Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences

St. John 102
3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822-2279
Tel: (808) 956-8351
Fax: (808) 956-3894
Email: tpss@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Web: www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ctahr/tpss/

Faculty

*J. Deenik, PhD (Chair)—soil fertility, soil management
*K. W. Leonhardt, PhD (Graduate Chair)—ornamentals, crop improvement
*A. Ahmad, PhD—sustainable agriculture
*T. D. Amore, PhD—floriculture breeding
*B. C. Baldos, PhD—landscape and ornamental horticulture
*M. Kantar, PhD—plant breeding, domestication, ecological, and landscape genomics/genetics, agroecology
*A. Kaufman, MLA, PhD—landscape systems, design and management, environmental psychology
*K. D. Kobayashi, PhD—controlled environment agriculture, photobiology, space farming, crop modeling
*N. K. Lincoln, PhD—indigenous crops and cropping systems, agroecology, biocultural restoration
T. M. Maaz, PhD—soil science, biogeochemistry, soil-plant nutrients
*R. M. Manshardt, PhD—tropical fruit breeding and genetics
*M. G. Muszynski, PhD—genetics, plant development, functional genomics
*H. V. Nguyen, PhD—soil chemistry
*N. H. Nguyen, PhD—soil microbiology, metagenomics, ecology, fungal-bacterial interactions
*R. E. Paull, PhD—plant growth & development, postharvest handling
*T. Radovich PhD—vegetables, sustainable farming
*A. M. Wieczorek, PhD—molecular ecology, population genetics, biotechnology

Cooperating Graduate Faculty

D. Borthakur, PhD—plant-microbe interactions, plant biotechnology
C. Muir, PhD—evolutionary biology, plant ecophysiology
W. S. Sakai, PhD—ultrastructure, physiological plant anatomy
M. Shintaku, PhD—plant-virus interactions, plant pathology
R. Sutherland, PhD—geomorphology, soil erosion, water quality
M. Wright, PhD—integrated pest management, tropical fruits and nuts, insect ecology, biological control

Affiliate Graduate Faculty

S. Azizi Fardkhales, PhD—community food systems
M. M. M. Fitch, PhD—tissue culture, genetic engineering
X. He, PhD—tissue culture, genetic engineering of tropical
T. Matsumoto, PhD—horticulture
C. N. Nagai, PhD—sugarcane genetics and tissue culture
D. Ragone, PhD—ethnobotany, conservation
J. Suzuki, PhD—molecular biology
A. Vorsino, PhD—GIS expertise in landscape genetic analysis
M. Wall, PhD—postharvest, product quality
R. Zenil-Ferguson, PhD—polyploidy, breeding systems, angiosperm evolution

Emeritus Faculty

D. P. Bartholemew, PhD—agronomist, crop physiology
H. Bittenbender, PhD—fruit, nut, and beverage crop production and quality
R. A. Criley, PhD—floriculture, flowering physiology, plant propagation
J. DeFrank, PhD—weed science
A. El-Kadi, PhD—hydrology
M. Habte, PhD—soil microbiology and plant-fungal symbiotic relationships
H. Kamemoto, PhD—floriculture breeding, ornamental crops, orchids and anthuriums
B. A. Kratky, PhD—plant nutrition and vegetable crop production
M. A. Nagao, PhD—tropical fruit and nut production and physiology
A. Saulo—food safety
R. S. Yost, PhD—soil fertility and nutrient cycling in tropical crops

* Graduate Faculty

Program Goals

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

Integrate discipline- and thematic-specific knowledge of basic and applied plant and soil sciences for its analysis, evaluation and application in the improvement, management, and production of sustainable managed and natural ecosystems.
Demonstrate an awareness of practices that minimize damage to the environment and ensure a safe sustainable food supply.
Perform competitively in the diverse professions available to them and to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by changing situations.

