Kava Fact of the Day Kava cultivation & selection.

[The Kap'n]

Today we’re talking about the process which led to the cultivation of Piper Methysticum (Kava). Kava is special, as very few other species are subjected to such intense selection pressure on individual plants. Kava is planted, tended to for 2-4 years, and then harvested and processed for consumption. Normally the plant was ground and consumed that day. The farmers would then make a decision about whether that plant provided positive, different or interesting effects. If the kava provided a positive physiological effect, nodes were re-planted of the original plant which was harvested, continuing the line of genetic clones. If the plant didn’t provide what the farmer judged as a “positive” effect, the plant remains were buried and that mutation line was effectively removed. Through thousands of generations of this type of selection, Piper Wichmannii was crafted into the cultivated form, Piper Methysticum.

In the figure attached it is shown a proposed lineage of chemotypes where humans effectively cultivated wild kava into the kavas we know and love today. Wild kava chemotypes typically began with DHM (#5) as the most abundant kavalactone. Through the purposeful selection efforts as described, farmers continually sought kavas lower in DHM and higher in Kavain (#4). During this process, DHM and K have been effectively swapped.

When you drink your kava tonight raise your shell to the careful and considerate actions of kava farmers from hundreds, or possibly thousands of years ago all the way up to today. They’re the reason we have this wonderful plant.

Lebot, V., & Lèvesque, J. (1989). THE ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF KAVA (PIPER METHYSTICUM FORST. F., PIPERACEAE): A PHYTOCHEMICAL APPROACH. Allertonia, 5(2), 223-281. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23187398

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

When you drink your kava tonight raise your shell to the careful and considerate actions of kava farmers from hundreds, or possibly thousands of years ago all the way up to today. They’re the reason we have this wonderful plant.

Then when your done raising your shell tonight to those wonderful farmers of old, think about all the new farmers that are keeping it growing (going) .
Without the old farmers we would not have kava but also without the present day farmers we would still would not have kava. Thank you to all the kava growers from past and future and present.

Chris
Proud to be an 'Awa farmer!!!

 

[The Kap'n]

Then when your done raising your shell tonight to those wonderful farmers of old, think about all the new farmers that are keeping it growing (going) .
Without the old farmers we would not have kava but also without the present day farmers we would still would not have kava. Thank you to all the kava growers from past and future and present.

Chris
Proud to be an 'Awa farmer!!!

Yes sir. You're among those I'll be raising my shell for!

Question in relation to growing. Have you observed any somatic mutations which would suggest possibly being a new cultivar among the plants that you tend to or is it more of a rare event?

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Yes sir. You're among those I'll be raising my shell for!

Question in relation to growing. Have you observed any somatic mutations which would suggest possibly being a new cultivar among the plants that you tend to or is it more of a rare event?

There are somatic mutations, they are not common but they are not that rare. When we get a mutation we will take that stalk to grow cuttings from that stalk. We do this for 4-6 generations to see if the mutation holds. I have not seen not had one that held, it seems to go back to what it was.

Chris

 

[Alia]

Yes sir. You're among those I'll be raising my shell for!

Question in relation to growing. Have you observed any somatic mutations which would suggest possibly being a new cultivar among the plants that you tend to or is it more of a rare event?

OK I know you're asking Chris, but I have this to add-- I see frequent somatic mutations within my older plants but nothing that suggests a totally new cultivar yet.
There are lots of mutations within the Hawaiian cultivars. Indeed there is an old chant/mele about " 'Awa Pairings" with a line like XX and XX, they are a pair.
My very old 'Awa Nene had a mutation (documented in these forums somewhere) but it turned out to be Nene-to- Honokane Iki.
That somatic mutation is shown on page 40 of Lebot's book and it's happening at Waimea Falls Park in the 1980's.
Maybe over the years we reach a plateau of mutations which creates the neighborhood of Hawaiian 'awa and further mutations are within the neighborhhood.
The same is true of Hina Tonga changing to Akau Huli Tonga.

 

[The Kap'n]

@Alia @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava

Thank you both!

The more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn

 

[Pand_erson]

Very cool! I've always been curious about how diffrent cultivars arose and if continued mutation will lead to new strains. The recent attempts at growing Kava in California are very intresting but I am not convinced they've developed "new" cultivars.

 

[kasa_balavu]

The recent attempts at growing Kava in California are very intresting but I am not convinced they've developed "new" cultivars.

They have absolutely not developed any new cultivars, and the attempt at rebranding cultivars that were developed by Pacific Island communities and then trademarking them is nothing short of disgusting. I hope people don't support these attempts or the person behind them.