December
Getting Businesses Off the Ground
12/22/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The
College of Engineering and Outreach College are jointly offering a class that
may be of interest to CTAHRites or clients: Startup 101, a hands-on workshop
that “introduces and simulates the startup experience.” It will be given on
Mondays and Wednesdays, January 26 through May 6, from noon to 1:15 at the UHM
Sakamaki Innovation Zone, D101. Participants will learn all about launching a
startup company, everything from market assessment and financing to legal
knowledge and fundraising, and beyond. The class is free to UHM undergrads, $75
for all others. Call 956-8400 or check here for more information.
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GMOs: How Do You Know?
12/22/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Is your
“non-GMO”-labeled food really 100-percent free of genetically modified
organisms? How is this categorization determined? Find out some of the
questions surrounding the labeling controversy in the latest Biotech in Focus
newsletter from Ania Wieczorek (TPSS)—as well as how many insect fragments are
acceptable in flour! You can also find back issues of the newsletter at the
Biotech in Focus website.
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Cutting-Edge Design
12/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Want to see the
wave of the tech future? You’re invited to attend the final design presentations
for students in BE 420 (Sensors and Instrumentation for Biological Systems), on
Thursday, December 18, from noon to 2:00 p.m. in Ag Engineering 123 (that’s the
room at the back of the machine shop between Gilmore and St. John). Students will
present design projects that can help users to trap mosquitoes, keep cool using
a wearable device, test for breadfruit ripeness, and other useful and exciting
pursuits. Check them out now—and when you see them in the Sharper Image catalogue, you’ll be able to say you saw them first!
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The Season for Science
12/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  In this season of giving, there’s an opportunity
for community service for any CTAHR students or faculty who are interested in
helping St. Ann’s School in Kane‘ohe with their Science Fair. The time
commitment is just a few hours on January
6, 2015, spent judging student projects. There will be around 32
students in the 6th through the 8th grades participating, for whom the school
hopes to have at least 10 volunteer judges. The students are often enthusiastic
about what they have done, and those who have been involved in this and similar
science fairs say that they find the experience satisfying and inspiring.
Please contact Halina Zaleski (HNFAS) at halina@hawaii.edu or Tony Ostrowski at
aostrowski808@yahoo.com for more information. They need to know by December 20, so put on your Santa hats and lab coats!
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Going Ballistic in Maui
12/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Maui County Administrator Cindy Reeves got
up close and personal with James Leary’s (NREM) Herbicide Ballistic Technology: she
rode shotgun on a helicopter ride to survey for and target the invasive miconia
overrunning Maui’s watershed areas. It was a wonderful experience, she says. She is pictured between Teya Penniman of the Maui
Invasive Species Council and James, who’s all suited up for the flight.
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Far Beyond Lederhosen
12/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andy
Reilly (FCS) will be teaching a study-abroad class this summer in Berlin. The
class, “Fashion in 20th Century Germany,” examines the political influences and
uses of clothing and fashion in this culture- and history-rich city. For
example, clothing was entertainment in the Weimar Era and social control in the
Nazi era, and when Germany was split it was propaganda for both sides. Now,
fashion in Berlin is big business. Andy’s also hoping to have his students work
on a book on Berlin street style, a companion piece to his recently published Honolulu Street Style. The students
would help with scouting residents to photograph and interview and with
photography, interviewing, and writing. He’s got a publisher but needs to help
defray costs, so he’s put together a campaign on Kickstarter to bring in
donations for this fashion-forward educational project. Good luck, Andy…or is
that “viel Glück”?
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The Water Disasterscape
12/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Chennat Gopalakrishnan (NREM, emeritus) edited the
January 2015 issue of the Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research, now out, on the topic
“Designing Water Disaster Management Policies: Theory and Empirics.” Gopal
explains that ossified governance structures, polycentric decision-making
entities, entropy-ridden institutions, cascading conflict scenarios,
deep-seated and wide-ranging internal feuds and precariously perched, top-heavy
decision agencies significantly add to the complexity of policy domains in the
water disasterscape. Such an intractable combination of essentially
incompatible forces and features renders the design and implementation of
effective and efficient disaster risk management policies an extraordinarily
challenging proposition. Against this bleak backdrop, well-intentioned policies
stumble into a collision course, making the emergence of workable policies
exceedingly difficult. This special issue helps to identify, examine, analyze
and assess the complex world of disaster management and to design robust,
effective, implementation-friendly, widely accessible and affordable policies.
It should be of considerable appeal to a large audience, in view of the
increasing intensity and frequency of water disasters in recent years globally.
Free access to some of the papers is available here.
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Cultural and Ecological Restoration
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Kawika Winter, the
director of Limahuli Garden and Preserve and the coordinator of Ha‘ena Makai
Watch, will be offering the latest installment of NREM’s ‘Imi ‘Ike Research
Seminar Series, taking place on Wednesday, December 10, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
in Sherman 103. Dr. Winter will be discussing “Conservation Past and Present:
Applying ‘Traditional Ecological Knowledge’ Philosophies to Contemporary
Conservation Practices on Kaua‘i.” An unintended consequence of applying
imported conservation philosophies, the presentation explains, is the
alienation of both Native and local Hawaiian communities from conservation
efforts in the resource management areas that they depend upon and are engaged
with. In order to reverse this trend, Dr. Winter suggests building conservation
programs founded in Hawaiian conservation philosophies so that communities can
embrace conservation efforts as part of overall efforts at cultural
restoration.
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Sweet and Bright
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  What says Christmas
like poinsettias and yummy baked goods? Well, now these two iconic avatars of
holiday delight have been combined into one sale, the Horticulture Club’s
Poinsettia and Bake Sale, happening on Wednesday, December 10, in St. John 10.
The sale will start at 10 a.m. and continue as long as there are any blooms or
cookies left to sell. Get yourself some cheer for eye and stomach!
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Kalo Call-Out
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  CTAHR’s hybrid taro
varieties are favorably mentioned in a recent article and introduction to all
things taro in Kaua‘i’s Garden Island
newspaper—they’re “large, moist” and “ideal for making poi.” But whether you
choose a high-producing CTAHR hybrid, as many commercial poi producers do, or
whether you’d prefer to go with one of the traditional varieties that are also
grown in the college’s test plots, why not try some taro? Reading this article
is a good way to begin if you’re not sure how to enter the world of taro
consumption; then, start eating! You’ll be culturally, gastronomically, and
professionally glad you did.
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International Extension for Successful Collaboration
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Kheng Cheah is
back from China after spending half of November at
the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) in Hainan and the
Flower Research Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in
Kunming. The trip is part of ongoing cooperative research collaborations in
tissue culture, a continuation of her international Extension work in
opening new markets for Hawai‘i growers and establishing an international
tissue culture network. She gave presentations on woody
plant tissue culture and provided problem-solving, strategic planning, and
troubleshooting consultations on tissue culture protocol development to some
20 researchers engaged in individual projects with
tropical crops in both research centers. A trip highlight was the successful production of 30,000
tissue-cultured oil palm plants by researchers at the Rubber Research Institute,
CATAS. Over the last two years Kheng has provided training on technical and
project management aspects of oil palm tissue culture, contributing to their
success. Another highlight is the continuing development of FRI’s commercial
tissue-culture facility, currently producing 1 million plants per year and
planning to reach 30 million. This visit also served to overcome licensing obstacles
related to shipping, import/export procedures, and payments for three Hawai‘i
growers, and FRI is interested in licensing new plants from Hawai‘i breeders and
growers.
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Raining Weed-Doom From on High
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  For
those who are fascinated by James Leary’s (NREM) Herbicide Ballistic Technology
but aren’t exactly sure how it works or what its effects are, the recent
article in Dow AgroSciences’ newsletter Vistas
is a great—and deservedly laudatory—explanation of the genesis, deployment, and
successes of HBT. This technology, the article explains, allows
invasive-species managers to find and destroy Miconia and other weed species in
remote inaccessible areas where they are compromising the integrity of the
watershed and crowding out native species. The project has been going on for
less than three years, and as the article reports, “The results have been
phenomenal. Control levels for treated plants are near 100 percent. And…the
spread of Miconia is slowing down.” But James’s rate of success hasn’t slowed
down at all!
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Flee, Fruit Fly!
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Russell
Messing (PEPS) and Associate Dean Ken Grace have applied to the Hawai‘i
Department of Agriculture for a permit to release a biocontrol wasp into the
environment. The tiny wasp, Fopius
ceratitivorus, attacks the Mediterranean fruit fly, which causes millions
of dollars’ worth of crop damage in Hawai‘i. It lays its eggs in the young of
the medfly, and the larvae eat the young fly. Russell (pictured up a tree,
photo courtesy of Dan Rubinoff) first imported the wasp into quarantine and
spent several years testing its safety and efficacy, and his lab’s environmental
assessment found there would be no significant impact if the wasp were released
in the Islands. Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Messing
worked with colleagues from Florida and Texas conducting studies in Kenyan
coffee fields, where F. certitivorus
was found. Various strategies have been used to help control the medfly in
Hawai‘i, including pesticide-treated bait sprays, field sanitation, and the release
of sterile females to reduce reproduction, and Ken Grace argues that the wasp
is an additional tool that could be used. In Guatemalan coffee plantations,
field releases of the wasp resulted in a 50- to 60-percent reduction of the
medfly. The initial release of several hundred to 1,000 of the wasps would be
done at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center, in the winter.
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Fact Finding on Pesticide Effects
12/10/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Mehana
Vaughn (NREM) will serve as one of three group selection advisers for a joint fact finding (JFF) group
convened by planner
and mediator Peter Adler, who will be facilitating a $100,000 process to examine possible health and environmental impacts
associated with the use of pesticides applied to genetically modified
agricultural products. The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Kaua‘i County are
partners in the project, providing funding and consultation support. The JFF method is an analytic deliberation
process designed to gather facts pertinent to a specific problem in a
disciplined manner, through courteous but rigorous evidence-based debate. Central
to the process is a carefully designed working group, which Mehana will help to assemble,
made up of experts who often have diverse political and policy opinions but who
are willing to engage in robust and healthy factual discussions. In this case, nine or more individuals who have pertinent
backgrounds, experience, or understanding of agriculture, environmental health,
epidemiology, toxicology, biostatistics, medicine, or other related disciplines
will be chosen to serve. The process should start in January 2015, if not sooner, and
be completed within 12 months.
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Fashion Forward
12/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andy Reilly (FCS) has just published Key Concepts for the Fashion Industry,
the latest addition to the Understanding
Fashion series, which is aimed at providing students with introductory material
about the discipline. Andy’s breezy and readable textbook, the first of
its kind, covers theories, concepts, and hypotheses related to trends and
changes in fashions. The book is divided into four sections: the
individual’s influence on fashion change, society’s influence on fashion change,
culture’s influence on fashion change, and the industry’s influence on fashion
change, illustrated by enlivening discussions of famous fashion blunders, how
the Yakuza influenced style trends, and the shifting understanding of what
parts of the body are erogenous zones. Check it out—you’ll never look at a man
wearing socks with sandals the same way again!
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The College and Aquaponics
12/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR .jpg) Maria Gallo has
been appointed the new chair of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical
Aquaculture (CTSA) Board of Directors, an appointment that will work toward
enhancing the college’s working relationship with CTSA. Dean Gallo, pictured with CTSA’s Executive Director Cheng-Sheng Lee, will
succeed Dr. JoAnn Leong, who will continue to advise the Center. CTSA is one of
five regional aquaculture centers in the United States established and funded
by USDA NIFA that integrate individual and institutional expertise and
resources in support of commercial aquaculture development. CTSA was
established in 1986 and is jointly administered by the Oceanic Institute and the
University of Hawai‘i.
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Give the Gift of Recognition
12/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Santa’s already started making his list, so you should, too.
Who among your colleagues deserves recognition as an exemplary APT, civil service,
or Extension or research faculty member or demonstrates administrative
leadership potential? Nominations for CTAHR excellence and service awards
officially open in January, but it’s never too early to start thinking of who’s
been especially nice to the college and the community.
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Well Dressed for the Holidays
12/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Remember last year’s CTAHR Aloha Shirt Design Contest?
Fashion students vied in creating a fabric design incorporating the CTAHR
petroglyph spirit mark and a shirt style proudly fashioned from that material.
Well, the vision has finally become a reality: the winning concept—created by Chloe Rivera—chosen, the pattern
designed, the material milled, and the shirts made and shipped and waiting for
you in Gilmore 119! The fabric, an easy-care poly-cotton blend, melds images of
waterfalls and rainbows recalling Manoa, overlaid with the spirit mark. Both women’s
and men’s cuts, modeled here by Janis Morita and Carl Evensen, are available, though in limited quantities.
Pick up some spirit today!
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Cook Local, It Tastes Great!
12/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR .jpg) Hawai‘i’s first-ever statewide high school
recipe and cooking contest is being conducted as part of the Hawai‘i Department
of Agriculture’s “Buy Local, It Matters” campaign. CTAHR was an early
collaborator in creating the campaign to promote the use of local foods. The
contest drew an enthusiastic response of over 65 entries, but they’ve been
narrowed down to five finalists who will cook
their winning recipes, using locally grown or produced ingredients, for a panel
of three judges on Friday, December 5, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the certified
kitchen in AgSci 224. Dean Gallo will present a trophy to the winning student
chef, and the winning recipe will also be featured at Sheraton Waikiki’s
Kai Marketplace restaurant.
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November
Good Energy at the Energy House
11/25/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Hosts COF, FCS, and the
Energy House are delighted to announce that 82 people showed up for breakfast last
week to learn about the many useful and interesting projects that are
headquartered there. First they went on an outdoor tour with the aid of handy
maps showing the geographic distribution of staple food crops, many of which
are being grown in the surrounding gardens, and then went inside to marvel at
the eco-friendly construction of the cozy Little-House-That-Could. Then, having
worked up an appetite, they tucked in to the delightfully Parisian-inspired
fare while parlez-vous-ing with
fellow attendees. And a bon temps was
had by all!
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The Way to Give Thanks
11/25/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  CTAHR’s annual Thanksgiving educational program and gathering at Waimanalo
Research Station was hosted, as per tradition, by the inimitable Roger
Corrales, station manager, ably assisted by his family and the rest of the
Station faculty and staff. The 60-plus participants enjoyed and were edified by
presentations by Steven Chiang on the GoFarm program and by community
coordinator Ilima Ho-Lastimosa on her recently expanded partnership with the
college, topped off by a tour of the Station’s taro plots and a demonstration
of traditional and modern methods of making poi (electric juicers, anyone?).
But the centerpiece (literally) of the celebration was the enormous roasted pig
hunted right at the Station, flanked by other local and Filipino delicacies and
the many desserts contributed by attendees. And the spirit of thanks was
definitely alive within everyone!
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Going Nuts for Fruits
11/25/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  TPSS will be interviewing three candidates for Assistant
Researcher in Sustainable Farming Systems with an Emphasis on Fruit & Nut
Production. Everyone is invited to attend the candidates’ iterations of the teaching
seminar “Introduction to Sustainable Management Practices in Tropical Fruit
& Nut Crops” on the following days: Dr. Eric Brennan on Wednesday, December 3; Ms. Alyssa Cho on Monday, December 8; and Dr. Wenjing Guan on Thursday, December 11. Each of these seminars will
be given at 10:30 a.m. at St. John 106. Everyone is also invited to attend the
candidates’ three versions of the research/Extension seminar “Developing a
Research and Outreach Program in Sustainable Farming Systems for Tropical
Fruits & Nuts” on the following days: Dr. Eric Brennan on Thursday, December 4; Ms. Alyssa Cho on Tuesday, December 9; and Dr. Wenjing Guan on Friday, December 12. Each of these seminars will
be given at 10:30 a.m. at USDA-ARS PBARC conference room in Hilo. Candidates’ CVs and information on remote access to these talks can be found on the CTAHR employee website.
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The ‘Rainbow’ Connection
11/18/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The focus of this
week’s Biotech in Focus is on the
origin and growth of Hawai‘i’s GMO papaya industry. The newsletter by Ania
Wieczorek (TPSS) argues that the Puna papaya industry probably would not exist
today without the work of CTAHR researchers, who in collaboration with Cornell,
USDA, and Upjohn Corporation created the ‘Rainbow’ papaya, which is resistant
to Papaya Ringspot Virus. The team
even won the prestigious Humboldt Prize in 2002 for their work! Read all about
it and check out back issues at the Biotech in Focus web page.