The Academic Program

The Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences (TPSS) program at UH Mānoa is unique. Students have an opportunity to take courses in sustainable tropical flower, fruit, and vegetable crop production, turf and landscape management, plant physiology, breeding and genetics, and soil science. They learn about the full spectrum of subjects and activities required to understand and responsibly manage land, water, crops, and their environments for the benefit of humankind. In addition, they learn about the adaptation and application of new technologies, such as molecular biotechnology, computer-based systems, and the internet, to enhance plant production systems, assure a safe food supply, and protect the environment.

Our students come from many backgrounds including those with little practical environmental or agricultural experience. They have in common a keen interest in applying science for the purpose of finding practical sustainable solutions to problems. Mature students are especially welcome. A host of career prospects await our students. The comprehensive undergraduate program affords students the opportunity to study molecules to whole plants to managed agro-ecosystems. Students majoring in TPSS prepare for careers including plant production and management, plant breeding and genetics, services, marketing, extension, research, and teaching. UH Mānoa students trained in tropical plant and soil sciences have embarked on successful careers in international organizations and governmental agencies, in ecological and environmental protection, in agricultural extension as individual entrepreneurs and teachers at all levels, in farming, in golf course/sports field management, park administration, landscape contracting, and as middle and upper management in corporate agriculture. They work in increasing the food supply, improving food quality, and assuring food safety while protecting the environment and improving the quality of life. Undergraduates are encouraged to obtain practical experience, which involves research under the direction of a faculty member, work in a commercial industry via our internship program, and completing the Agribusiness Certificate. Students have found satisfaction in applying their course work and research studies to challenging problems in business, environmental protection, land-use, and agricultural crop production.

Advising/Mentorship

Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences
St. John Hall Room 102
3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822-2279
Tel: (808) 956-8909
Fax: (808) 956-3894
Email: leonhard@hawaii.edu

Undergraduates are required to consult with a CTAHR advisor prior to registration each semester. Go to www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ugadvising for more information. Academic advisors are available by appointment only, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (except holidays). Gilmore Hall, first floor, email: ctahradv@hawaii.edu.

Graduate students are advised initially by a research program advisor or by the department’s graduate program chairperson, Dr. Kenneth Leonhardt, leonhard@hawaii.edu.

Undergraduate Study

TAE BS Degree

The Departments of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences and Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences jointly offer a BS degree in Tropical Agriculture and the Environment (TAE). Students in this program complete a common core of courses taught by faculty in both departments and one of the following concentrations:

Sustainable Crop Production, Soils, & Landscape Management
Pest and Invasive Species Management
Molecular Plant Biosystems

Students who undertake this program of study will:

Demonstrate understanding of the science of agriculture and its interaction with the environment from molecules to ecosystems,
Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate scientific evidence, identify gaps in knowledge, and apply evidence-based arguments to solve issues associated with agriculture in a dynamic world,
Demonstrate the ability to identify problems associated with agriculture, and apply the scientific method and practices to develop sustainable solutions from urban to rural environments,
Demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication for both professional and general audiences,
Demonstrate responsible and ethical conduct, leadership, collaboration, respect for a diversity of viewpoints, and the capacity for lifelong learning appropriate to professional and community practices.

Students must select one of the three concentrations in TAE. The concentrations are Sustainable Crop Production, Soils, & Landscape Management; Pest and Invasive Species Management; and Molecular Plant Biosystems.

Concentration in Sustainable Crop Production, Soils, & Landscape Management

Students are prepared to produce, manage, and market plants grown as crops or in landscapes with an emphasis on sustainable productivity with appropriate pest and disease management. Students learn to solve horticultural problems using evidence-based methods. Students may select classes that focus on urban landscapes and learn to design, install, and maintain sustainable landscapes for our living environment. Students in the program learn theoretical foundations that lead to a practical understanding and implementation of how to produce environmentally and economically sustainable landscapes.

Concentration in Molecular Plant Biosystems

A concentration in molecular plant biosystems allows students to cross the traditional boundaries that have separated genetics, plant physiology, molecular biology, and their application to crop production. By linking laboratory approaches and plant production systems through the application of plant biotechnology, students learn to solve multidisciplinary problems. Students can select courses that allow concentration on genetic engineering or whole plant physiology and plant breeding to address real-world problems.

