the Windward Coast, is the fertile plantation of the Mauna Kea Banana Company. Its owner, Richard Ha, has been farming on this island for the past 30 years. People eat a lot of bananas, it's the most popular fruit. And we grow it here with the largest farm in the state. And that also means it's the largest farm in the United States. Bananas are popular in Hawaii, generating $10 million annually. It's easy to see why at the weekly farmers market here in Hilo. Hawaiian grown varieties account for most of the bananas consumed by the state's residents. The local crop provides fresh, affordable nutrition for the islanders. Banana prices haven't gone up in the last 10, 15 years as long as I can remember. But all the other costs have gone up. So we really operate on a very thin margin and we're competing against Central America as far as labor is concerned. So it's a very precarious situation. That situation became even more serious when Richard's farm was hit by a disease called Banana Bunchy Top Virus, or BBTV. As the name suggests, the tops of the banana plants become contorted or bunched up. Inside, the virus enters the cells, taking over the protein and DNA synthesizing machinery. This saps the plant of its energy to produce fruit. That means fewer plants and fewer bunches to harvest. So the plants are significantly diminished in their health such that they do not grow and they do not yield properly at all. Scott Nelson is an extension plant pathologist from the state's land grant institution. The University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has been working with Richard Ha on the BBTV problem. When we find diseased plants, it's important that they are removed as quickly as possible from the field so that they do not serve as a source of disease for neighboring plants. We found the Bunchy Top Virus on our farm in KL and it was widespread enough that it was going to be impossible to just take out the ones that were infected and still have a viable farm because there would be too many holes in it. So we took the whole thing out and to do that out of the blue, it kind of gets your attention. The infestation cost Richard 100 acres of productive trees. In the competitive banana business where daily operations are fine-tuned to shave even a cent off the per pound price, the impact was dramatic. One day you're supplying people that you've been supplying for 20 years, then the next day you're saying, you know, I don't have any fruit. Bananas are probably one of the most important staple food crops throughout the Pacific. If we can develop some technologies to prevent banana Bunchy Top from destroying this valuable food source, what it means is almost indescribable to the people of the Pacific because they rely so heavily on this plant for everyday food. Back at the University of Hawaii's main campus in Honolulu, scientists and students from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources are attacking the problem. The research, funded by CSREES, is focusing on how the virus spreads to banana plants. Part of the project incorporates global positioning system satellite technology. We gave growers that are participating in the project GPS units like this one and they go out in the field and as they're sampling for sick plants with Bunchy Top they just press a little button and gather the GPS position of that one plant. Back at the lab, co-investigator Mark Wright plots each plant on a grid. Distances between the plants are precisely measured and the spread of the virus caused by the banana aphid insect is tracked. What we hope is that at the end we can come up with a system where if the farmer finds one sick plant he can cut that one plant and maybe cut a few more plants surrounding it to avoid the spread of the disease. You want to be sure that you have the least number of plants removed so that the farmer is still profiting from this management strategy but you also want to be sure that he's reducing the amount of disease out in the field. Finding that fine balance is just one part of the research. What Rigo and his team are also taking on Pentalonia nigronervosa, the banana aphid responsible for spreading the virus. This slide here shows one approach to decreasing the insect's numbers. That's a little aphid banana aphid which was inoculated or infected with a fungus and the fungus is growing inside the aphid and killing the aphid. We're looking at some fungal biocontrol agents that may help reduce aphid populations and there's also a little fly that can kill the aphids that we're doing some research on. Back on the big island, growers like Richard Ha are glad to work with the University of Hawaii in finding solutions for virus control. That effort is just in time. In the aggressive world of banana production, strong healthy plants are vital to their future. It's a thin margin business and you've got to really be careful and there's not much room for error but the disease is manageable. With CSR EES support, ADAP, the agricultural development in the American Pacific Program has started many projects from satellite communications between the five land grants to healthy living in the Pacific. Saipan is the most populated island in the CNMI, the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. But much of this U.S. territory is rural, with rich farms meeting blue ocean. This is basic island farming, where many supplement their food supply with a pig or two. With veterinarians in short supply, especially on the more remote islands, CSR EES has funded an innovative program that teaches local people to become paravets, trained volunteers who help farmers with livestock care. I was born here, raised here. All of my family from my grandfather's a full-time rancher, a full-time farmer who live off the land. Jeffrey Castro has just completed the paravet training administered by Northern Mariana's Community College, the local land-grant institution. Today, he visits George Salas to take a look at his pigs. There's a real demand for paravets. There