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Dietetics of Champions
11/18/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Congratulations to
the newly graduated second class of dietetics interns! CTAHR’s Dietetic
Internship is accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics ACEND of the national
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and requires a
stunning 1,200 hours of experience, after which graduates are qualified
to take the Registered Dietitian’s Exam. The
internship provides dietetics graduates with an opportunity to increase their
knowledge of food and nutrition science, and to acquire competencies needed to
practice dietetics in a variety of settings including clinical, food service,
and community. The program offers a Community Concentration and focuses on
Hawai’i’s unique community. Through its activities, the internship will promote
education of students in the multicultural environment, service in a variety of
community settings and participation in various professional organizations. Pictured from left to right are the
2014 Dietetic Intern class and former UH graduates: Andie Kida, Elizabeth
Jimenez, Sara Carlson, Kali Ryan Morimoto, Savanna Sussman, Yun Chi Cheng, and
Christina Mariano.
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A Kona Odyssey
11/18/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Twenty-one CTAHR students and staff recently traveled to
Kona on the Big Island for the Eleventh Annual Meaningful Experience trip. They
first headed to the Mealani Research Station, where Marla Fergerstrom and other
staff members led the students on a tour of the facility’s tea, blueberries,
and cattle operations. After lunch at the locavorous Village Burger, the group
headed to the Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, where they learned the ideal
conditions in Kailua-Kona for raising these delicate creatures. The highlight
of the tour was when the seahorses curled around the participants’ fingers! The
day continued with teambuilding activities, led by MBBE alumna Malina Ivey. The
next morning, the group woke up early to head up to Kohala for a cultural tour
of this historic area, riding ATVs to places where King Kamehameha traveled.
The route included a secluded beach area, Parker Ranch, and a macadamia
orchard. Then everyone hiked down to a scenic black sand beach at the mouth of
Pololu Valley, where they relaxed a little before moving on to the final
activity of their trip: the Hawaii Wildlife Center. There, they learned about
the center’s efforts at helping injured birds recuperate and return to the
wild. It was an education- and fun-filled weekend! Thank yous go to Marla
Fergerstrom and the staff of Mealani Research Station for hosting the visit and
to ASUH and ASAO for supporting the students’ trip. Lastly, much mahalo goes to
the students who participated and made this experience meaningful for the
entire group.
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Big Plans in the Pacific
11/18/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Jim Hollyer—author,
ADAP leader, food safety expert, and CHL staffer—has entered a new and
illustrious phase in his career: he’s the new Associate Director for Extension and Associate
Dean of the University of Guam.
“Jim is one of the best examples of how one leads by instilling trust and
partnership among the extension family,” says Dean Yudin of the University of
Guam, who recruited Jim from his work in Japan. Find out more about this
globe-trotting Renaissance man here!
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Ear Ye, Ear Ye!
11/18/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Calling all corn-lovers for the event you await all year, the Great Corn Sale! Fresh, sweet, juicy, luscious CTAHR-grown corn...what could be better? This year the sale will take place on Tuesday, November 25, from 9:00 a.m. until sell-out, in the driveway between Ag Engineering and St. John. And the cost is only $2 for 5 ears! Just make sure you’re stocked up on plenty of butter and those handy little prongs to poke into the ears!
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The Best Read for Weeds
11/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Weed all about it! The Weed Science Society of America has selected
an article co-authored by NREM faculty James Leary, Linda Cox, and John
Yanagida as its Outstanding Paper of the Year in Invasive Plant Science and
Management. “Reducing Nascent Miconia (Miconia
calvescens DC) Patches With an Accelerated Intervention Strategy Utilizing
Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT)” was selected from all the papers
submitted from the end of 2013 to the third issue of 2014 for this honor. The proud
authors will be recognized at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the WSSA in Lexington, KY, in February.
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Happy Pies to You!
11/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Thanksgiving is almost here, and once again the FSHN Council
is having their annual Thanksgiving Bake Sale! The sale raises funds for FSHN
Council activities such the annual fall leadership retreat, guest speakers,
club activities, and subsidization to send students to the Hawai‘i Dietetics
Association's annual meeting in the spring. Get your pre-sale orders in now for
homemade apple crumble pie ($13) and pumpkin pie ($10)—the pre-order period ends
Friday, November 14. To place a pre-order for any of the pies, click on this
link and fill out the form. After you have placed your pre-order, please visit
Agricultural Science 216 to submit your payment. There you will find a
collection box with envelopes. Please submit payment by Friday, November 21,
4:00 p.m. The pie pick-up date is Monday, November 24, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
in the Agricultural Science building lobby.
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Farmer Suicides in India
11/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The new issue of Biotech in Focus tackles a difficult
subject: “What Are the Roots of Farmer Suicide in India?” India is the second
most populous country on earth, and it represented 21% of the world’s suicides
in 2010. This issue questions whether they were related to the use of
genetically engineered cotton. Previous editions of Biotech in Focus are
available at the website.
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Encouraging Exchange
11/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andrew Hashimoto (MBBE) visited Kyoto University’s Graduate
School of Agriculture this October to encourage GSA students to participate in
the CTAHR-GSA exchange program. GSA international committee chair Naoshi Kondo
as well as student affairs and research administration officers arranged an
information session for those interested in the program. More than ten GSA
students, including some from Bangladesh, China, Italy, and Kenya, attended the
session to learn about the exchange opportunities made available by the
agreement. Read more at the Kyoto University website.
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Bugs for Kids at Leeward
11/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  PEPS students and faculty displayed two exhibitions, “Bug
City” and “Worms and Germs,” at Leeward Community College’s Annual Discovery
Fair on November 1. Hundreds of children visited CTAHR booths with their
families to learn about insects, nematodes, and fungi while exploring many
other fun activities taking place at this event. Check out more pictures from
the LCC Discovery Fair!
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Park Designs for ‘Ohana
11/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andy Kaufman (TPSS) and his Residential Design Studio class
recently presented Master Plan Designs for a possible new park to be situated
next to the New Aiea Library at the old sugar mill site in Aiea. The class
presented four different master plan designs at the Aiea Community Association
meeting for a new “‘ohana-type” park called "Ka Ola O ‘Aiea,” which
translates to “The Life of Aiea.” The designs were so well received that the
class was asked to present at the Monthly Aiea Public Board this past Monday,
at which state senators and City Council members were in attendance. After the
presentations, it was requested that the designs be posted for public viewing
and comments in the library. Once comments have been received, the Community
Association wants to have the designs presented at the next legislative session
for funding the new park. Great vision!
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Food Behavior Guidelines on Limited Means
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Jinan Banna (HNFAS) and Opal Vanessa Buchthal (Public Health
Studies) were awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund
the project “Development of a Food Behavior Checklist for Limited-Resource
Filipinos.” As Filipino Americans are the most rapidly growing population
of immigrants in the U.S. and suffer disproportionately from a number of
chronic health conditions, culturally tailored nutrition education efforts are
necessary, as well as use of evaluation tools appropriate for this audience. The proposed research seeks to adapt and assess the face validity of a food
behavior checklist in Tagalog using a multi-step method involving translation
of an English-language tool, evaluation of content by a panel of experts, and
cognitive testing with the target population. Following this study, additional
assessment of validity and reliability will be performed to yield a rigorously
tested tool that may be used to evaluate the USDA’s nutrition education
programs and culturally tailored health interventions.
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Food Security Up Close
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  You’ll have an opportunity to meet Thomas Lumpkin, CTAHR’s
2014 Outstanding Alumnus, before his public talk on “Global Food Security by
2050: Challenges and Opportunities” on Monday, November 10, 1:30–2:30 p.m. for
faculty only, and 2:30–3:30 p.m. for faculty, staff, and students, in Gilmore
212. Dr. Lumpkin’s public talk will be in the Architecture auditorium at 4:00
p.m. Since 2008, Lumpkin has been director general of the International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), an organization dedicated to sustainably
increasing agricultural productivity to ensure global food security and reduce
poverty. CIMMYT gained public attention when its chief scientist, Norman
Borlaug, received the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for launching the green revolution
with a robust dwarf wheat hybrid that helped Mexico become self-sufficient in
grain production and dramatically increased yields in India and Pakistan. If
you’d like to meet Dr. Lumpkin, please RSVP to nrem@ctahr.hawaii.edu.
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Bring a Little Tree Into Your Life
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Ever feel the need for more greens? How about a new tree? The Urban Garden Center celebrates the trees with their 21st
Arbor Day Tree Give Away on Saturday, November 8, starting at 7:00 a.m. and
continuing until all the trees have happy homes. UCG volunteers have propagated
over 2,700 appropriate trees and shrubs for this year’s Arbor Day distribution.
Trees available include native species such as a‘ali‘i and koki‘o ‘ula ‘ula and
other trees such as Meyer lemon, fig, and Tahitian lime. O‘ahu Master Gardeners
and certified arborists will be on hand to assist the public with the tree
giveaway as well as a mini plant sale.
This year’s partners include Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), the
Kaulunani Program, the Urban Garden Center, the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens, and
the Waimea Valley Audubon Center. The trees are first come first served, and in past years, the trees were gone within a few
hours after the 7 am opening. Come down and get a tree!
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Remember When Everything was Covered in Mud?
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since the
Great Manoa Flood, and it is amazing how the UH community (and campus) has
recovered. Check out Doug Vincent's images from the damage caused by the flood of 2004 and read about the cleanup effort. It’s a
great reminder of how the CTAHR ‘ohana can come together in times of unexpected
adversity.
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Celebrating Aquaponics
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The fall issue of UH Magazine features aquaponics expert
Clyde Tamaru (MBBE) and new Waimanalo community coordinator Ilima Ho-Lastimosa
and their work with sustainable agriculture. The article talks about several
successful aquaponics ventures including Mari’s Garden, Ho‘oulu Pacific, and
the Waiawa Correctional Facility farm. UH
Magazine is a bi-annual publication that is distributed to more than 145,000
readers, all of whom also got a chance to see the full-page ad CTAHR placed in this issue, featuring six exceptional stories celebrating our students and alumni.
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Exploring the Poamoho Fields
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  More than 50 people attended the Poamoho Research Station's
field day on October 25. The field day was coordinated by CTAHR’s Sustainable
and Organic Agriculture Program (SOAP) and Center for Rural Agricultural
Training and Entrepreneurship (CRATE), and the USDA NRCS. NRCS Acting Director
of the Pacific Islands Area Craig Derickson presented CTAHR's Cooperative
Extension with a certificate of appreciation for working with farmers and
ranchers to implement cover crops and soil health practices. Participants got
to see the great work being done at the station and learned about soil health
and pest management. Check out the pictures here!
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United Against the Ants
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Volunteers from the GoFarm Hawai‘i program surveyed areas in
Waimanalo for little fire ants on November 1, which was designated as Stop Little Fire Ant Day. In
addition to looking for the invasive pest, volunteers also tested areas to make
sure current infestations don’t spread. Experts believe the invasive species
found its way to O‘ahu from the Big Island, but they don’t want it to find its
way around this island! Infestations in both Waimanalo and Mililani-Mauka have already
been discovered. Watch KHON’s video about LFA and the brave GoFarm Hawai‘i
volunteers.
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Guiding Hawai‘i’s Agribusiness
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Former CES Assistant Director
Yukio “Yuki” Kitagawa has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the
Agribusiness Development Corporation. The mission of the ADC is to acquire and
manage, in partnership with farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture groups, selected
high-value lands, water systems, and infrastructure for commercial agricultural
use, as well as to direct research into areas that will lead to the development
of new crops and markets and lower production costs. Yuki currently serves on
the Hawaii Agriculture Resource Center Board of Directors and the City &
County of Honolulu Agriculture Development Task Force.
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Digesting for Science!
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  On October 25, Punahou School
hosted the 13th annual Astronaut Lacy Veach Day of Discovery, promoting STEM to
4th- through 12th-grade students and their parents. 600 participants from 70
schools statewide attended the event. Maria Stewart (HNFAS) and two CTAHR undergrad
students, Christine Badua (pictured with two students) and Jennifer Lum (both FSHN) presented two hands-on
workshops for the participants in which they explored how the digestive system
breaks down nutrients. This marks the
second year that HNFAS participated in this event. Great job, current CTAHR and
future scientists!
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Keeping Our Kiwikiu
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Meet the woman who cares for the kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill)!
Hanna Mounce, interim project coordinator for the Maui Forest Bird Recovery
Project, will present “Recovery of the Kiwikiu” on Wednesday, November 12, at 3:30
p.m. in Sherman 103 as part of the NREM ‘Imi ‘Ike Series. The presentation will
describe her hands-on experiences working with Hawaiian honeycreepers and
report on key research findings about factors limiting the kiwikiu population. This
is also your last chance to purchase plush kiwikiu toys! Your $15 purchase goes
towards habitat management for the kiwikiu as well as to NREM GSO. To purchase
a kiwikiu stuffed animal, contact Katie Wilson at kawils65@hawaii.edu or Jody
Smith at smithjos@hawaii.edu.
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Bringing the Community Together
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The
Waimanalo Research Station welcomes Ilima Ho-Lastimosa as the new community
coordinator for the Waimanalo Learning Center. Ilima is a lifelong resident of
Waimanalo and a Master Gardener, and she has extensive hands-on experience in
community development. She is already busy strengthening our existing
relationships and developing new ones. In addition to her duties as the
community coordinator, Ilima is currently a master’s candidate in the UH School
of Social Work with a focus on behavioral and mental health, as well as the
executive director and director of operations for God’s Country Waimanalo, the
Waimanalo Ahupua‘a coalition that works to perpetuate traditional Hawaiian
culture. Welcome, Ilima! CTAHR and the Station are lucky to have you!
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Keeping Diets Healthy
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Alumna
Shelley Wong (FSHN) is keeping her eye on what people eat. She works as a clinical
dietitian at the UCSF Medical Center, where she previously did an internship as
a dietetics graduate. Her internship included rotations in adult and pediatric
units within the medical center as well as outpatient, community, and
management/food service rotations. In September she passed her Registered
Dietitian Exam to become Shelley Wong, RD. She’s enthusiastic about the change: “I’m
responsible for my own learning and must make decisions using my best judgment.
It’s a big change from being an intern but an exciting and necessary step
forward in my journey to becoming a proficient RD!”
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Rooted to Tradition
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  High temperatures didn’t keep a crowd of taro
growers and enthusiasts from participating in the recent 2014 Moloka‘i Taro
Variety Field Day, where they were able to evaluate the taste of 9 different
varieties of taro and the poi made from them, as well as kulolo made from 7
varieties. The favored variety for taro and kulolo was Haokea; the best poi was
made from Piialii. Participants also were able to take home more kalo to eat,
huli to grow their own, and even some young ulu trees to plant. Extension agent
Alton Arakaki, the organizer of the event, stressed that everyone should think
about increasing their intake of the indigenous carbohydrate food sources that
were highlighted during the Field Day. “Many of the varieties I select for my
taste testing are relatively unknown to consumers today,” Alton explains,
because when poi-making moved to factories, manufacturers wanted only certain
varieties. However, he adds, “By reintroducing traditional varieties that
have lost their presence today, we might find value in producing them in
gardens and farms for their commercial, health and cultural values.”
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Lots of Love for Larvae
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Samir
Khanal (MBBE) is leading the joint effort between CTAHR’s Bioenergy and Environment
Research group and the bioconversion company ProtaCulture, an alum of the Ag
Incubator, to convert food waste into biodiesel products and animal/fish feed
through harvesting black soldier fly larvae. The partnership was selected for a
grant from Energy Excelerator, a non-profit group focused on helping startups
solve the world’s energy challenges. “The major challenge of producing
renewable energy, especially biofuel and animal feed, is the availability of
local bioresources,” says Samir. “However, Hawai‘i produces a significant
amount of food wastes, which primarily go to the landfill. This innovative
project not only aims to provide biodiesel locally at different islands using
various organic wastes, but also to produce feed for local poultry and
aquaculture industries.” Sounds like a win-win! Find out more here.
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How We Feel About Renewable Energy
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Center on the Family recently published a research brief
entitled “Public Attitudes About Renewable Energy in Hawai‘i” that is
now available for download. The report, using data gathered in the course of a project by Andrew
Hashimoto (MBBE) to research high-yield feedstock and biomass technology,
highlights findings from a representative survey of 1,214 Hawai‘i residents
conducted for the purpose of assessing public attitudes about different
technologies for generating electricity. Renewable energy (RE) technologies
were very highly favored: 97% of the public supported increased development of
at least some forms of RE in our state. Solar and wind power were the most
widely accepted forms of RE (garnering 92% and 86% favorable opinions, respectively),
followed by hydroelectric (76%) and geothermal power (75%). Municipal waste
(58%) and biomass combustion (53%) were less widely endorsed but were still
acceptable to the majority of residents. Only a small segment of the public endorsed
conventional sources of energy generation—nuclear (22%), oil (13%), and coal
(12%). There were modest differences in attitudes as a function of age, gender,
and education, but no differences across counties. Support for RE was motivated
by concerns for environmental protection, sustainability, and energy
independence and by frustration with local energy prices. Let’s hope that the powers-that-be in the state are listening!
