Nitrogen is the unsung hero of food production. The common element is an essential nutrient for plant growth and health. It is found in the chlorophyll needed for photosynthesis, in the amino acids that form proteins, in the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) compounds that release energy, and in the...

Many types of fish live in variable environments, meaning they must constantly adapt to changes in water salinity, temperature, and chemical content (i.e., pollutants). Therefore, exactly how a fish responds – in order to keep surviving, growing, and reproducing – is a subject of deep...

‘Ahaolelo’ means “to come together for a meeting” in Hawaiian, and the Hawaiʻi 4-H Ahaolelo Leadership Conference is rich in that tradition, playing an important role in the development of our 4-H members.

Held at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus, the...

The greenhouses at the Kauaʻi Agricultural Research and Extension Station (KARES) were in need of complete replacement, so in early 2021, thanks to the support of CTAHR leadership, we were able to have our two failing greenhouses removed, and approval to purchase two replacement greenhouse kits....

When a virus or virus-like agent infects a vegetatively propagated crop, the negative consequences can go far beyond a disappointing yield, appearance, taste, and plant longevity. If the difficult-to-find disease goes undetected inside the propagation material, the problem could be passed on to a...

Your conclusions are based on the data, correct? But what if your analysis of the data includes bias? Tune in July 22 (that’s tomorrow) at 10:00 a.m. for “Addressing Bias: Propensity Score Weighting Using the Latest Methods,” an American Statistical Association Traveling Course....

“My research has found that… higher rainfall events can contribute more to fire risk down the road than real-time drought conditions,” Clay Trauernicht told KHON2 newscasters on Monday. The Extension Specialist in Ecosystems and Fire in the Dept. of Natural Resources and...

Keeping ‘meat on the table’ for an expanding human population – with minimal environmental footprints – is a challenge. One option is to enhance muscle growth efficiency, since meat is mostly from muscle. A new project, Improving Animal Muscle Growth for Efficient Meat...

Picture this: the roof of your home, covered with a light-green mixture of pincushion moss and salvaged fishing nets. This “seawool” layer is locally sourced, easily renewable, aesthetically pleasing, and – because it naturally shields the hot sun, thus reducing the need for A/C...

A novel bacterial species found in the coffee berry borer may actually help the beetle to degrade caffeine. This is the exciting discovery from Sayaka Aoki, who recently completed her Ph.D. dissertation under Mohammad Arif of the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. While...

Wild pigs can have a devastating impact on Ag and threaten others species of concern to conservationists. But what about their impact on global biodiversity, particularly islands and species that receive less global conservation attention, such as plants, reptiles and amphibians? “Wild pigs...

With 14 ongoing projects, 18 pre-proposals, a bi-annual project monitoring and reporting requirements, it looks to be a busy summer for Cheng-Sheng Lee and the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture. In his latest Regional e-Notes, Cheng-Sheng hits some recent CTSA highlights,...

Kualoa Ranch has a half-dozen positions open in its Diversified Ag Department, including soil-based farming, aquaculture, and other fields. “We’re glad to recruit from the CTAHR ‘ohana, and help place them in areas where they would fit in well!,” says Anthony Mau, an MBBE...

Wherever coffee is produced, the discovery of ‘coffee leaf rust’ can be devastating news for growers. With its detection in Hawaiʻi late last year, CLR quickly became a serious threat to the second highest-valued crop in our state. “In other coffee-growing areas worldwide, CLR...

For older adults stuck at home during the pandemic, a container gardening program is one way to provide them with fresh home-grown crops, support for plant problems, and opportunities for socialization. In partnership with the non-profit Kumuki‘a, CTAHR Extension on Hawaiʻi Island helped...

I was invited to collaborate in creating an art-science fusion for the 2021 ALEPH Art-Science Film Festival in Mexico – and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience!

The theme of this interdisciplinary film festival was “Medicine and Its Borders” and our film,

When the fungal disease ‘Impatiens Downy Mildew’ hit the floriculture industry a decade ago, sales of ‘Impatiens wallerina’ dropped – and the need to fill that market niche still exists. After a global search to collect Impatiens species, hybridize the resistant ones...

June is an important month for Maui 4-H. For decades, keiki and their families gather for the annual Maui 4-H Youth Livestock Show and Auction. Once part of the Upcountry Fair, the event merged with Maui County Farm Bureau’s ‘Maui AgFest’ but continues to take place in June so...

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oʻahu resident David Day bought a papaya tree from a nursery in Waimanalo, and planted it in his yard. Fast forward to last Friday, when his daughter, KHON2 reporter Lauren Day, brought into her TV studio the fruits of his labor, literally. With just a...

In Hawaiʻi, the number of feral chickens is relatively high, and it is not unusual to see chickens on roads and in parking lots. They are descended from the Red Junglefowl, likely the first breed brought by Polynesian settlers, and more recently, European-derived breeds brought to Hawai?i for...

Pigs, dogs, rats, goats, deer, sheep, cattle, cats, mongoose – all were brought to the Islands of Aloha. In fact, “Hawaiʻi is unique among the 50 states in that all terrestrial mammals, other than our native Hawaiian hoary bat (ʻōpeʻapeʻa), are non-native,” says Melissa Price of...

A new report from the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization concludes that the economic value of Ag production has declined “more than the physical production of agricultural goods, because consumer prices have skyrocketed at a higher rate than wholesale agricultural...

If anyone knows about diversified agricultural operations across the state, itʻs Dole Hawaiʻi. And now this mainstay of local farming has a need for an Agricultural Management Trainee to learn to oversee all phases of Dole Hawaiʻi agricultural operations. This includes field maintenance, land...

Last month, approximately 60 volunteers entered the gates of the Oʻahu Urban Garden Center, via staggered entry times. The occasion was UGC Volunteer Orientation Day! Given a stressful year of COVID-19 precautions, our CTAHR Extension agents, faculty, and staff had many activities ready and...