Concentration in Pest and Invasive Species Management

Students are prepared to design and implement pest management programs and conduct basic and applied research using multidisciplinary approaches. Students receive interdisciplinary education in entomology, plant pathology, weed science, and invasive species management.

Certificate in Agribusiness Management

Please see “Programs” section below for more information about this program.

Academic Minor in Plant Production and Management

Please see “Programs” section below for more information about this program.

Graduate Study

Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences

In order to solve the complex problems facing agricultural plant production systems, many disciplines must be integrated successfully. Candidates may specialize in genetics and breeding of tropical fruits, vegetables, or ornamentals; physiology, culture, and management of tropical fruits, vegetables, or ornamentals; morphogenesis; crop and stress physiology; post-harvest physiology; growth regulation; plant biochemical genetics; plant cytogenetics; weed science; computer modeling; or turf and landscape management, cropping systems, plantsoil relationships, soil chemistry, soil physics, soil management, soil and water conservation, soil fertility, and soil microbiology. Courses offered in botany, biochemistry, plant pathology, food science, genetics, microbiology, and zoology, combined with courses offered in TPSS, will provide considerable flexibility in the development of a program suited to a student’s career objectives.

The department offers graduate study leading to MS (Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C) and PhD degrees. The TPSS graduate program offers a degree in TPSS and an option in TPSS (horticulture). The degrees emphasize the development of problem-solving skills that integrate molecular, biochemical, physiological, chemical, genetic, and ecological approaches to collaborative research in plant and soil sciences.

The TPSS degree aims to provide the student with a thorough hands-on understanding of the principles and techniques in the adaptation and application of biotechnology to tropical crop plant production, and the role of soils in supporting the whole system of crop production systems. The option requires understanding of fundamental biological processes, molecular and organism biology, genetics, plant physiology, chemistry, physics, and microbiology. Soil is studied both for intrinsic properties, as well as its role in supporting crop growth and as an environmental resource.

The horticulture option explores the many facets of tropical food and ornamental crop production and requires the understanding of agricultural systems, plant production, soil fertility, and protection of the environment, as well as supporting disciplines such as crop ecology, plant physiology, and molecular biology.

The MS and PhD in TPSS are recognized Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) regional graduate programs. Residents of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible, upon admission, to enroll at Hawaiʻi-resident tuition rates.

Entrance Requirements

For admission to the TPSS graduate programs, applicants must present a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 (4.0 equals A scale) or the equivalent in the last four semesters or approximately 60 semester credits of the applicant’s undergraduate record. The GRE is required for all applicants. Minimum CBT TOEFL scores are 600/100 (paper/internet), with subset scores of 25 for listening and 25 for speaking are required of all foreign students. All applicants must submit 2 letters of recommendation at the time of application.

Transfer of Credits

The transfer of credits to meet the requirements of the MS or PhD is not automatic. The student must petition the graduate program chairman, certifying that the transfers make programmatic sense and that the courses to be transferred are equivalent in rigor and scholastic content to graduate-level (600 level) courses offered at UH Mānoa. The graduate program chairman may consult with the graduate faculty as to the certification. The maximum number of credits that can be transferred is 12.

Only those credits that have not been applied towards the fulfillment of a previous degree may be transferred. An exception may be made if the subject matter area could not be met by course offering at UH Mānoa, provided the courses transferred meet the rigor and programmatic appropriateness criteria described above.

Graduate Committee

Upon entering the graduate program, students will meet with their advisor. If a faculty advisor has not been selected, the graduate chairman or his representative will perform this function. The selection of an advisor must be made before the end of the first semester in residence. The advisor, with the approval of the graduate chairman, shall guide the student on course selection matters, insure progression in the program, and advise the student until the permanent graduate program committee is established.

Students shall meet their permanent graduate program committee at least once each semester to access academic and research progress and to establish goals for the next semester. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule this meeting and to file the Academic Progress Report with the graduate chairman.

Programs

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, MS

Doctorate

Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, PhD

Undergraduate Certificate

Agribusiness Management, Certificate

Minor

Plant Production and Management, Academic Minor