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Cleaning/Composting Combo
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Sometimes green can get even greener! On September 27, a group of students from NREM/PEPS 210
Introduction to Environmental Science participated in a clean-up event that
removed invasive algae from Kane‘ohe Bay. More than one ton of algae was
gathered and taken to the Waimanalo Research Station for use in compost. These
algae are high in minerals that are difficult to find in the environment and can be used to make some sweet, bioactive soil amendment. In fact, CTAHR
has been employing these algae for more than 3 years—and helping to make the bay a happier place for native sea creatures and plants at the same time. The student
group enjoyed their day at this service learning activity. Great job!
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Global Food Access and GMOs
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The new issues of Biotech in Focus look at global access to
food and GMO use worldwide. Issue 18, Hunger in a World of Food, discusses the
imbalance of food access around the world and the issues that create and
perpetuate food insecurity. Issue 19, GMOs Go Global, addresses how GM crops
have altered the agricultural landscape around the world. And as always, check
out the many informative back issues at the Biotech in Focus website.
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Nobel Laureate's Contributions to Natural Resource Management
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Chennat Gopalakrishnan (NREM, Emeritus) has edited a symposium on
economist Elinor Ostrom, 2009 Nobel Laureate in Economics, in the
Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research. The symposium highlights Ostrom’s
pioneering contributions to multiple aspects of natural resource management and
policy, with special reference to common-pool resources such as fisheries and
forests. It features seven original papers by leading natural resource
economists and policy analysts, offering their thoughts and insights on
Ostrom's contributions, in which they examine how her work has impacted the
discourse on natural resource management, planning, governance, and
institutional design. The papers should
be of special interest to CTAHR researchers who are engaged
in research pertaining to natural resource and environmental management. Free access to some of the
papers is available at the journal website.
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Representing Hawai‘i in China
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Retired CTAHR food science professor Wai-Kit Nip is representing the
Chinese community in Hawai‘i at the 2014 Commissioners’ Conference of the
Overseas Community Affairs Council, a major annual event bringing together
overseas Chinese leaders from around the world. Wai-Kit is in his third year as a commissioner, having been appointed by President Ma Yin-jeou of the Republic of
China (Taiwan). At the conference, more than 200 commissioners and overseas
representatives from around the world will meet in Taipei, Taiwan to contribute
suggestions on overseas community affairs policy. This year, for the first time, the commissioners
will visit ministries focusing on national issues of particular interest to discuss their opinions and ideas. Region-based discussions will also be held during the conference, allowing for focus on local issues
pertinent to overseas Chinese in different areas. In addition to his
international community work, Wai-Kit was honored last year as an Outstanding
Alumnus by the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. Congratulations,
Wai-Kit, on your international honor!
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4-H Blasts Off for Science!
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  If you thought you saw small spacecraft flying through the air around the
Extension offices on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, Kona, and Hilo on Friday, October 10, you weren’t imagining things; you were witness to young aerospace engineers building and testing their
rockets. The 4-H participants were given the task of building a rocket
that they could launch and that would hit a target many miles away so they could deliver food to a
remote area in case of a disaster.
Sixty-five budding scientists and humanitarians from Hawai‘i joined the million other 4-H kids from
across the nation in participating in the 4-H National Youth Science Day. This was also the first statewide Polycom
conference: each office set
up their Polycom system so 4-H’ers could gather around the TV for an overview of this national project that gathered youth from all states. They were
given instructions on building the launcher and how to make their rockets, and then each group of three 4-H participants was given a kit
to build a launcher and the materials to build a rocket. The fun part was testing their skills at flying
their rocket so it would hit their designated target. And the next time a hurricane leaves part of the state stranded, perhaps the students will be sending them rockets with aid!
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Mealani Magic!
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range successfully held
its 19th annual celebration of local agriculture at the Hilton Waikoloa Village
on September 26, with more than 2000 participants. This event is more than just about grinding on
delicious dishes made by approximately 30 local chefs – it’s about educating the
public, chefs, and students about the sustainability, health, and environmental
benefits of eating locally raised meats, fruits, and vegetables. The event is also the largest zero-waste event on
Hawai‘i Island, with all generated waste separated into recycling/reuse
streams. Extension Agent Glenn Fukumoto
presented a “Primer on Local Beef” to Hawai‘i Community College culinary
students about the challenges facing ranchers trying to sustainably raise
cattle on Big Island pastures. Then,
later during the main food-grazing event, pre-veterinary program students
Jessica Wood, Tyler Smith, and Melissa Dumas (left to right) conducted
a consumer survey to determine whether attendees had developed an increased
awareness of Island-raised animal products and other locally produced
vegetables and fruits. The survey
indicated that 91% of respondents agreed that this event raised their awareness
of locally produced animals and that 80% do buy locally produced meats, even if they cost more. Sixty-four percent indicated
that they eat beef several times a week. For more information about pasture-raised
beef, sustainability, and recipes, go to the Taste It Blog!
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CTAHR Blooming Strong on Maui
11/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The recent Maui County Fair showcased a
strong CTAHR presence, from Master Gardeners, who checked in exhibits for
the competitions and sold plants and honey, to the speakers providing talks
throughout the fair on topics including plant health care, fruit fly
management, container gardening, little red fire ants, the coconut rhinoceros
beetle, and the creative uses of flowers. And less than a week after the excitement of the Fair, on Friday, October 10, Maui
Extension conducted a Centennial Celebration, complete with the ceremonial planting of two hibiscus
plants: the ‘Minnie Lee II’, the designated Centennial flower, and the ‘Charlotte Nakamura’ hibiscus honoring the
retired Extension agent after whom it was named. ‘Charlotte’ (the hibiscus) was
bred by Mrs. Edith Izumi, member of the Maui University Homemakers Organization,
as a gift to Charlotte (the person) for her many years of service to the
community. The Centennial Planting event was attended by Dean Gallo; numerous Extension
supporters; Master Gardeners; 4-H’ers; current and retired Maui CTAHR faculty and staff;
neighbor island guests; and representatives from the Maui
Farm Bureau, Maui Association of Family and Community Education, Maui Office of
Economic Opportunity, and Maui Aquaponics. Check out the Maui
Centennial celebration and the two new lovely hibiscus plants!
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Avian Influenza Analysis
11/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Chinh C. Tran (NREM) will be
defending his PhD dissertation “Geospatial and Computational Economic Analyses
for the Occurrence Prediction, Economic Impacts and Prevention of Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza Subtype H5N1: Case Studies in the Red River Delta of
Vietnam” on Wednesday, November 5, at 9:30 a.m. in Sherman 111. Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 poses severe threats to both
animals and humans. This dissertation looks at how to improve disease detection
and prevention and evaluate the potential economic consequences to smallholder
producers in the Red River Delta of Vietnam through a series of three essays:
spatial and temporal occurrences of HPAI H5N1, economic impacts, and vaccination
policies.
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Watershed, Climate Change, and Invasive Species
11/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Ayron M. Strauch (NREM) will be
speaking on the “Consequences of Climate Change and Invasive Species on
Tropical Island Watershed Hydrology: Hawai‘i Island as a Model System” on
Wednesday, November 5, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Sherman 103 as part of the
NREM ‘Imi ‘Ike Series. Polycom will be available as well. Ayron is also a
hydrologist with the Commission on Water Resource Management for the Department
of Land and Natural Resources.
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October
The Mealybug-Virus Connection
10/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Kishore Dey (PEPS) defends his PhD dissertation, “Further
Characterization and Detection of Pineapple Mealybug Wilt Associated With
Viruses (PMWaVs),” on Friday, October 31, at 10:00 a.m. in Gilmore 301. The members
of Kishore’s committee are John Hu, Steve Ferreira, Ming Li Wang, Brent Sipes,
and Richard Manshardt.
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To Satellites and Beyond!
10/14/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Join Tomoaki Miura (NREM) for his seminar “Developing a New
Satellite Program—What We Do for It” on Wednesday, October 15, at 3:30 p.m. in
Sherman 103. The current weather forecasting systems in the U.S. routinely utilize
remotely sensed data obtained from satellite sensors operated by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), while one significant tool
used in the U.S. Global Change Research program is a set of global satellite
sensors developed by NASA. Since 2011, Tomoaki has served on a joint NOAA-NASA science team for the development of the next generation satellite
program of the U.S. Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). In this seminar, he
will present an overview of the JPSS program and discuss his roles within it.
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Woo-hoo! Food Day!
10/14/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Food is fabulous, so join the UH Dietetic Interns in
celebrating the fourth annual Food Day on Thursday, October 23, from 11:00 am to
1:30 p.m. at the Manoa Campus Center Ballroom.
Food Day is a nationwide event to build awareness of healthy,
affordable, and sustainable foods. Learn
from guest speakers about natural farming, sustainability, and recycling tips;
visit booths and participate in activities; win a free prize by playing fun
games; and enjoy healthy food samples! For more information and to RSVP, visit
the Food Day at UH Manoa web page. Hooray for food!
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Get Educated About Educating
10/14/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Staff, faculty,
post-docs, and grad students who are interested in current instructional
approaches are invited to the latest installments in this fall’s Instructional
Innovations Workshop Series. In the second workshop of the series, Kavita
Rao, of the College of Education, will speak on “Universal Instructional Design”
on Wednesday, October 15, 3:30–4:30 p.m. in Ag Sci 219. Dr. Rao will be
discussing educational approaches that address more learning styles than
conventional lecturing does, a timely and important subject. Also added to workshop
schedule is a presentation by Jinan Banna (HNFAS) on Wednesday, October 22, also 3:30–4:30 p.m. in Ag
Sci 219. Jinan’s topic is qualitative data analysis, which is
particularly useful for individuals who wish to use eCAFE or other survey data
for research purposes.
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Help the One Who’s Helped You
10/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The
deadline to nominate outstanding CTAHR instructional faculty for a 2015 UH
Excellence in Teaching Award is less than a week away—next Monday, October 13! Please
take a moment (5 minutes, max) to nominate an exceptional CTAHR teacher.
Teaching awards will be made in the following categories: Board of Regents’
Medal for Excellence in Teaching, Frances Davis Award for Excellence in
Undergraduate Teaching, and Chancellor’s Citation for Meritorious Teaching—pictured
is Loriena Yancura (FCS), last year’s winner for the Chancellor’s Citation. Any
full-time faculty member with instructional responsibilities and a record of
outstanding teaching at UH during the last three years is eligible (previous
recipients of Board of Regents awards are not eligible for the same award). And
the faculty member selected by the college to be considered for the UH award
will be eligible to receive CTAHR’s Excellence in Teaching Award, which will be
presented at CTAHR’s upcoming Annual Awards Banquet, May 8, 2015. Help
recognize CTAHR’s best!
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Skin Tumors and Tomato Pathogens
10/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Not one but two MBBE
PhD candidates will defend their dissertations on Tuesday, October 14! First, Lauren
Fonseca, whose committee chair is Joe Ramos, will present “The Role of RasGRP1
in Ras-Induced Human Epidermal Neoplasia” at 11:00 a.m. at the UH Cancer Center’s
Sullivan Conference Center. Then Jared Yasuhara-Bell, whose committee chair is Anne
Alvarez, will present “Establishment and Validation Loop-Mediated Amplification
(LAMP) for Specific Detection of Tomato Bacterial Pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis” at 1:30 p.m. in AgSci 210 (pictured: C. michiganensis itself). A feast of
dissertation defenses!
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Just How Much Are That Pancit and Kalbi Worth?
10/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Aurora
Saulo (TPSS), Howard Moskowitz, and Nadejda Livshits of iNovum will present the
seminar “Will It Sell in Peoria?” on Friday, October 10, at 3:00 p.m. in St.
John 106. With the demographic composition of the U.S. constantly shifting, the
notion of a traditional “white majority” is changing as well. Increasing
minority populations mean that people are being exposed to many new foods and
food customs and practices, some of which have now become part of Americans’
everyday diet. This seminar explores the behavioral economics of these “mainstream
ethnic foods” from the point of view of the customer. What is their dollar
value? The presentation introduces Mind Genomics and its application in terms
of understanding the dollar value of the food experience. Hawai‘i knows a
little something when it comes to embracing food from other cultures, so come for
a serving of science after your lunch!
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A Great Gathering of Master Gardeners
10/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Calling
all green thumbs, toes, elbows, etc.! Kaua‘i may be the Garden Isle, but Maui is where the UH Master Gardener Statewide
Conference will be taking place, October 24–26. The theme, in conjunction with
the centennial of Cooperative Extension, is “Celebrating 100 Years ~ Extending
Knowledge and Changing Lives.” The three-day conference includes a choice of
three amazing Maui tours; a conference banquet complete with awards ceremony;
and advanced training in a variety of topics, including honeybees, aquaponics,
grafting, fruit tree management, ethnobotany, and school gardens. And as
always, the conference is a great opportunity to meet with fellow Master
Gardeners from around the state and catch up on the great work they do. Check
out the conference website for details, or download the conference brochure,
and register for your place at the Master Gardener Statewide Conference today.
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Stuffed Birds Help Real Birds, Take Two
10/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The kiwikiu, or Maui parrotbill, is one of Maui’s critically
endangered honeycreepers and needs your help! This fall semester, the NREM Graduate
Student Organization is selling kiwikiu plush toys for only $15 on behalf of
the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. The Recovery Project teamed up with Wild
Republic to design the plush kiwikiu to sing the bird's actual song—how cool is
that! Proceeds will go towards habitat management for the kiwikiu and other
endangered Maui birds and also towards NREM GSO. If you are interested in
purchasing a kiwikiu stuffed animal, please contact Katie Wilson
kawils65@hawaii.edu or Jody Smith smithjos@hawaii.edu. Add an adorable kiwikiu
(toy) to your collection to help keep a kiwikiu (real bird!) in the forest!
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CTAHR Is an Upholder of Core Responsiblities
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Interim Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman’s first talk to the
Manoa campus on September 2 twice touched on CTAHR while defining the university’s six core
responsibilities. Bley-Vroman cited sustainable tropical agriculture as one of the niche
areas Manoa should focus on in embracing a research university’s
responsibility for advancing knowledge. He also added that Manoa’s responsibility of service to
the community is one of engaged scholarship, giving as an example of this, “You don’t just do
tropical agriculture research, you have to be out there helping farmers.” The
other core responsibilities are providing a high-quality undergraduate liberal
arts education, offering a wide range of undergraduate specializations and
majors, offering specialized graduate education in areas that are in strong
demand or build on our unique strengths, and serving the world as a beacon of
what a university should be. He pledged to take questions at a second campus
talk next month.
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Back With a Bash!
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The CTAHR ‘ohana welcomed in the new fall semester with the
26th annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash, complete
with costumes, ice-cream eating competitions, cold water bucket challenges, and of course, ice
cream and popsicles generously provided by Meadow Gold Dairies of Hawai‘i. Competing
in this year’s contests were (l to r) Jordie Ocenar (PEPS), Benny Ron (HNFAS),
Kellie Kong (Admin), Sheldon Arakawa (MBBE), Ashley Perreira (FCS), and Jonathan
Marshall (NREM). Congratulations to Kellie Kong as Demeter, Greek goddess of
the harvest, for winning the costume contest and to HNFAS’s Benny Ron for
scavenging for M&Ms in his ice cream with lightning speed and downing the
contents of his ice cream bowl in record time! This year’s beneficiary for
monetary donations was the FSHN Council, which will use the funds to support numerous conferences,
service projects, and leadership development opportunities. The Council agreed to douse a member in
icy water for every $35 raised, and with more than $250 collected, there was lots of dousing! Thank-yous go to all who attended the bash, the contestants,
and especially those who donated. Big mahalos go out to
Meadow Gold Dairies for its continuous support of CTAHR; Ryan
Kurasaki, Joannie Dobbs, and the HNFAS and NREM departments for the use of
their facilities; Ray Uchida of the O‘ahu Extension Office and Lito Cacho and
Richard Fisher of Pearl City Urban Garden Center for tent coverage; and the tireless ice
cream scoopers. Lastly, a thank you is due to co-emcees Jason McMurray and Vanessa
Pulido and the rest of the planning committee, scholarship recipients, ASAO,
and all who made the Bash a smashing success!
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CTAHR, Represent!
