Issue 147 | January 22, 2014 | Archive
News & Events
Let Us Consider Lettuce
The Poamoho Research Station held a Romaine Lettuce
Observational Field Day on January 21, just ahead of the harvest scheduled for later in the week. The demonstration showcased more than 20
varieties of Romaine lettuce as part of a replicated field trial, and visitors were
able to see the horticultural characteristics of the lettuce samples. Identification of promising new Romaine
lettuce varieties for commercial production can minimize Hawai‘i’s dependence
on mainland imports, and implications from previous replicated field studies
suggest Romaine can be grown successfully on O‘ahu. Go, Team Romaine!
Muscles, Bones, and Milestones
Congratulations to HNFAS’ Yong-Soo Kim for 20 years of
service and Jinzeng Yang for 10 years of service at the university! Both
scientists study muscle development and molecular mechanisms and their applications
to improving animal production efficiency. As animal scientists, they study efficient muscle growth
critical to meat production, reduced feed efficiency, and environmental
impacts. Jinzeng (right) and Yong-Soo (middle, pictured with department chair Halina Zaleski) work on the regulation of myostatin, a growth-differentiation
factor that controls muscle mass.
Whether it’s shrimp, fish, swine, or beef cattle, muscle growth appears
to be controlled by different forms of myostatin. Mutations in myostatin genes
can lead to significant muscle growth and thus increased meat production. With the understanding
of myostatin, growth of muscle can be studied and made more efficient. Yong-Soo
and Jinzeng also use animal models with depressed myostatin function and
increased muscle mass to understand impacts of skeletal muscle on obesity and
diabetes prevention. Enhanced skeletal muscle mass can be very effective in
maintaining glucose homeostasis in both type I and type II diabetes. They are
always looking for interested graduate students and scientists to work with
them in this exciting subject of myostatin and skeletal muscle.
Welcome Back
The CTAHR ‘ohana celebrated the new year and a fresh semester with
NREM’s Welcome Back Breakfast on January 17 in the Sherman Courtyard.
NREM served approximately 50 participants a continental breakfast of bagels, muffins, fruits, coffee, tea, and
orange juice. One of the most common themes that was raised at every CTAHR
strategic planning activity last year was the need for more socializing at the
college level. This theme really resonated with the staff and faculty in the
NREM Department, and they decided to host what they hope will be the first of
many departmental social events this year. A big mahalo is due to organizers
(left to right) Chi Ming (Lawrence) Chan, Donna Ching (FCS), Catherine Chan-Halbrendt, and Debbie Wong! What a
great way to start the new year!
Keep Calm and Learn about Tea
Yay Team Tea! CTAHR’s Tea Project, Risk Management Hawai‘i,
and the LIFE program are presenting the popular Tea 101: Production and Processing
Basics on Wednesday, February 12, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mealani Research
Station. Led by Randy Hamasaki (PEPS) and Stuart Nakamoto (HNFAS), the workshop
will give participants the chance to explore the possibilities of tea as a new
crop in the Islands, including market feasibility, tea varieties, crop
management, harvesting techniques, and evaluation of the final product. Randy
and Stuart will also share current tea research conducted at the Mealani Station. Space is limited to 12 participants, so call 877-6183 or email mddiaz@hawaii.edu to reserve your spot.
Spotlight on Our Community
Sustainability and Tradition
Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchnal interviewed Tetsuzan “Benny”
Ron (all are HNFAS) about food production and environmental
sustainability in their Star Advertiser column. Benny stresses the need to
learn from traditional Hawaiian agricultural practices and to incorporate native Hawaiian
ideas into new technologies. He identifies core concepts as the conservation and
preservation of our water supply, food production, and a respect for the
Hawaiian culture, and explains his use of environmentally friendly aquaponics
technologies and how the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics can be
sustainable as well as economical.
New Publications
Beyond Aloha Shirts
Andrew Reilly (FDM) was recently interviewed on KITV and ThinkTech regarding his upcoming book Honolulu Street Style. Situated at the crossroads of different cultures,
Honolulu has a style all of its own, he explains. Honolulu Street Style captures this unique approach as it demonstrates how
global trends are transformed by stylish Honolulu denizens to create a
unique, local look. Divided into chapters on hair, hats, accessories, and
beachwear, the book features the styles of people encountered on the street and
in many different neighborhoods, with an essay on the history and clothing of
Hawai’i as a whole. Check out the book on Amazon, too!
In Memoriam
Yoneo Sagawa
We are saddened to report that orchid expert Dr. Yoneo Sagawa passed away December 10, 2013,
in Honolulu. A CTAHR professor emeritus of horticulture and a former director of
the Lyon Arboretum, Yoneo was well-known in the orchid community for pioneering
techniques in orchid micropropagation, a cloning method that allows for infinite
copies of a mother plant. His areas of research included tissue culture of
orchids and cytogenetics of horticultural crops. He was a staunch supporter and
lifetime member of the Honolulu Orchid Society as well as a well-respected
teacher and mentor to many in the orchid industry around the world. Services
were held December 20.
Help our community to keep in touch! Please send news items -- awards, grants, special projects, special people -- and pictures to Frederika Bain at ctahrnotes@ctahr.hawaii.edu. Also refer to the submission information and guidelines.
CTAHR faculty and staff can always check for the latest new funding opportunities.
Do you have an upcoming event that you'd like to promote? CTAHR faculty and staff can post events to the CTAHR website's calendar.
All CTAHR Notes readers can browse the calendar to learn more about the college's activities.