After a pandemic-driven hiatus, the University of Hawaiʻi‘s Seed Lab in Waimānalo has successfully harvested its first crop of the Sweet Corn #9, bringing back a staple for local farmers and dinner tables.
The effort—led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR)—yielded hundreds of pounds of Yellow and White #9 seed from a research trial at the Waimānalo Research Station. Nearly 40 staff and community volunteers contributed more than 120 hours to revive the variety.
The harvest also marks the return of Hawaiian Super Sweet #9 silver and yellow, a variety of corn valued for its resistance to disease and pests. It had been unavailable for purchase through the UH Seed Lab since the pandemic, creating a significant gap in Hawaiʻi’s local food system. The UH Seed Lab, a primary source of crop seeds, was down to its last few pounds before the harvesting trial.
The harvest was a milestone for the UH Seed Program, now led by Seed Lab Manager Quynn Cytryn, and saw the return of longtime CTAHR contributors Darren Park, Sharon Yee and Desmond Ogata, who came out of retirement to volunteer.
Because of their combined efforts, a Hawaiʻi favorite sweet corn will soon return to fields and dinner tables across the state, fulfilling public demand and preserving a part of UH‘s agricultural heritage.