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Associate Dean Ken Grace, Tessie Amore (TPSS), the Magoon
Research Station’s anthurium plants and shadehouse, and the Waimanalo taro plots all represent CTAHR in the latest
UH Manoa commercial. Over the next two years, the institutional spot will air
nationally when the Rainbow Warriors play football on major television networks
like CBS Sports, ESPN, etc. The university recently took advantage of a great
opportunity to advertise on the Duke’s Ocean Fest surfing competition, and the commercial will reach an estimated 8.2 million households
over the course of the year on the surfing channel. UH Manoa is also advertising in local movie
theaters, so be sure to look for CTAHR people and places during the previews throughout
the upcoming holiday blockbuster period. And of course, we'll see them both on the
jumbotrons at Aloha Stadium and the Stan Sheriff Center Arena. Take advantage of this good excuse to kick back and watch some sports and movies...after all, you’re supporting the college!
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Hotel Hydroponics
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Kaua‘i CTAHR Extension staff has teamed up with Kaua‘i Community College and the
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa on a plan to include freshly grown produce
from the resort’s own hydroponic gardens in their guest menu. The hydroponic garden project, which was featured in
an article in The Garden Isle, will be constructed right on the grounds of the resort.
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Yes! We Have Uploaded Bananas!
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  If you missed the 2014 Banana Mini-Conference, you can still
check out the great presentations online at the Banana Research Update page.
The presentations include common pests in banana production, an overview of
the newly registered pesticide Movento and other products in the pipeline for future registration,
BBTV resistance screenings on existing and newly introduced banana cultivars in
Hawai‘i, current status and future perspectives on development of a BBTV-resistant
banana, and an Integrated Pest
Management program for banana: from BBTV and nematodes to Black Sigatoka. Soak up that
banana research!
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These Swords Can’t Fight Drought
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Nothing is more iconic of Haleakala than the silversword.
But while this lovely plant has survived hungry goats and over-eager tourists,
climate change might be its most formidable challenge yet. A study by Paul
Krushelnycky (PEPS) that looked at 30 years of data shows a steady decline in
silverswords from the early 1990s. Paul linked the decline to climate data; as
summers got drier, the silversword population thinned. Paul is currently
looking for genetic variations among plants to see which can best tolerate
drought conditions, as well as at the effects of elevation on silversword survival.
Read more about Paul’s work with silverswords at The Maui News or the Maui
Invasive Species Committee website.
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It’s All Happening at the Zoo
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Laura Schulman, coordinator of the Buy Local—It Matters
program, and Alvin Huang (both HNFAS) took their educational display to the
Honolulu Zoo on September 6. It was part of the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival’s
Keiki in the Kitchen: Food, Fitness and Fun day. In addition to yummy local
foods, Laura invited people to compare local and mainland eggs in a freshness
test, proving once again that local products rule! Animal Sciences student Cody
Morden, who is a zoo volunteer, showed off a huge local egg—an ostrich egg!—and
the replica of a giraffe vertabra.
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Hort Around the World
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  TPSS graduate students Peter Toves (pictured) and Jeana
Cadby presented their research at the International Horticultural Congress held
in Brisbane, Australia during the summer. Peter, whose major professor is
Teresita Amore, presented a digital poster on “Spathe pH for Color Engineering
of Anthurium.” Jeana, whose major professor is Bob Paull, presented a paper
entitled “The Effect of Invasive Seaweed (Eucheuma spp.) Soil Amendment
on Leafy Vegetable Growth and Quality.” This was a wonderful opportunity for
students to network with professionals and share cutting-edge research in
horticulture. It was a truly global event, featuring over 2,400 papers by
researchers representing over 100 countries. It highlighted the importance of
horticulture in supplying fruits, vegetables, flowers, and greenery for
improved human health and happiness!
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A Growing Tradition
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The SOFT club is keeping up its fertile tradition of collaboration
with Noelani Elementary School—this year’s first planting is now taking root at
Magoon. SOFT students Michi Atkinson Sweeny and Mitchell Loo (TPSS) are heading
this semester’s keiki learning garden project with an exciting plan for
companion gardening—growing plants that like to be together. It’s lucky that
the first-graders like to be together, too—Michi and Mitchell point out that
because this year there are four classes, instead of three, “we discovered that
the 1st graders work quite well in close quarters...literally! Thanks everyone
for their time, energy, and support, including all the Noelani teachers and UH
student volunteers and faculty who assisted with the 1st grade garden program
this past Wednesday morning.”
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Sorry, Albizia, You Have to Go
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Lyon Arboretum is removing 12 albizia trees that tower
over the main trail and throughout the garden of the popular UH Manoa facility. Albizias are a fast-growing invasive species that
are very large and have extremely heavy, long limbs. “This particular species
is very prone to suddenly having branches break and fall,” said Carl Evensen,
the Lyon Arboretum interim director. “In the process, they will destroy and crush
everything beneath the trees, and we need to remove that hazard.” This is, of course, the tree that caused so much trouble in Puna in the wake of the recent hurricane. Lyon is lucky to have Carl on hand to keep its plants and people safe! Check out the
video of the trees at the Arboretum.
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‘Ukulele in the Peace Garden
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Oh, the peaceful sound of the ‘ukulele. Musical educators and ‘ukulele ambassadors Roy and Kathy
Sakuma were honored as the 2014 Distinguished Peacemakers of the Year at Peace
Day Hawai‘i at the Urban Garden Center on September 21. This year’s theme was
“Creating Cultures of Peace through Art” in support of educational awareness of
how engaging in artistic activities and cultivating artistic expression
nurtures the spirit of peace from within. Roy Sakuma and Kathy Sakuma have
dedicated their lives to peace education by teaching and perpetuating the Aloha
spirit through the art form of the ‘ukulele. As musical educators, they have
both taught countless children, adults, and seniors important lessons about discipline, artistry, and a
respect for both their own lives and those of others. For over 44 years, they have
brought people of all ages from around the world to celebrate laughter, love,
and hope at the annual ‘Ukulele Festival in Kapi‘olani Park. Play it!
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CTAHR Science Ready to XLR8
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The group comprised of Daniel Jenkins (MBBE) and Diagenetix Inc. is one of the
first seven cohorts of XLR8UH, a major commitment to transform the university’s
world-class research and talent into viable products and businesses. Diagenetix
Inc., founded by MBBE alumnus Ryo Kubota and other UH alumni, develops hand-held instruments for agricultural producers to enable detection of
everything from plant disease to the sex of a papaya. “XLR8UH” is the name of the
university’s first Proof of Concept Center. The focus is on investing in
innovative ideas and providing a launch pad for commercialization. “I think to
have a business environment and have the university facilitate, having the
mentorship and the business community back up these ventures, is really
important in order to really develop these commercial products,” said Daniel.
UH faculty, students, and alumni can apply with their research to be part of the
XLR8UH program. Check out the video about the project!
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Student Leaders for Health
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Congratulations to the five CTAHR students who participated
in the Health Occupation Students of America National Leadership Conference!
All five students either won medals or placed in the top 10 in their competitive
events. Kathren Bulaquena (FSHN) placed 3rd in Nutrition, Samantha
De Leon (FSHN) placed 6th in Medical Reading, Carramae Madayag
(ANSC) placed 3rd in Veterinary Science, Chelsie Smyth (FAMR) won
gold in Public Health, and Harold Smyth (ANSC, pictured) won gold in Health Issues Exam
and placed 8th in CPR/First Aid.
The conference was held in June at Disney World in Orlando and was
attended by nearly 8,000 people from around the nation. Great job, everyone!
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Extension Development and Networking
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Extension educators Joan Chong (FCS) and Julia Zee (HNFAS) recently
attended the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
2014 Annual Session in Lexington, Kentucky, and “met” US Senators Hoke
Smith (D-GA) and Asbury Lever (D-SC), eponyms of the well-known Smith-Lever funds, who introduced the legislation that
established the Cooperative Extension System in 1914. Joan and Julia had the opportunity
to network with over 600 Extension professionals from across the U.S. and attend
professional development sessions on a myriad of topics. Joan also received the
NEAFCS Continued Excellence Award, which recognizes members for active
involvement in professional improvement programs, promotion of professional
development, and leadership. Congratulations, Joan!
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And Now, a CTAHR Centennial Scholar
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Congratulations to Maili Sabo (FSHN), the first recipient of
CTAHR’s Centennial Scholarship. The scholarship, which reached endowment status just last year, assists incoming freshmen and transfer students who are
first-generation college students pursue a bachelor’s degree in one of the college’s nine
undergraduate majors. Maili, a freshmen from Orange County, California, is
majoring in FSHN with a focus on sports and wellness. An athlete throughout
her life, participating on the swim team and water polo team and serving as a
pool lifeguard, Maili knew that she wanted to do something related to fitness,
coaching, sports, and nutrition. The Sports and Wellness track in FSHN is a
perfect fit for her. Maili’s mother moved from Hawai‘i to California many years
ago, but her lasting fondness for the Islands resulted in Maili’s having a name
with a local flavor. Throughout her childhood, Maili visited Hawai‘i often and
has grown to love the Islands. She moved here in August to attend college and
is having the experience of her life. Congratulations to Maili on this
scholarship!
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New Caretakers of the Forest
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  CTAHR’s Forestry Extension program congratulates its third
class of Forest Stewards (pictured here, the inaugural class)! Despite delays due to Hurricane Iselle and cancellations due to impending lava
flows, eleven participants successfully completed a 30-hour intensive training
program held September 18th through the 21st at Kilauea Military Camp, in Hawai‘i Volcanoes
National Park. Morning and evening sessions were taught by J.B. Friday (NREM,
forestry), Clay Trauernicht (NREM, wildfire science), Faith Inman-Narahari
(NREM, koa forestry), and other local experts. Participants, all of whom own or
manage forest lands, learned about topics including Hawaiian culture and
natural history, wildlife habitat, invasive species, forest management and
protection, koa forestry, agroforestry, taxes, estate planning, and financial
matters. Afternoon field trips to local managed private forests provided
valuable experiences to balance the class sessions. The new graduates are
committed to giving back to their local communities through activities such as
hosting field days on their own property and other efforts to help landowners
manage their forests.
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They’ve Got It Covered With Cover Crops
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  PI Koon-Hui Wang (PEPS) and collaborators
Archana Pant, Ted Radovich, Nguyen Hue, Jari Sugano, Jensen Uyeda (all TPSS)
and Nick Andrew (Oregon State University) were recently awarded
$474,043 through USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grants to promote the use of a Cover Crop Calculator for the Tropics as a Nitrogen
Management Tool and the use of Cover Crops for Soil Health Management
Guidelines. Leguminous cover crops can contribute significant amounts of nitrogen
to crop production, but farmers need a better tool to accurately estimate the
nitrogen contribution so as to precisely reduce fertilizer rates.
A simple calculator to address this issue was developed, and this project will
expand on and modify this technology for tropical climates and soil types in
the Pacific Islands. The overall goal of this project is to increase the
incentive for farmers in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands to adopt cover cropping
into their farming systems. Recipients of USDA’s Conservation Innovation
Grants demonstrate innovative approaches to improve soil health, air and water
quality, conserve energy, and enhance wildlife habitat in balance with
productive agricultural systems.
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Get Ready to GoFarm!
10/3/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  New farmer education begins again at Leeward CC as the
GoFarm Hawai‘i program launches a new cohort with the free AgCurious seminar on
Tuesday, October 7, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the GT building 105. GoFarm alumni
will be on hand to discuss what’s great about the program, and inspired
participants can apply for AgXposure, a hands-on learning experience on
educational and research farms. AgXposure students also take comprehensive
classes about all aspects of the business and science of sustainable farming. If
you or someone you know is looking for a career or supplemental income in
sustainable farming, wants to play an active role in the sustainable, local
food movement on O‘ahu, and wants a get-your-hands-dirty opportunity to give it
a try, satisfy that AgCuriosity at Leeward! Please confirm your attendance at
the AgCurious seminar by emailing Lynne Constantinides at linne@hawaii.edu or calling 455-0401.
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September
Promote, Promote, Promote
9/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Got great research and want to share it with the world? The
UH Foundation presents the workshop “Communicating Your Research to Funders and
the Media” on Wednesday, October 1, at 12:00 noon in POST 723. This discussion is
appropriate for both new faculty and longtime research staff interested in
expanding their funding horizons and better communicating their work. It will be led by a representative from the
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and UH Foundation’s Corporate and
Foundation Relations office. The workshop covers how to approach corporate and foundation
funders and, having approached them, how to present your work to them; the types of research and creative scholarship that make the news; and how
to get help preparing and pitching a story about your work to the media. Seats
are limited, so RSVP today!
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Model Islands and Island-Dwellers
9/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Peter Vitousek of Stanford University will speak on
“Islands as Models for Understanding Ecosystems and Human-Environment
Interactions” on Wednesday, October 1, at 3:30 p.m. in St. John 11. This presentation
is part of the ‘Imi ‘Ike NREM Research Seminar Series. As Dr. Vitousek explains, islands have long been
used as models for understanding evolution and speciation—and they can
contribute as much to understanding human-environment interactions. The islands
of Polynesia—particularly Hawai‘i—are especially useful, as a well-defined
people and culture discovered and colonized an extraordinary diverse array of
islands and found ways of living that were shaped in part by
the characteristics of their islands, even as they also shaped the lands they
discovered. There will also be a discussion on the
rain-fed field systems of Hawai‘i Nui and Maui as examples of how societies
shaped land and land shaped societies in the pre-Contact Pacific.
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Put the Info in the Graphic, and Mix It All Up
9/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Add some graphics to your info at the next Distance
Education Workshop on Infographics, on Thursday, October 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. in Gilmore 212. Learn how to
combine text, images, and data with Piktochart and ThingLink, and find out all about digital
images and copyright issues. You’ll need a laptop, an idea for an infographic,
the data to support it, and a nice lunch. There will be online access for neighbor island attendees, with details closer to the event. In the meantime, if you’re ready to combine words with text, please RSVP by October 16.
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Speaking of Plant Doctors
9/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Program this date into your smartphone: Scot Nelson (PEPS) will speak on his app The Plant Doctor onFriday, October 3, at 1:30 p.m. in St. John 302. The Plant Doctor provides
interactive diagnosis for plant diseases in gardens, landscapes, nurseries, and
farms. It’s been used around the world from Guam to Scandinavia, Russia to
South Africa, and, of course, here in Hawai‘i. It’s free and available for both
iOS and Android smartphone users, so check it out!
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No Better Taste than the Hawaiian Range
9/23/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Mealani’s A Taste of the Hawaiian Range will be celebrating
its 19th year with approximately 30 chefs featuring creative dishes of
pasture-raised meat and locally produced fruits and vegetables. It’s all happening Friday, September
26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Island of Hawai‘i. Exhibitors will
show off their artisanal products ranging from coffee to tea to honey, and
there will be a Cooking Pasture-Raised Beef 101 demonstration by Chef Peter
Abarcar Jr. of the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel at 3:00 p.m. This is Hawai‘i
Island’s premier food-grazing event, which seeks to educate students, chefs, and
the public on the importance of supporting local agriculture. Check out the website for tickets and more
information.
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How to Prevent Wildfires and Manage an Ahupua‘a
9/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Two times the information—this week there will be two speakers in the ‘Imi
‘Ike: Natural Resources and Environmental Management Departmental Seminar
Series. Come to Sherman 103 on Wednesday, September 17, from 3:30 to 4:30, and
you’ll get hear all about two exciting projects from NREM faculty: Kirsten
Oleson will discuss ridge-to-reef ecosystem service modeling, and then Clay
Trauernicht will tell about wildfire increase and prevention. It promises to be
an exciting pair of seminars, so come on by.
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FSHN Council Retreat a Smashing Success!
9/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Twenty-eight students recently attended the FSHN Council Leadership
and Diversity Retreat at Camp Kokokahi in Kaneohe. Twenty-four were prospective
or current FSHN students, while 4 students represented Kinesiology, Business,
and Pre-Nursing. Students bonded and learned interpersonal and leadership
skills through the guidance of extraordinary mentors and also had the
opportunity to personally reflect upon themselves. Activities were led by Dr.
Lori Ideta, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Students and Dean of Students at UHM,
and Mr. Rouel Velasco, Student Life Coordinator at UHWO. Activities included
the Blind Trust Walk, True Colors, and the “Where I'm From” narrative. Students
also had the opportunity to cook one of the delicious meals planned by C.N. Lee
or Soojin Jun (both HNFAS) or the FSHN Council Board members. Kim chee fried rice,
pancit, and an elaborate pasta bar were on the weekend’s menu. Incredible
mentors facilitated purposeful life skills experiences such as building
relationships, teamwork, ho‘oponopono,
and preparing nutritional meals. Special thanks are due to the USDA-NIFA-funded
Agribusiness Education, Training and Incubation Project, CTAHR Academic and
Student Affairs Office, and Student Activity and Program Fee Board for partial
funding for this event! Big mahalos also go to Lori Ideta, Rouel Velasco, C.N.