are so many farmers that I spoke to and ranchers that have no idea what to do, where to seek help, who to talk to in case there's an outbreak or a sickness in their livestock. We don't charge any fee. We're just here to help the ranchers, so they learn how to treat their animals. The first paravets of this program were trained in American Samoa, but the project extends beyond the American land-grant system. The Fiji-based secretariat of the Pacific community was instrumental in the project's curriculum development and is now administering the project to other islands in the region. Having a safe, local food supply is fundamental to all the islands of the Pacific. With the popularity of pork and beef here, healthy livestock is essential. We were able to get a lot of help from land-grant as far as husbandry of the pigs and using of the salas and also composting. We've been quite grateful for their assistance and helping us maintain our hog operations. Back in Saipan, it's the weekend and family seaside picnics are in full swing. Having a paravet program will help ensure safe meals for all residents here. For the local people of the CNMI, they could expect more services from animal health, animal nutrition, animal husbandry management. In addition to being a veterinarian, Alan is an extension livestock specialist. He led the paravet training in the northern Marianas that drew students from many of the surrounding islands. Back at George Salas's farm, Jeffrey inoculates some of this year's new piglets. I really love to help ranchers and I really love to not only educate them in a way but to consult with them what's happening to their livestock and what can they do to try and prevent sicknesses. As of early 2005, the paravet program has certified 45 new paravets, now serving farmers throughout the Pacific region. Today, this group of fouragers is boarding Island Girl at the Agana Boat Base in Harbor. They are part of an outreach project developed by the University of Guam to teach teens life and leadership skills through fishing. Volunteer and former member Paul Long. It's great when you know how to catch something and you go and catch something you're looking for. So I try to pass on what I know so that they can have the same experience. Paul and the group are out for a day of deep-sea fishing off the coast of Guam. These are serious waters. The largest Pacific Marlin ever caught came from here. So before the kids embark on this adventure, they are well-schooled in the fine points of fishing. I learned how to tie lures. I learned how to tie knots. I learned about tides in the water, what fish come out at what times. Paul went through the same training as these teens years ago when he was only 10. Now he teaches others what he knows about fishing. Members are taught how to make their own lures, take care of equipment and learn about water safety. Guam, a U.S. territory, is like many communities on the American mainland. There's traffic congestion, fast food strips, and the usual problems that can put youth at risk. The 4-H fishing program helps keep their members occupied. You know, when you have youngsters and they get bored and stuff like that, they know that there are other things out there besides computers, you know, shopping. There's outdoors. Fishing helps them to want to just fish instead of go out and do other things. A little bit about selling your fish. A lot of kids fall into drugs and alcohol, drugs most especially. Since we've joined the program, you know, why do that? And we'd rather go have fun fishing. The group hears from a local fish broker about the economics, processing, and marketing of fish. When the program started 24 years ago, it only demonstrated the cultural aspects of fishing. They've learned the basics. And the basics is hard work. You know, I've been taught from the beginning that you always have to work to be successful. You'll never be successful unless you work hard. It's really linking experiential learning to life skills, and that's what we wanted to do with the kids. The partnerships Ted has established with volunteer trainers and local vendors, like the Big Hook Fishing Shop, have made this program possible. 4-Hers receive a discount on all gear in the store. How we work with the boat, how we work with the stores, you know, it's really a community project. But CSRIES provide really the basic funding for our staffing. Back on the boat, the fish are starting to hit, and now the kids have a chance to put their newly learned skills to work. I'm tired. Go for it. All right. Soon there's another strike. This time it's a mahi-mahi, with a lot of fighting. It's been a busy day aboard Island Girl. Five fish were landed, and a five-foot shark was brought to the boat but then released. Afterwards, the gang gathers on the bow to swap fish stories and tell a few jokes. For Ted Ead, it's been another successful day for his group on the water. He takes all of us in extension and research and the whole community to provide projects like this. We hopefully help our young people succeed in life. From 4-H fishing on Guam, to the Paravet Program of American Samoa and Saipan, from the Black Pearl Oyster Farm of Ponepe, to the Banana Disease Research on Hawaii, the accomplishments of the Pacific Land Grant Schools are many and diverse, and CSRIES is dedicated to supporting their quest to help people of the Pacific, now and in the future. On the next episode, Partners explores the 1890 institutions of the Land Grant System. These are institutions that are willing to serve people, to allow people who otherwise might be denied education, accessibility to that education, and I think it is a gift. From North Carolina ANT's research with biosensors that speedily detect food contamination, to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluffs Aquaculture Program for River Delta Farmers. 1890 Land Grants are serving the people of America. That's all next time on Partners. For more information on Pacific Land Grants, log on to this website.