Lee, Soojin Jun, and FSHN Council Board members for making this event a
success!
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Feed Your Curiosity
9/16/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  If you’re interested in becoming a production farmer in
Hawai‘i, you should attend one of the two upcoming AgCurious seminars! You’ll
get to find out what it’s really like to be in ag in Hawai‘i and hear all about
the experiences of farmers and former and present GoFarm Hawaii students.
Applications for the next cohort of students for the GoFarm Hawai‘i beginning
farmer training program will be handed out at this seminar (it’s free,
but you need to register). The AgCurious seminar for the GoFarm Hawai‘i at Windward
Community College program is on September 17, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the
WCC’s Hale Akoakoa building, room 105. RSVP by emailing your name to windward@gofarmhawaii.org or calling 236-9265.
The AgCurious seminar for the GoFarm Hawai‘i at Leeward
Community College program is on October 7, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. (note the later
start time) at LCC (96-045 Ala Ike St., Aiea) in the GT bldg (lower level),
Room 105.
RSVP by emailing your name to leeward@gofarmhawaii.org or calling 455-0401.
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Still Celebrating the Centennial!
9/9/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has extended an invitation
to join Director Sonny Ramaswamy at an event celebrating 100 years of
Cooperative Extension in the United States. Dr. Ramaswamy will present his
vision for Extension in the 21st century on September 10 from 8:00
to 9:00 a.m. (HST) at USDA’s Whitten Building. The event will be available in
streaming format. As the nation moves toward a new global economy,
Cooperative Extension’s role will continue to evolve to meet the challenges
facing society. Hear this enlightening presentation by Dr. Ramaswamy and learn
more about the importance role that Cooperative Extension plays and will continue to play in communities
across the nation.
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From CTAHR to Environmental Law
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  PEPS alumnus Matthew Alan Sylva has continued going strong
since he won the CTAHR Award for Merit for Undergraduates for Oral
Presentations at the CTAHR/COE Symposium in April, and first place for Natural
Sciences Presentations at the Honors/UROP Symposium in May based on his work
with wiliwili trees. Matthew spent his summer working with Native Hawaiian
plants at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethno-Botanical Garden in Kealakekua before
embarking on the next phase of his educational journey: the William S.
Richardson School of Law, where he will work toward a certificate in
environmental law. “I would say that my mentor and thesis adviser Dr. Leyla
Kaufman has been crucial to helping me to get where I am today,” Matthew says. “I
wouldn't have been able to conduct such a fascinating thesis out in the field,
on a neighbor island, with such autonomy (especially as an undergrad) under
anyone else within CTAHR. Both she and Dr. Mark Wright are inspirations to me.
They're so smart and accomplished, but never make you feel too intimidated, and
they are unbelievably helpful and nice.” Praise is due to all three!
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Speaking of Organic Seeds in New York
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Farm coach Jay Bost and banana expert Gabe Sachter-Smith (both
TPSS graduate students) presented at the Student Organic Seed Symposium this August
in Ithaca, New York. There they shared experiences in applying their work
towards moving agriculture in the direction of increased sustainability and
regionalism. Jay was also one of the event organizers. The theme for this
year’s symposium was “Regional Adaptation for Sustainable Food and Seed Systems,”
and the event assembled a diverse interdisciplinary group of speakers and
graduate students, with a focus on plant breeding and related disciplines.
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When Two Plants Love Each Other…
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The new issue of Biotech
in Focus examines the question, “Is there potential for movement of genes
between genetically modified plants and others?” The bulletin explores how
plants reproduce, and what kind of hybrids can result from the combination of
GM and wild plants. Check out the new issue and all the archived issues of
Biotech in Focus on the website!
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Quality Information on Water Quality Safety for Farms
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Jari Sugano (PEPS) and Jensen Uyeda (TPSS) have released
their preliminary findings on food safety and water quality in the publication “Evaluations
of Various Pathogen Remediation Strategies for Soil and Soilless Farming
Systems in Anticipation of the New Food Safety Guidelines.” The objective of
the study was to evaluate various pathogen reduction steps for soil and
soilless farmers to consider when E. coli
action thresholds are surpassed in non-contact irrigation water. The study is
ongoing to help farmers maintain their best individualized on-farm operating
procedures.
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Big Reaction for the Bioreactor
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Eunsung Kan (MBBE, pictured) mentored and supervised the first
prize-winning graduate student team of Rommel Yanos, Bertram Booker, and Stuart
Watson at the August 16 Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike 3rd annual ‘IKE Scholars Symposium.
The topic of their presentation was “Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in a Novel Bioreactor.”
The judges, comprised of UH faculty, UH administration, professional engineers,
industry representatives, and UH graduate students, chose the MBBE presentation
from among the 11 entries in the symposium. The symposium featured student
presentations of projects supported through ‘IKE both in the Summer Engineering
Experiences (SEEs) and Undergraduate Research Experiences (URE). ‘IKE students
hail from six UH campuses. Congratulations, Eunsung, Rommel, Bertram and
Stuart!
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Hort Hot Shot
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Robert Paull (TPSS) was elected a Fellow of the American
Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS) for his outstanding contributions to
horticulture and the Society. ASHS promotes and encourages national and
international interest in scientific research and education in horticulture in
all its branches, and the ASHS Fellows Award is the highest honor bestowed on a
member. Bob received the award at the annual meeting held in Orlando, Florida.
As if that were not sufficient, Bob was also named a Fellow of the
International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) for his outstanding
contributions to horticultural science worldwide! ISHS is the world’s leading
independent organization of horticultural scientists. We clearly have a
horticultural star in our midst!
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Digestible Science
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Nothing brings people together like sharing food. Or, in this case, sharing about how the digestive system breaks down food. On July 31, Maria Stewart
(HNFAS) organized an activity for the 'Iolani/Ritsumeikan Super Science Fair
Exchange to learn about the science of nutrition. Sixteen high school students from
Iolani High School in Honolulu and Ritsumeikan High School in Kyoto, Japan,
participated in a series of lab activities that demonstrated how the digestive
system works. The students
are part of the Super Science Fair Exchange program for high-achieving high
school students who wish to pursue careers in science. Mark Lindsay, the teacher from Iolani School,
reported that the students really enjoyed the lab and presentation, especially
the hands-on activities and the explanation of the chemical and physical changes that nutrients undergo during digestion. The science of digestion...yummy!
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Here’s to 4-H and ‘Minnie Lee’!
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Nice to see you again, ‘Minnie Lee’! 4-H Extension Agents (L-R clockwise) Claire Nakatsuka (O‘ahu),
Kate Everett (Maui), Joan Chong (Kona), Becky Settlage (Hilo), Laura Kawamura
(Kaua‘i), Rose Saito (O‘ahu), and Steve Nagano (O‘ahu), met at the Urban Garden Center August 1 for a meeting and to
plant a ‘Minnie Lee II’ hibiscus to commemorate Cooperative Extension's
Centennial. Its
caretaker will be Aubin Stremler, a UGC volunteer. Kaua‘i administrator Roy Yamakawa provided the
plant, but how it got there was a long, strange trip! The original ‘Minnie Lee’, the Extension hibiscus and the official flower of the
Hawai‘i Extension Homemaker’s Council, was bred by A.M. Bush on Maui in 1929 and named for the wife and daughter of William Lloyd, who formally established Hawai‘i’s
Extension Service. Although a thousand
cuttings were distributed to 4-H’ers back in the 1930s, it was nowhere to be
found by the ’90s. So Terry Sekioka, a now-retired CTAHR
plant breeder, taught the University Extension (UE) ladies on Kaua‘i how to breed hibiscus, and Mrs. Hisayo Niitani, one of the charter members of
Kaua‘i UE, successfully made a cross between the initial parents to produce ‘Minnie Lee
II’ and distributed it to UE club ladies on Kaua‘i. Then, to produce the plant at UGC, one of those plants was grafted! So, as it says in the song
dedicated to ‘Minnie Lee’, “here’s to the yellow hibiscus, our aloha for farm and
for home”...and here’s to those who made sure she’s still blooming!
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Sharing and Learning in Hong Kong
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  CTAHR students Tyler Daguay (PEPS), Miho
Fujii (FSHN), Felicia Geronimo (TPSS), and Kelli Zakimi (FSHN), along with Sylvia
Trinh of the Academic and Student Affairs Office, are back from 10 days in Hong Kong spent learning about agriculture and food issues. They arrived at the Wing Lung
Ecological Farm located on the outskirts of Hong Kong, where Hong Kong campers
joined them for the work-camp experience. Students helped to weed, till, repair
various facilities, uproot trees, and do pest control management during
their stay. After Wing Lung, they journeyed to other farms stretched across the
region. First was a Buddhist organic farm experimenting with different crops to
see which ones fare well in Hong Kong weather. They then traveled to Ping Che,
where locals were on a mission to revive the regional culture and arts. The CTAHR group shared their own Hawai‘i culture with the villagers and
other international work-campers. The students’ last tour was the rice fields
in Long Valley, where the group harvested, milled, sifted, and bagged rice.
Thanks are due to the VolTra organization in Hong Kong for organizing the study tour and to Bird
Tang, Anson, Chun-On Lai, and Stephanie Chan for hosting the CTAHR group and
going out of their way to make the experience so enjoyable. Thanks also go out to everyone the group met on their adventure,
including KK and the friendly Ping Che residents, the volunteers, and the farmers they visited. Mahalo to ASAO for supporting these adventurous students, and to the students themselves, who made this experience meaningful for everyone they encountered in Hong Kong!
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Exploring the Global Mosaic in Taiwan
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  CTAHR alumna Jasmine
Asuncion (FAMR) was one of two UH students/alumnae selected for Mosaic Taiwan, a
three-week fellowship program led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan. The program selected 30 scholars from across the country. Mosaic Taiwan provides
young students and professionals with an interest in global affairs with the
opportunity to explore the beauty of Taiwan’s natural environment and to
better understand its culture and society through extensive exchanges with
local leaders from various fields. This year’s program ran from June 15 to July
5, during which the participants took part in team-building and leadership-development
exercises; tours of various businesses, museums, and cultural sites; and meet-and-greet
sessions with government officials, educators, community representatives and
young leaders in Taiwan. They even got to meet President Ma Ying-jeou and Vice President Wu
Den-yih! Most important, they also got to contribute to Taiwan's cultural mosaic.
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Floriculture Fantastic
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Congratulations to PhD
student Emily Lloyd (TPSS), who was awarded the John Carew Memorial Scholarship
from the American Floral Endowment! The American Floral Endowment is an
independent, nonprofit organization that funds research and scholarships in
floriculture and environmental horticulture for the benefit of growers,
wholesalers, retailers, allied industry organizations, and the general public.
Emily was drawn to the intersection of aesthetics and science in the production
of ornamentals, which inspired her to research them for her doctorate. We know her research and her success will continue to flower!
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Hort Hall of Famer
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andrew Kawabata (TPSS) was
honored with the 2014 MIDPAC Hall of Fame award at the Hawai‘i MidPac
Horticultural Conference & Expo held July 23-25 at the Hapuna Prince
Hotel. Andrew's clients nominated and
selected him for this honor. The MidPac Conference is an annual event that
brings together growers and buyers of Hawai‘i's ornamental products. The Hawai‘i Export Nursery Association (HENA),
Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association (HFNA), and Orchid Growers of
Hawai‘i (OGOH) partnered to organize this year's event with the able assistance
of Andrew and Kelvin Sewake (PEPS). Congratulations, Andrew!
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GoFarm on Kaua‘i!
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The GoFarm Hawai‘i program
received $25,000 in support of their program at Kaua‘i Community College from
the Doc Buyers Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation. GoFarm Hawai‘i began
training beginning farmers on Kaua‘i this year and is looking forward to
continuing to develop new farmers to meet Hawai‘i’s need for more commercial
farmers with the support of this most recent funding. GoFarm Hawai‘i also
receives financial support from Kamehameha Schools, the Ulupono Initiative, and
the U.S. Department of Labor. Read more about Kaua‘i’s GoFarm program at
Midweek Kaua‘i.
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No Beef With Beef
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Alan Titchenal and Joannie Dobbs (both
HNFAS) share beef facts in their Health Options column for the Star Advertiser.
Beef provides protein as well as iron and zinc, they explain, two vital minerals that are
often lacking in many diets. Beef cattle are also an important part of
Hawai‘i’s agriculture and can benefit the health of pasture lands when managed
properly. Read more about beef at Alan and Joannie’s website.
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Perfect Pesticide Practices
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Collaborators from PEPS, NREM, and HNFAS, along with UH Hilo and the Hawaii Department of Ag, have published Good
Agricultural Practices: A Best Practices Kit for Safe, Legal, and Effective
Pesticide Application in Hawai‘i. The project was spearheaded by Jim Hollyer (HNFAS), Donna Meyer, and Fred Brooks (both PEPS). The kit includes guidelines for choosing the proper spray
nozzle, a checklist of responsibilities for the safe use of pesticides on
farms, an example of a pesticide label, basic guidance on the use of personal
protective equipment, an onsite pesticide registry log for pesticide use on
various types of plants, and a pesticide application log for Hawai‘i
conventional and organic farms. The kit incorporates information from the handy pesticide education
wall charts, if you don’t happen to have four feet of wall space handy for the originals. It’s an invaluable guide for a variety of
plant-oriented industries in Hawai‘i. Spray safely and responsibly!
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Beloved Plant Guide by Beloved Plant Expert Back in Print
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Some wisdom never changes, but it’s always good to supplement it with new information. Gardening expert and
former CTAHR publicist Fortunato Teho’s Plants of Hawai‘i—How to Grow
Them, originally published in
1971, has been reprinted by Petroglyph Press, now with Integrated Pest Management, earth-friendly recipes for pest control,
and a list of current gardening resources. The book is an easy-to-read guide offering a description of each plant and its
origins, as well as information about propagation, culture, and pest control. In
1927, Fortunato was the first Filipino to graduate from UH, earning a
bachelor’s degree in agricultural technology. He worked as a publicist for UH’s
College of Tropical Agriculture for 25 years and became the voice of gardening
in Hawai‘i for decades, creating and producing more than 700 radio and
television programs as well as countless articles for various publications. The
first run of Plants of Hawai‘i—How to Grow Them sold more than 50,000 copies
before going out of print.
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Sharing English and Food Science
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR 
‘Ono! Oishii! Science! CTAHR students Alex Navarro, Jay Gibson, Jennie Yano, Saya Kataoka, Flora Wang,
and Ross Villiger (HNFAS) and Allie Kim (MBBE) volunteered with the Nihon University Summer Program August 6
and 11. The CTAHR student volunteers participated in English conversation as
part of the Nihon University students’ English language courses at UH. The 16
students from Nihon University are spending 10 days in Hawai‘i studying English and
topics in Food Science and Human Nutrition at UH.
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Pulling for Puna!
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Big Island CTAHR Extension is
lending a helping hand with hurricane relief in Puna. A big mahalo to Extension
agents Becky Settlage for leading the CTAHR and East Hawai‘i 4-H’er charge, and
Sharon Motomura for helping to bag ice for East Hawai‘i 4-H to distribute to
families in need in the Puna area!
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After the Storm
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Whew! It looks like Hawai‘i County
research stations escaped major damage from Hurricane Iselle. Volcano, Kona,
and Lalamilo reported no damage, and Mealani reported downed branches on an electric
fence, which were cleared, and a tree leaning into power lines. Waiakea Station
had the most serious damage, with a 20 x 30-foot section of the roof of a tractor garage peeled off and many broken tree branches and toppled trees. No injuries, though!
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Way Cool, Wekiu!
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Jesse Eiben and Dan Rubinoff
(both PEPS) published “Application of Agriculture-Developed Demographic
Analysis for the Conservation of the Hawaiian Alpine Wekiu Bug” in the August
issue of the highly prestigious journal Conservation Biology. Jesse and Dan developed a series of laboratory
experiments to study rare and difficult-to-access insects such as the wekiu
bug, shown here scavenging a fly head. By studying insects in the lab, they were able to develop
“life tables,” which represent population growth parameters, environmental
models for wekiu bug life cycles, and demographic changes. The experiments can
be used to help conservation efforts of rare insects by allowing researchers to
optimize their field monitoring methods and timing. That means there are fewer
potential impacts on the summit from looking for the insects at the wrong
times and more efficient and cost-effective field work. Most importantly, if
there are ever negative impacts to the population of the wekiu bug, researchers
and land managers would be able to discover this decline faster and could
predict when the bugs would likely recover. Read more about the wekiu bug at
Conservation Biology.
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Style on the Radio
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andy Reilly (FCS) and Malie Moran
took to the Hawai‘i Public Radio airwaves to discuss Honolulu’s street fashion and their recent book,
Honolulu Street Style. The book includes a fabulous collection of photographs and goes into the diverse global trends that
influence Hawai‘i, as well as the unique local neighborhood cultures that put
their own spin on fashion. Honolulu Street Style is available from your
favorite bookseller.
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4-H “Makes the Best Better” on the Big Island
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  In the wake of the recent Hurricane Iselle, East Hawai‘i
4-H’ers and their families have devoted countless volunteer hours in the past 12 days
to helping hurricane victims. 4-H families helped to serve hot meals to those
in need and collected almost 3,700 pounds of ice, bottled water, and canned goods, as
well as bedding, personal hygiene items, and batteries. There were also diapers, baby food, stuffed
animals, and toys for area keiki. East Hawai‘i 4-H would like to say mahalo to
all who made donations and also to many of the Hawai‘i County CTAHR faculty for
all their support and assistance. And we’d like to say mahalo to East Hawai‘i 4-H!
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Albizia Are Bad for (Cleanup) Business
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The albizia tree strikes again (literally)! Ken Leonhardt (TPSS)
talked to KHON about what makes albizia a particularly problematic tree,
especially when it comes to the clean-up efforts in Puna. Albizia are
fast-growing trees that can be found on every island, where they pose a
potential hazard during high wind situations such as Tropical Storm Iselle. In Puna,
downed albizia trees have damaged numerous power lines and have impeded
progress in the recovery. Ken recommends getting rid of the trees if they are
on your property and keeping on guard in areas where albizia grow near power
lines and private property.
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Plant Nutrients From Sea Birds
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  An article in the August issue of Environment Hawai‘i,
“Marine Subsidies for Montane Soils,” highlighted a presentation PhD
candidate Julia Rowe (NREM) gave at the recent Hawaii Ecosystems Meeting in Hilo.
Julia has been studying levels of nutrients in soil at upper Limahuli and Hono
o Napali on the north shore of Kaua‘i. She has seen differences between seabird
and non-seabird areas and is continuing research into the connection between
seabirds and nitrogen levels in the soil. The August issue of Environment
Hawai‘i also includes an update on Jesse Eiben (PEPS) and his work with the
wekiu bug!
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Welcome to CTAHR! Enjoy Your College!
9/8/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The 35 newest members of our college were welcomed at the
2014 New Student Orientation by Associate Dean Charly Kinoshita and Lisa
Kitagawa-Akagi (ASAO). Representatives from student clubs and organizations encouraged new students to get involved, followed by a slideshow of pictures from college events during the past
academic year. Afterward, the new students broke into groups, led by current
CTAHR students who gave them lots of good advice. They shared their
personal development of skills that will help in life after college and answered
any questions the incoming students had. Afterward, groups went out on a campus
tour, came back to Gilmore Hall for a tasty lunch, and met with an academic
advisor, where they received guidance on classes to take and what to expect in
college from their academic careers. A big thank you goes to the student committee
members and scholarship recipients who served as NSO leaders: Sheldon Arakawa,
Arby Barone, Stanley Chan, Jerrisa Ching, Noel Gibeau, Abraham Kwan, Hailey
Pederson, Jason McMurray, Brandon Ngao, Ryan Ringuette, Trexia Sison, Angela
Stein, Ericka Yiu, and Kelli Zakimi. Mahalo is also owed to faculty advisors, student club and
organization representatives, and ASAO for helping to welcome the newest
members of our college!
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A Different Kind of Tweeting
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Is human noise changing bird noise? NREM graduate student Wanda
Sowa started a project to study bird songs in an urban landscape, specifically whether
humans and noise pollution affect the way birds sing. The goal of the project
is to use birdsong as a measure to see if speciation is occurring between
island and mainland populations of non-native birds. Wanda has a fundraiser
site for the project to fund recording equipment and travel expenses. She is
also looking for bird-loving volunteers to help with the recording. If you or
your students are interested in capturing the lovely landscape of birdsong,
contact Wanda at wsowa@hawaii.edu.
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Genes on the Move
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Ryo Kubota, MBBE
alumnus and collaborator, will be presenting a seminar on “Mobile Gene-Based
Diagnostics: Facilitation of Routine Surveillance for Pathogen Control in
Remote Settings.” Being able to figure out which pathogen is infecting your
crops quickly and in the field is a great boon to food producers, and Ryo is
helping to make that a reality. Find out all about it in St. John 302 at 1:30
p.m. on September 5.
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Cleaning Up Pig Waste
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Join Jonathan Deenik (TPSS) for a presentation on piggery
waste management strategies to protect and enhance water and soil quality in
Pohnpei on Wednesday, September 3, at 3:30 p.m. in Sherman 103. Pigs play a
central role as tribute and food in Pohnpeian culture. However, the widespread
practice of washing pig waste into surface waters poses a serious threat to
water quality. A multi-disciplinary effort established in Pohnpei in 2012 to
assess water quality found widespread E. coli contamination. The study went on
to introduce dry litter technology to mitigate negative impacts on stream water
and enhance soil quality. This seminar is part of the Imi ‘Ike NREM Research
Seminar Series.
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Spore Scores
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Too
many—or not enough—spores in your life? Check out these new Extension
publications from Scot Nelson (PEPS) and co-authors and solve either problem: revel in pictures of
glorious viruses and fungi, or learn how to banish the beasties from your
pristine produce. In “Gibberella and Fusarium Ear Rots of Maize in Hawai‘i,”
you’ll not only be introduced to one of the best phrases you’ll hear all year
(say it aloud—“earrrrrots”); you’ll learn how to grow corn that’s blessedly
free of these debilitating diseases. One look at the pallid, bloated zucchini
and tormented leaves caused by Zucchini yellow mosaic virus will get you
scrambling to avoid this pest in your fields, while the symptoms of Cucumber
mosaic virus can be quite ornamental, though still to be avoided. And the tips
on avoiding the widespread Papaya anthracnose will allow you to eat luscious,
non-scrofulous papaya again. What a score!
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Where the Boys Are
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Andy Reilly (FCS) has recently published two
articles on men’s appearance and body image. In “Extending the Theory of
Shifting Erogenous Zones to Men’s Tattoos,” he shows that while today’s
body-revealing fashions have lessened the eroticization of specific body parts,
this eroticization may be accomplished by tattooing specific parts of the body.
In particular, he shows that men’s tattoos eroticize the bicep, upper arm, and
lower back. In “A Review of Men’s Body Image: What We Know and Need to Know,”
Andy and his co-authors show that men’s bodies are now exploited by the media
as much as women’s bodies, and that men often are subject to the same types of
lowered self-esteem after viewing images of idealized, muscular male bodies as
women may be after looking at idealized female models. At last the academic
subject of men’s appearance is being addressed.
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Soil-Builders
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Ted Radovich, Archana Pant, Amjad Ahmad, and Nguyen Hue (all
TPSS) and longtime CTAHR collaborator Craig Elevitch have just published
“Enhancing Soil Function and Plant Health With Locally Available Resources” as
part of the Food-Producing Agroforestry Landscapes of the Pacific series. The
publication looks at the balance between keeping farmers competitive and
improving food security. It is intended to be a concise, practical guide for
local food producers on the inputs, pros, and cons of various locally available
fertilizers. Go forth and fertilize!
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The Aloha of Mindfulness
9/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Thao Le (FCS) recently published “Mindfulness and the Aloha
Response” in the Journal of Indigenous
Social Development. The article discusses the resonance between
mindfulness, which is often associated with Buddhist tradition, and aloha, the
lifestyle and cultural tradition of Hawai‘i. Thao looks at mindfulness as a
tool and a form of mental energy that facilitates the aloha response and shows how
to nurture individual and collective consciousness, particularly for social
work practitioners. In addition to publishing her article, Thao lately shared
mindfulness with Leilehua High School students in a meditation program—see how
mindful they look now?
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August
GM Crops, Pesticides, and the Environment
8/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  While the last issue of Biotech in
Focus looked at conventional and organic farming, the new issue focuses
specifically on the most common genetically modified crops and how they have
changed the use of pesticides on farms. Ania Wieczorek explains the challenges,
evaluations, and positive impacts of two different types of GM crop. Also check out past issues of Biotech in Focus at the website.
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And in the Morning, I’m Making Waffles!
8/27/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  TPSS welcomed back faculty, staff, and students to the new fall
semester with a waffle breakfast. Ania Wieczorek and other faculty served up
fruity, breakfasty deliciousness to all who attended, while everyone fortified
themselves and got in some welcome socializing and bonding before the work of
the semester ahead.
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The Eggplants Are Long, Not the Day
8/27/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Commercial growers and Master Gardeners are invited to the
Long Eggplant Field Day on September 2, 10:30–11:30 a.m. at the Komohana
Research and Extension Center Master Gardner Demo Garden. Be the first to see
the long eggplant hybrids currently being evaluated for future release from the
UH Seed Lab. There will also be short informal presentations by Extension staff Jari Sugano (PEPS),
Steve Fukuda, Sharon Motomura, and Jensen Uyeda (TPSS) about the statewide eggplant
trial and the different hybrid lines, as well as how to grow, fertilize, and
manage potential eggplant pests. Go long, eggplants!
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Corn and the Maya Collapse
8/27/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Civilizations rise and fall on their stomachs, and Jim Brewbaker
(TPSS) explores the evidence in the upcoming seminar “Corn and the Maya Collapse” on Friday,
August 29, 2:00 p.m. at St. John 11. Corn, rice, or wheat provided at least
half of the caloric energy of all major prehistoric civilizations. The Maya had
only corn, but they created a major civilization with two million people in
tropical rainforests. The civilization “collapsed,” i.e., was
abandoned, in the 800s, but why? Various researchers have developed numerous
theories, but none suggest a problem with corn. In this seminar, Dr. B will
explore the possibility that a corn virus was the culprit of the Maya’s demise.
He will review recent evidence supporting this theory, and extend the idea to
the Anazasi, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, and other Mesoamerican civilizations.
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Yes, We Have Some Bananas!
8/19/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  B-A-N-A-N-A-S! Come check out the ongoing Extension work on our local
bananas at the O‘ahu Banana Mini Conference. It all takes place on Tuesday, August 26, from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. at the Kane‘ohe Extension Office. Researchers, professors, and Extension staff from CTAHR will provide updates on common pests in banana
production; provide an overview of the newly registered broad-spectrum insecticide Movento and other products in
the pipeline for future registration; update stakeholders on BBTV-resistance
screenings on existing and newly introduced banana cultivars in Hawai‘i; share
the current status and future perspectives of development of a BBTV-resistant
banana; and discuss the developing Integrated Disease Management Program for
banana. This workshop is free and open to
new and longtime banana producers. Go, go, bananas!
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County Fair Fun on Kaua‘i
8/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Nothing says fun like farming! The Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair
celebrates their Kaua‘i roots and the history of Cooperative Extension August 21–24 at Vidinha
Stadium in Lihu‘e. The fair has nearly 100 years of history, so it’s fitting that it will be
honoring 100 years of Cooperative Extension! This year’s fair will be dedicated
to the collaborative partners in the Lihu‘e Cooperative Extension Office, and
the dedication ceremony is scheduled for August 21, 6:15 p.m. at the center
stage entertainment tent. CTAHR will also be involved in the Fruit and
Vegetable Show, gardening demonstrations (by our lovely Kaua‘i Master
Gardeners), and more! If you’re on Kaua‘i, join the fun, food, and farming!
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Pork Study Money
8/13/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Pork Safety, Quality and Human Nutrition Committee is
requesting pre-proposals in human nutrition research. The proposal process requires
an initial letter of intent, which will be used for initial screening. If the review looks promising, a request for a full proposal application will be made by the National Pork Board
to the Principal Investigator. The specific research areas are protein in a
healthy diet, cardiometabolic well-being, and
dietary nutrients and functions, all in connection with dietary pork. For more information, visit
the Pork Checkoff website.
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Second Saturday for August 9 Cancelled
8/7/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  This week's Second Saturday at the Garden event, scheduled for August 9 at the Urban Garden Center (UGC) on O‘ahu, has been cancelled. There will be no plant sales, and the facility will be closed due to inclement weather conditions of Tropical Storm Iselle.
Stay informed of future UGC activities here.
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July
Researching Biofilms to Help Cancer Patients
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  PhD student Pavlos Anastasiadis (MBBE) and his co-authors published
“Detection and quantification of bacterial biofilms combining high-frequency
acoustic microscopy and targeted lipid microparticles” in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology. Immuno-compromised
patients such as those undergoing cancer chemotherapy are susceptible to
bacterial infections, which leads to biofilm matrix formation. Early diagnosis of
biofilm matrix formation is a challenge in treating cancer patients with infection-associated
biofilms, because in vivo imaging and detection of biofilm matrices is difficult. In a novel approach, the researchers report that a combined optical and
acoustic evaluation of infectious biofilm matrices can be used to enhance biofilm
imaging and early detection.
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Soil Respiration and Climate Change
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Creighton Litton, Susan Crow (both NREM) and Christian
Giardina (US Forest Service and NREM affiliate) recently published the article
“Warming-related increases in soil CO2 efflux are explained by increased
below-ground carbon flux” in the prestigious journal Nature Climate Change. The
article is based on a whole-ecosystem study, the first of its kind, along an
elevation/temperature gradient in tropical montane wet forests on Hawai‘i
Island, which the authors used to sort through the many processes that connect
soil carbon stocks and fluxes with rising temperature to test previously held
scientific assumptions. They discovered that rising temperatures increased the
amount of carbon both entering and leaving soils. But, surprisingly, long-term
warming had no effect on the overall storage of tropical forest soil carbon,
contrary to current scientific understanding. That is, the often observed
increase in the rate of soil respiration with rising temperatures appears to be
due to an increase in the amount of C entering the soil, not from a decrease in
the overall amount of carbon stored in the soil. This is good news for tropical forests, which
play a disproportionately large role in the global carbon cycle, and therefore
global climate, due to their high rates of productivity. So while future
warming will likely continue with the addition of greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere from human activities, previous assumptions about a positive soil
carbon cycling feedback on warming require more detailed observation.
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Get Growing in Waimanalo!
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Waimanalo Market Co-op is ready to grow! The community
market, which opened in November 2013 and operates at the old Mel’s Market
site, was featured in MidWeek magazine.
The co-op is operated by community members, including Ted Radovich (TPSS)
and CTAHR collaborator Leina‘ala Bright, and it gives artists, farmers, backyard
growers, and the Windward CC GoFarm! program a venue to sell their arts, crafts, and produce. Plans
to improve the Waimanalo operations include the installation of electricity,
refrigerators, a kitchen, and the expansion of items such as pickled mango,
smoked meats, and lilikoi butter. If you’re looking for fresh, local,
interesting produce and goods, take a swing by the Waimanalo Market Co-op, or consider joining the Co-op at their August 3 pa‘ina.
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Horticulture Apps for Everyone!
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Android smartphone and iPhone users can agree on at least one
thing: free horticulture apps are great! Kent Kobayashi (TPSS) has created two
lists of 190 free apps for smartphone-loving horticulturalists. Kent has
separated the apps in to broad categories, and the lists can be sorted by app
title or by category. The lists also provide a brief description of each app.
From GPS to farm management, soil to social media, you’re sure to find a
horticultural app for you, whichever smartphone platform you prefer! Check out
the free Android app list, and the free iPhone app list.
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Field Day Fabulous!
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Check out the pics from the Organic Field Day and
Legislators’ Open House at the lush farmland of the Waimanalo Research Station!
Between the two events, more than 100 visitors came to soak in the awesome
agriculture, with presentations and demonstrations by around 30 members of the
CTAHR ‘ohana. Visitors included legislators Suzanne Chun Oakland, Richard
Creagan, Lauren Matsumoto, Glen Wakai, Laura Thielen, and Marcus Oshiro, as well as representatives from Angus McKelvey, Sam Slom, Kalani
English, Will Espero, the Hawai‘i Farmers Union Unites, and the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau Federation.
It was a farm-tastic two days in Waimanalo!
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Got (Selenium-Enriched) Milk?
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Dr. Harsharn Gill will present the seminar “Selenium-Enriched
Milk: From Production to Demonstration of Health Benefits” on Monday, August 4,
at 2:00 p.m. in Gilmore 212. Dr. Gill is a professor of Food & Health
Biosciences at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, and has more than 20
years of experience in R&D related to food, nutrition, and health. His research
interests include the role of food (particularly dairy foods) and intestinal
microflora in health and disease.
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Science Policy and Food Safety Funding Opportunities
7/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR Investigating innovative science policy or food safety
systems? There are two new grants that may be for you! The National Science Foundation grant supports
research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation
policy with the aim of developing, improving, and expanding models, analytical
tools, data, and metrics that can be applied in the science policy decision-making process. The program places a high priority on broadening participation
and encourages proposals from junior faculty, women, other underrepresented
minorities, Research Undergraduate Institutions, and EPSCoR states, including
Hawai‘i. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration grant is designed to facilitate
longterm improvements to the national food safety system by providing states
with information to help identify needed changes and resources to enforce
produce safety requirements modeled after FDA’s produce safety rule. The
information also would assist FDA in implementing the produce safety rule.
Could these funding opportunities help your work? Worth a look!
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Go Forth and Landscape
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The landscape industry is a vital part of Hawai‘i’s
agriculture and a key component of our visitor economy. For the first time in 12 years, a Landscape
Industry Certification Test (LICT) was offered on Maui, preceded by a 12-session
training program organized by Extension agent Norman Nagata (TPSS). This great
collaborative effort brought numerous landscape-related businesses together with
CTAHR Cooperative Extension-Maui, UH Maui College, and the County of Maui
Office of Economic Development to raise the bar of professional landscaping on
Maui. Just as they help the plants they work with to flourish, the initial 22 landscapers who participated in the training are helping to
grow an industry of professionals.
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Let's Farm Naturally!
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  If you read the recent Impact Report, you know about Mike DuPonte’s (HNFAS) exciting work with Korean Natural Farming, a sustainable and bio-active method of agricultural production. If you want to get involved yourself, find out how to make some of the inputs that will keep your green friends fruitful and thriving: Fish Amino Acid acts as a locally sourced fertilizer that doesn’t damage water quality like many commercial fertilizers, and Water-Soluble Calcium, which can be made from eggshells and rice vinegar, will help regulate plant growth and development. Oriental Herbal Nutrient provides plants and soil microorganisms with nutritional support that increases plants’ resilience to environmental stress, while Diluted Seawater, the easiest of all to make, can be used to encourage ripening and for soil nutrition. Get started utilizing the powerful and beneficial indigenous microorganisms around you today!
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More Trees, More Beauty
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  As recent outbreaks of plant diseases and pests have shown us, diversity is useful in landscaping so we’re not left with denuded landscapes, nurseries, and backyards if something attacks a particular species. It also helps to address landscape challenges and client preferences, replace invasive or otherwise detrimental species, and help create a variegated and interesting landscape. In pursuit of arboreal diversity, Richard Criley (TPSS) and his co-authors have created a series of publications describing beautiful, useful, and underutilized trees—many of which can be found on the UH Manoa campus but in few other places around the Islands. Check out these possibilities: Aali‘i, Alahe‘e, Beach Heliotrope, Colville’s Glory (pictured), Fern Pine, Hispaniolan Rosy Trumpet, Hong Kong Orchid, Lignum Vitae, Lonomea, Naio, Na‘u
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To Protect and Serve
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  From the forest to the factory to the farm, our college is working to keep the community safe! Want to keep your trees green and healthy, not blackened and charred? J.B. Friday, Doug Cram, and Clay
Trauernicht (all NREM) have published a guide
to minimize risks of wildfires for tree plantations. Need to keep your food-production facility free from dangerous and illegal chemical, biological, and physical adulterants? Luisa Castro (formerly of
NREM) and Jim Hollyer (HNFAS) published a guide to assist growers with state
and federal standards for food safety. Every day, in every way, CTAHR means safety!
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After the Harvest
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Hawai‘i is awesome for its delicious, year-round fruit, and
we benefit not only from great fruit-growing weather but also from the variety
of fruits that can be produced throughout the Islands. But warm weather also brings its own concerns. Bob Paull (TPSS) and his co-authors, including Nancy Chen (also TPSS)
have new publications out on how to maintain the best quality for fruit after
harvest. Check them out! Carambola, Dragon Fruit, Durian, Longan, Lychee,
Papaya, Pineapple, and Rambutan. Bob also has a guide to Growing Grapes in
Hawai‘i from trellis to harvest. For fig growers and lovers, Scot
Nelson (PEPS) and his student Ann Verga describe effective methods to combat fig rust.
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CBB on TV
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  KHON recently reported on efforts to combat the Coffee Berry Borer on
Big Island coffee farms and the gains made by coffee growers since 2010. It looks as though things are starting to look up for coffee farmers, thanks in part to CTAHR’s research and outreach. Mark
Wright (PEPS) weighs in on what farmers can do to help their farms and stresses
that diligence in best practices will play an important part in successful CBB
management. Check out the video.
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Details of Dietary Data
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Jinan Banna and Marie Kainoa Fialkowski (both HNFAS) recently had
their manuscript “Misreporting of dietary intake affects estimated nutrient
intakes in low-income Spanish-speaking women,” co-written with Dr.
Marilyn Townsend at UC-Davis, accepted for publication in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This study involved classifying
reported energy intakes from 24-hour dietary recalls completed by
Mexican-American women in Northern California as biologically plausible or
implausible to determine if those with plausibly reported intakes would be more
likely to meet dietary guidelines. Findings revealed that plausibility status
significantly influenced whether a participant met recommendations for several
nutrients. These results support the importance of evaluating plausibility of
reported intake when analyzing self-reported dietary data to determine whether
a population is meeting recommendations. The topic of validity of self-reported
dietary data is a timely one, addressed in detail at the recent
Experimental Biology session entitled “Not Everything That Counts Can Be
Counted and Not Everything That Can Be Counted Counts: How Should We Collect
Dietary Data for Research?”
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Akamai-zing the Flow of Energy
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  In June, PhD student Kauahi Perez (TPSS) participated as an
instructor and facilitator in the Akamai Short Course, a 4-day intensive course
hosted at UH Hilo that prepares undergraduates for their upcoming internship
projects. Taught by graduate students
and post-docs trained in the ISEE Professional Development Program, the Short
Course uses inquiry learning to enhance interns’ research, problem-solving,
communication, and collaboration skills.
Kauahi was part of the Renewable Energy Team of instructors—comprised of
UH Manoa and UC Santa Cruz graduates—that designed an engineering-based
activity entitled “Akamai-zing the Flow of Energy.” Using their akamai (intelligence/skills),
students collaboratively engaged in optimizing (“akamai-zing”) energy flow by
augmenting hypothetical networks of technologies (i.e., wind turbines, wave
turbines, photovoltaic systems, and battery storage systems) that could harvest
enough energy from renewable sources to meet the Big Island’s current energy
demand. The Akamai Short Course is one
component of the Akamai Internship Program, which provides an opportunity for
undergraduates who are interested in pursuing a career in science, technology,
engineering, or math (STEM) fields to get involved in high-tech research and
industry. The 2014 Akamai Internship Program was funded by the Thirty Meter
Telescope International Observatory, the University of Hawai‘i, and the Air
Force Office of Scientific Research. You’re aka-mazing, Kauahi!
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Ag Economics Affects Everyone!
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Owing to the advent of the coffee berry borer and other pests, there is growing concern as to how the coffee industry will be affected. And to fully understand that, it’s necessary to look at the industry’s economic status before CBB. Dilini Hemachandra (NREM), Stuart Nakamoto (HNFAS), and John Woodill have published an overview of the Hawai‘i coffee
industry that does just that. For another important look at where ag is going in terms of where it’s been, Jim Hollyer (HNFAS) teamed up with Matthew Loke (NREM) to report on the
changing demographics of Hawai‘i farmers over the past 100 years. Find out when the greatest number of Filipino farmers were principal operators, when women became a force in the field, and more!
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Taking Care of Keiki 2014
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The 2014 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released on July 22 by the
Annie E. Casey Foundation, marks 25 years of bringing attention to national and
state-level data on the well-being of children. According to data presented in
the annual report, Hawai‘i ranks 25th out of 50 states on overall child
well-being. “The well-being of our children is the most important indicator of
how well our state is doing in terms of longterm economic success and how well
we will do in the future,” says Hawai‘i KIDS COUNT project director Ivette
Rodriguez Stern (COF). “The good news is that we’re no longer slipping in rank
where it comes to the overall well-being of Hawai‘i’s children, as had been the
case in recent years. We’re now somewhere in the middle, and while we’re doing
well in the areas of health and in the family and community context, we’re
ranked much lower where it comes to the economic well-being of our children and
education.” Take a look at how our keiki are doing at in the 2014 KIDS COUNT Data Book the Annie E. Casey Foundation website.
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The Plant Doctor’s Android Update
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR A new version of the very useful Plant Doctor
smartphone app is now available for Android users. The old version will no longer
work, so developer Scot Nelson (PEPS) encourages all Android users to delete it and install the new one, pronto! The Plant Doctor provides interactive
diagnosis for plant diseases in gardens, landscapes, nurseries, and farms. It’s been used around the world from Guam to Scandinavia, Russia to South
Africa, and, of course, here in Hawai‘i. Update your app and diagnose your
plants!
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Along Came a Spider
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Eek! Spider bite! Dan Rubinoff (PEPS) talks about the spider
that bit Hamilton Library educator Teri Skillman and ultimately sent her
to the hospital for five days of treatment. Dan believes the culprit was a
Mediterranean recluse spider, which is very rarely encountered in the Islands; in fact, he says people are more likely to get struck by lightning than bitten by this spider. This is lucky, as you’ll see if you
watch the video about the bite at Hawai‘i News Now. Just to be on the safe side, watch out for spiders!
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Spray Safe
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Western Front, a newsletter about Integrated Pest Management, recently featured the multilingual
pesticide safety charts developed by Jim Hollyer (HNFAS) and a tireless team of CTAHR and HDOA
collaborators. The charts, titled “Protect Yourself and Workers From
Pesticides” and “Apply
Pesticides Safely, Legally, Effectively” include instructions in English,
Mandarin, Ilocano, and Lao and are designed for use in classroom
presentations as well as on-farm training. They’re available at HDOA offices and workshops, and the
editable files are also available to any state or country entity wanting to modify and use them.
Download the PDF versions, or email Jim at hollyer@hawaii.edu
for the raw files. Spray safe, stay safe!
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Go! Farm! Windward!
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Congratulations to the graduates of GoFarm Hawai‘i at
Windward CC’s AgSchool2. Ten months of
hard work and learning have resulted in the development of some fine farmers
(pictured with their GoFarm Hawai‘i alumni caps and farm coach Jay Bost in the
back row). Some of the new alumni will start to farm their own land in Waimanalo or on land provided by Kamehameha Schools. Others have chosen to enter the AgIncubator plots
at CTAHR's Waimanalo Agricultural Research Station to begin their careers as
real farmers! Great job, future farmers of Hawai‘i!
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What’s This? What’s This? There’s Insects Everywhere!
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The sorting of bugs is a fascinating matter, so the Insect
Museum held its 5th annual insect sorting event on June 27 with help
from wonderful, bug-loving volunteers. An insect sort becomes necessary as
specimens accumulate through field collections, and until an organizational event,
these insects are not easy for experts studying different groups to locate in
the museum. During a sort, labeled
insects are categorized with the other insects to which they are closely
related. Then they are placed in their proper spot in the museum collection
where experts can find them and identify them in more detail. Check out
pictures from the Great Insect Sort of 2014 and listen to Dan Rubinoff talk bug
sorting on KHPR (scroll down)!
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Extension and Grocers
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  We're still celebrating 100 years of Extension! Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal (HNFAS) published an upbeat and informative
article about the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension in the
Hawaii Retail Grocer, the magazine of the Hawai‘i food industry association. The
article describes how Extension agents and specialists helped the growth of the
food industry in Hawai‘i. This issue also includes a
profile of Carey Miller, the “dean of nutritionists,” and her contributions to
UH and the dietary practices in Hawai‘i. Read both articles at the Hawaii Retail
Grocer.
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Food Safety at the Farmers Market
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Farmers markets are a great opportunity for growers to
showcase their fabulous foods, and CTAHR collaborated with UH Hilo’s College of
Continuing Education and Community Service to create the Hawai‘i Farmers Market
and Agritourism Venues manual for those who want to get started doing just that. The 36-page cookbook-style guide is an
easy-to-read rapid reference for new and experienced vendors at farmers markets
and agriculture tourism venues. Jim Hollyer (HNFAS) and Luisa Castro (formerly
of CTAHR) worked with with five current farmers market and agritourism managers
to craft a Hawai‘i-specific best practices manual. Download this helpful new guide here!
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Let’s Go Climb a Tree
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  NREM graduate student Laura Mo has her head (and the rest of
herself) in the trees! Laura participated in the Wahine Tree Climbing Workshop
offered by Lyon Arboretum, and now enjoys the vertical aspect of movement. “I
just really enjoy movement,” Laura said. “When all you do is sit and
walk, you kind of forget that you can do other things.” Read more about
Laura and the Wahine Tree Climbing Workshop at the Star-Advertiser. And check
out the Lyon Arboretum website for the next Wahine Tree Climbing Workshop and
other fun classes, including keeping chickens in the backyard!
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Farmers Get Knocked Down, but They Get Up Again
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Everyone knows farming is hard work, but sometimes beginning
farmers don’t realize just what that “work” means. Moloka‘i Extension agent
Glenn Teves (TPSS) has some great advice for anyone interested in becoming a
farmer in the Hawai‘i Homegrown newsletter. In his letter to “Sonny,” Glen
explains the many aspects of farming, from the sheer amount of personal
motivation needed to the specialized knowledge of agriculture and business that
farmers require to be successful. He breaks down the economic and practical realities
of the complex, sometimes difficult, but ultimately rewarding vocation of
farming. Read his advice at Hawai‘i Homegrown.
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Koa’s Distant Close Relative
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  It’s a small world, even for koa trees! Nature magazine
featured TPSS alumnus Johannes “Jaco” LeRoux and his research on the incredibly
improbable dispersal of koa trees from Hawai‘i to Réunion Island. First, Hawai‘i
and Réunion Island are 18,000 kilometers apart, almost the farthest apart any
two places can be. Second, the dispersal happened between two small islands. Jaco
proposed that a sea bird brought a koa seed from Hawai‘i to Réunion in its
stomach or stuck to its feet in a one-time event about 1.4 million years ago. He
and his team sequenced the DNA from 88 trees and created an acacia family tree
that showed the acaia on Réunion are very closely related to one type of
Hawaiian koa. The team then used a molecular clock to determine when the
dispersal event took place. Read more about Koa and its Réunion relative at
Nature magazine.
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Kalo Theft Hurts Everyone
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  More than 700 pounds of kalo were stolen from the Waimanalo
Research Station on June 23, only a few days before harvest. Two weeks before that
theft, 300 pounds were stolen. The kalo was part of a research project focused
on organic cultivation that had been ongoing for about eight months. Waimanalo
Research Station brought the college’s taro germplasm collection over from its
Moloka‘i Applied Farm in 2008. Since then, the huli have been used to support
various organizations and farmers across the state. “We’re
disappointed. It’s not just a faceless
entity that they were stealing from.
This is actually folks working long and hard with the community to
really try to generate some data that is valuable. They’re not stealing from nobody; they're
impacting people,” said Ted Radovich (TPSS). A special, huge mahalo to all
the wonderful growers who generously offered to replace huli at the station. Watch the video about the theft at Hawai‘i News Now.
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It’s a Tradition
7/29/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The 2014 Second Quarter Impact Report is here! Last quarter’s Report looked at CTAHR’s high-tech solutions to ag, horticulture, and environmental issues, while this quarter’s turns the tables and focuses instead on the ways the college gains inspiration from traditional knowledge and practices. Check out Skip Bittenbender’s (TPSS) kava studies and outreach, Clyde Tamaru’s (MBBE) assistant Leina‘ala Bright’s research into aquaponically growing Hawaiian herbal medicines, Thao Le’s (FCS) work with youth through mindfulness techniques, and Michael DuPonte’s great work with Korean Natural Farming. Check out the Report and get inspired!
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Distance Extension
7/28/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  In honor of Cooperative Extension’s 100th anniversary, Helen Spafford and Jari Sugano (both PEPS) utilized CTAHR’s
distance education services, managed by Kellie Kong, to offer the course
“Special Topics in Extension and Adoption,” affectionately known as “Extension
101.” Nine students from O‘ahu as well as the neighbor islands had the
opportunity to learn from 22 guest lecturers, from Miles Hakoda (OCS) to Lyon
Arboretum director and interim dean of Extension Carl Evensen, speak on 26 different topics including land-grant
universities, how to look for funding, how to develop programs specifically for
children or adults, and much more. Helen and Jari are planning to offer the
course again in the future, and we know there will be takers for it.
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Sharing Food Science in China
7/28/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  A good relationship often starts with the sharing of food,
and Jinan Banna (HNFAS) improved on that by sharing food science with students in China. From June
9th through June 20th, Jinan taught two courses, “The Science of Human
Nutrition” to 70 students and “Introduction to Food Science” to 140 students, at
Hunan Agricultural University (HAU) in Changsha, Hunan, China. The teaching assignment ranged from three to
five hours per day, with time on the weekend and after the end of the courses
to visit interesting sites such as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Yuelu
Mountain. Jinan’s visit was the start of
a collaborative relationship between HAU and UH facilitated by Dr. Ching Yuan
Hu. HAU would like to sponsor a group of
instructors to travel to Changsha to teach courses in December 2014, as well as
in the summer of 2015. For the December
session, the group of instructors would ideally be able to offer one course in
Economics and Management in Agriculture and Forestry, and two courses in Food
Science. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Jinan at
jcbanna@hawaii.edu to discuss potential dates and courses you wish to teach.
Let’s build strong relationships with CTAHR skills!
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Best. Corn. Ever?
7/28/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  For those of you who purchased corn from the Horticultural
Society’s recent corn sale (here are some pictures of that toothsome event), what did you think of those succulent ears? Desmond Ogata (UH Seed
Lab) and Roger Corrales (Waimanalo Research Station) want your candid opinion on the new variety of
corn. Dr. B has been working for years trying to perfect this hybrid corn, and
this year produced an awesome harvest—three pickup-truckloads were sold over the two-day sale! Please send your feedback—Inferior, Okay, Good, Excellent, Broke da Mout—to seed@ctahr.hawaii.edu. And, as always, a big
mahalo to all the corn lovers who came out and supported the Horticultural
Society at their corn sale!
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Organic Fantastic at Waimanalo!
7/23/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Come celebrate 20 years of organic research at CTAHR and join the Sustainable and Agriculture Program's Organic Ag Field Day on Saturday, July 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Waimanalo Research Station! Visitors can learn more about variety trials of hot pepper and eggplant and check out displays of kalo, ‘uala, papaya, and fertilizers. And if you want to beat the summer heat (at least for your plants), try the shade house demonstration. With all the recent rain, it should be nice and green in Waimanalo!
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Farm Harm and the Environment
7/15/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Want to know more about potential impacts of farming on the environment?
Check out the new issue of Biotech in Focus, which examines issues related to
conventional and organic farming and how the environment is
affected by each. Ania Wieczorek (TPSS) explains “green” farming, pesticide use, crop
rotation, and sustainability. The newsletter also touches on genetically
modified crops and their compatibility with sustainable agriculture. If you
want to learn even more, check out the archives of Biotech in Focus at the
website!
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Bring on the Biology
7/9/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Several members of the CTAHR ‘ohana are involved in the
Island Biology Conference, July 7–11 on the Manoa campus. This is the first
international conference to focus specifically on island biology, and the more
than 400 participants come from at least 35 countries. As many CTAHR research
projects involve the unique life found on our islands, CTAHR folks are
chairing sessions and presenting at this first-of-its-kind conference. Check
out the program for Island Biology 2014.
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June
Raise High the Roof Beams!
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Waimanalo Research Station now has an official UH
Foundation fundraising page for their Learning Pavilion roof. After the
original classroom collapsed in a 2011 storm, the station was fortunate to
receive funding to build the base and columns of the Waimanalo Learning
Pavilion, which will be able to accommodate 100 students at a time. However,
the funding did not extend to roofing. Check out the new fundraising page, and
give a little shelter to get eager students out of the sun and rain!
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Mmm, Persimmons
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Former Maui County agent Clark Hashimoto and his family’s
persimmon farm are featured in Hana Hou: The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines. The
Hashimoto Persimmon Farm on Maui had its beginnings in the early 20th century
when Clark’s great grandfather decided to grow the Japanese fruit on his land.
The autumn favorite has increased in popularity over the years, and the
Hashimotos work to continue the family farming tradition today as well as to
support other family-owned farms in the area. Read about the Hashimotos and
their delicious persimmons at the Hana Hou website.
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How to Take Over the World, One Aquaponics Tank at a Time
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Did you ever want to learn everything—seriously, everything—about aquaponics and
hydroponics all at one time? Tetsuzan “Benny” Ron (HNFAS) covers quite a bit
about both during his interview on the Bytemarks Cafe talk show on June 4. He discusses not only aquaponics and hydroponics but also vertical agriculture, recirculating
aquaculture systems, biofloc technology, and airlift pump technology. Want more? He touches on fish, plants,
bacteria, speciality crops, moving water, air, efficiency, renewable
energy, food security, LED lighting, taro and poi, recycling, protein, carbohydrates, and oils. But wait—there’s more! He tells about the Aquaculture Hub, the Aquaculture Training On-Line Learning (ATOLL) program,
STEM and HOT STEAM
education (that one stands for Hands-On Training in Science, Technology, Engineering, Aquaculture/Agriculture,
and Mathematics), business resources, and of
course HNFAS and CTAHR scientists who work with fish, plants, pests, and
bacteria. Listen to the podcast at the Bytemarks Cafe...and get drunk on information! Benny’s interview starts around 21 minutes in.
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Mapping Power!
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  CTAHR has an app-etite for apps! Dan Jenkins (MBBE) and his lab have just published GPS Field Tags,
a free Android app designed to record textual information
and locations interactively on a Google map (including trackline information). Then you can
view the recorded information on the map and share csv files, openable in Excel, populated with the recorded information. The app was originally designed to
automatically record GPS and other information about invasive plants
targeted by aerial application of James Leary’s (NREM) Herbicide
Ballistic Technology. Recognizing its usefulness for
other applications (it’s designed to be more intuitive than other GPS apps
currently available), Dan wrote the free standalone app to share with the public. Just search for “Field Tags” in Google Play, and the app
will come right up. And if you’re feeling creative, Dan is looking for
possible replacement images for the GPS Field Tags icon.
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Banquet Memories
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Dean chanting an ‘oli! Derek Kurisu making SPAM musubi!
The amazing Extension birthday cake! It’s all there in living color, so relive
the memories from this year’s Awards Banquet by checking out all the celebrational pictures from the event. The Banquet, attended by over
400 well-dressed members of the CTAHR ‘ohana and assorted friends and supporters,
garnered 14 sponsorships and raised $24,000 for the CTAHR Centennial Scholarship fund. Award winners,
sponsors, and other vital stats can be found at the
banquet page. And remember, it’s not too early to start thinking about next
year’s Banquet—the date’s already been set for May 8, 2015!
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New York Elements of Style
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Just back from the Big Apple and in a New York state of mind are Abby Cristi (FDM) and her students, after a whirlwind tour of one of the fashion capitals of the world. They had an opportunity to meet with fashion industry professionals
focusing on fashion forecasting, design, manufacturing, and retail. The fashion
fabulous group visited Rag & Bone (retail, with APDM alum Dan Weaver, Apparel
Design and Manufacturing), Assembly New York (apparel design and
retail); the MET (Charles James: Beyond Fashion Exhibit); Dyenamix (textile
dyeing); Macy’s (retail); Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT; Senior Design Exhibit
and Costume Collection); Lost Art (leather design); Tobe Forecasting
(consulting and forecasting); Adrienne Landau (fur manufacturing). Work your
style, students!
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Fight Fire with Science
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Fire ecologist Creighton Litton (NREM) and his former
graduate student Lisa Ellsworth were recently featured in Fire Science Digest for their work with Hawai‘i wildfires, which are unique amongst wildland fires. The Islands’
tropical landscape makes tools developed for mainland wildfires unreliable.
Invasive species and continued development of Hawai‘i’s lands have also created
an environment where wildfires are becoming more common, and more difficult to
control. It’s lucky Creighton and Lisa and other members of the CTAHR ‘ohana like Clay Trauernicht (NREM) are working on ways to predict and prevent these
destructive and potentially deadly threats.
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Alumna on Fire
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  NREM alumna Lisa Ellsworth has been fighting fires, one way or another, for 15 years.
She started as a wildland firefighter and then earned a PhD from CTAHR as a fire ecologist. Since leaving Hawai‘i, Lisa has been involved
in postdoctoral work at Oregon State University. Her current research is
investigating the longterm responses of sagebrush communities to fire. Lisa has
been the PI or co-PI on grant funding for fire research totaling more than
$800,000 and she credits Doug Vincent’s (HNFAS) grant-writing class for much of her
grant writing success. Two publications based on her dissertation have been
published, and two more are forthcoming, along with a publication from her
postdoctoral work. She thanks her advisor Creighton Litton and the
other CTAHR members of her committee, James Leary, Tomoaki
Miura, and Chris Lepczyk (all NREM) for being instrumental in her
training as a fire scientist and readying her for an academic career in
fire science and fire ecology. “It would be great to stay involved in fire research
in Hawai‘i!” she says. We hope she comes back!
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Kamehameha Schools Says, GoFarm!
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  As
part of their Agricultural Strategic Plan, Kamehameha Schools is
supporting development of new farmers by helping to fund UH’s GoFarm
Hawai‘i program, a collaboration
between CTAHR and Windward, Leeward, and Kaua‘i Community Colleges. Not
only has Kamehameha Schools provided over $97,000 for the current year,
it has committed to providing another $110,00 in the 2014-2015 fiscal
year to support continued operation and development
of distance curriculum for this growing program. GoFarm has also received
generous financial support from the US Department
of Labor and the Ulupono Initiative. GoFarm’s third cohort
is going strong right now, and the fourth class will be starting up with
the AgCurious seminar in late September. Soon, even more students can GoFarm!
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Happy Snails to You
6/30/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  JP Bingham (MBBE) and his fascinating, dangerous cone snails were featured in the
Ocean Watch column in the Star-Advertiser. In his lab, JP and his students
study the multiple toxins in cone snail venom, which have great potential in
medical and pharmaceutical research. There are at least 64 species of cone
snails in Hawai‘i, and while all cone snails are venomous, no deaths have been
reported in the Islands. But it’s still much safer to look at but not touch the snails and their beautiful shells.
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Plant App-Tastic!
6/23/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Scot Nelson (PEPS), creator of the soon-to-be viral Plant Doctor and Pic-A-Papaya apps, has just released a new one, the Leaf Doctor. Speaking of viral, this app allows users to take a picture of a diseased leaf and then calculate the area of disease coverage on it, important information for plant pathologists and epidemiologists who are tracking the spread of disease over space or time as well as for breeders testing new varieties for disease resistance. So far, there have been nearly 100 downloads! Meanwhile, his other apps have
been continuing to make news! An article on The Plant Doctor pest diagnosis app was
featured in the Green section of The Huffington Post. And both the Plant Doctor and
Pic-A-Papaya, which was co-developed by Richard Manshardt (TPSS) to identify
and diagnose papaya ringspot virus, were part of the Hawai‘i News Now’s Hawai‘i
Geek Beat, highlighting locally grown apps. Watch the video here!
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What’s Growing in China
6/23/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Hye-Ji Kim (TPSS) and her students will present their amazing experiences on their
Horticulture Production in China study abroad tour in a seminar on Tuesday, June
24, at 12:00 in St. John 106. The two-week trip included tours of the Beijing
Agriculture Research Station, the National Agriculture Science and Tech
Demonstration Park, tea plantations, biotechnology and agricultural development
companies, the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, the Nanjing
Agricultural University, the Ruyiqing Exhibition Center, botanical gardens,
fruit production facilities, and more. If you can’t make the seminar, check out
the awesome (and picture-full) blogs created by the students, David Shepard,
Aleta Corpuz, and Flora Chen.
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What’s That You Say?
6/11/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Eh? Think you might need your hearing checked? Alan Titchenal
and Joannie Dobbs (both HNFAS) discuss hearing loss and the (at the moment) free National Hearing
Test in their Health Options column. While the test is free (at least until
June 15), call 866-223-7575 and follow the directions. Use a landline phone
with a number pad separate from the handset; the test may not be valid if taken
with a cellphone. Over a background of white noise, you will listen to a voice
speaking sequences of three numbers, and indicate the numbers
you heard by pressing them on the telephone keypad. As you go through the
process with each ear separately, the volume of the three spoken digits
declines until you can’t decipher what you heard. Read more about hearing
loss, and then check out the test—it takes less than 10 minutes, and you (or those around you) may be glad you did!
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A Distinguished Scholar Among Us
6/4/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Chennat Gopalakrishnan (NREM Emeritus), will be presented with the Distinguished Scholar Award at the Western Agricultural Economics Association (WAEA) meeting in Colorado Springs in June. The award grants the highest recognition to WAEA members who have made an enduring contribution over their career to agricultural or other applied, resource, or environmental economics in the Western states and to the WAEA. This isn’t the only award for Gopal: he was honored in 2009 with the CTAHR Excellence in Research Award and in 2003 with the CTAHR Ka Pouhana (Mentor) Award.
In retirement, he continues to be active in his field,
editing the
Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research; developing farm-level water management strategies and examining the relationship between water issues and energy, environmental policy, and climate change; and working on two books!
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CES Centennial Celebrations!
6/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  The Star
Advertiser celebrated the CES Centennial with an op/ed by Dean Maria Gallo on the
amazing work done by CTAHR’s Extension specialists in the past 100 years, touching on everything from preventing wildfires to helping elder caregivers. Alan Titchenal and Joannie Dobbs (both HNFAS) likewise laud Cooperative Extension’s accomplishments in an easy-to-assimilate Q&A format in their Star Advertiser column,
also available at the Nutrition ATC website. The best question and answer: “Who benefits from Cooperative Extension? Everyone!” Check the pieces out! It will give you a warm and happy glow to know that you’re part of a great system. Speaking of which, did you know that May 9, 2014, was designated Cooperative Extension Service Day in Hawai‘i? It’s true!
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Taking Fashion on the Road...and the Internet Superhighway
6/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Just think shrimp truck...but less messy and more fashion-forward. APDM (now FCS) alumna Cassandra Rull and other former fashion students, including previous CTAHR student Melissa Jasniy, showed
off their fabulous designs and business success in a Star Advertiser article on
mobile clothing stores. Their store, Roam Hawai‘i, began as a truck carrying
their designs around the island. Today, their brand has a global following
online!
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Green Points of Success
6/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Longtime CTAHR collaborator Green Point Nurseries was
just featured in the Star Advertiser, in an article highlighting the success of the
third-generation family business. Green Point specializes in orchids, tropical flowers, and greenery, as well as their iconic and prize-winning anthuriums. Located in Hilo, the nursery offers lovely
blooms and leaves that can be found throughout the Islands, including at many CTAHR Awards Banquets. The business was
established by the late Harold Tanouye, who cultivated and maintained strong
support for and partnership with CTAHR, and now is being ably led by his son Eric.
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Exellent Events, Excellent Pictures
6/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Check out pictures from two great events featuring great CTAHR people! First the UH Manoa Chancellor's Awards ceremony, where Lori Yancura (FCS), Marla Fergerstrom (Big Island Extension), and Chino Cabalteja (MS student, MBBE) were honored with awards for Meritorious Teaching, Outstanding Civil Service, and Student Excellence in Research, respectively. Congratulations to all! Then check out the pictures from the Growth of Aquaponics: East Meets West seminar. Highlights included Weber State University’s demonstration of the prototype of a very futuristic-looking aquaponic system, reports on the commercialization of aquaponics statewide, sustainable models, CTAHR research, and Cooperative Extension support on O‘ahu for Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
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Mindful Adventures for Military Youth
6/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Thao Le (FCS)
discusses positive youth outcomes in her article “Mindfulness-Based Adventure
Camp for Military Youth,” recently published in the Journal of Extension. Her
research suggests that military youth have higher rates of anxiety and
socio-emotional difficulties compared to their non-military peers, due in part
to the unique stressors of military life. The study provides feasibility
findings of a mindfulness-based adventure camp that was conducted in Colorado
and Hawai‘i with 292 military youth, through a partnership with 4-H Extension Professionals/Operation:
Military Kids. The results suggest that military youth were highly satisfied
with the camp experience and that mindfulness tools could be used to help deal
with stress. Mindfulness-based programs could be one way for Extension professionals
to work with youth. This June, Thao will further her research into mindfulness
at the 2014 Mind and Life Summer Research Institute as a Senior Investigator at
the Garrison Institute in New York, doing her part to advance collaborative
research in behavioral science, neuroscience, and mind-body medicine based on a
process of inquiry, dialogue, and collaboration with contemplative
practitioners and scholars of contemplative traditions.
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Aquaponics in Action
6/2/2014 Source: Office of Communication Services, CTAHR  Last week Leina‘ala Bright presented an exciting and unique application of
aquaponics techniques at her daylong hands-on workshop, Waiho |