February 5, 2018

If anything touches the small stiff hairs in the mouth of a Venus flytrap, the lobes on the plant snap shut, trapping whatever landed in the plant.

By Leilani Blair.

A worm inside the mouth of the plant.
Meal worm in Venus flytrap. Photo by Beatrice Murch via Wikimedia.

This carnivorous plant gathers nutrients from gases in the air and from the soil. The venus flytrap is native in parts of North and South Carolina. When the venus flytrap’s mouth is open wide you can see short hairs, these are called trigger hairs or sensitive hairs. If anything touches these small stiff hairs, the lobes on the plant snap shut, trapping whatever landed in the plant.

Continue Reading The carnivorous Venus flytrap is easy to propagate

The article describes the trends in milk production and consumption.

Christopher Lu
Christopher Lu

Professor Christopher Lu, professor of animal science at the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, published an invited review entitled, “Dairy, Science, Society and Environment,” at the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science (July 2017).

“This article describes the trends in milk production and consumption, the debates over the role of milk in human nutrition, the global outlook of organic dairy, the abatement of green-house gas emissions from dairy animals, as well as scientific and technological developments in nutrition, genetics, reproduction, and management in the dairy sector,” explains Lu.

Originally published in CAFNRM/Ag Club Newsletter.

The fearless women who run the UH Hilo bee program raise awareness about honey bees as vital pollinators of crops around the island and worldwide.

By Maria McCarthy, Student, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture student, with an animal science track.

Lorna Tsutsumi holds up honeycomb from hive.
Lorna Tsutsumi

Screaming, swatting and running are the common reactions that majority of people have on sighting a bee. Cheryl Yara, Alex Doi, Maria McCarthy and Vanessa Staffer of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, do the opposite. They spend their days getting as close to the honey bees (Apis mellifera) as possible.

“I enjoy giving back to the ‘āina (land) and helping save the honey bees for our future generations to benefit from a crucial insect in our ecosystem,” Yara explains.

Continue Reading UH Hilo Adopt-A-Beehive program raises awareness about the importance of honey bees

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, also known as Curcuma domestica and locally known as ‘olena, has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes for over 4,000 years.

By Maria McCarthy, Student, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, animal science track.

Curcuma longa
The rhizome of Curcuma longa (turmeric, ‘olena). Also known as Curcuma domestica. Harvested on Maui, Jan. 2017. Photo by Forest Starr & Kim Starr via flickr.

The use of plants for medicinal purposes has been practiced since man has walked the earth. The practice has changed over the years, as well as the methods of propagating the plants.

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, also known as Curcuma domestica and locally known as ‘olena, has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes for over 4,000 years. The rhizome is the plant organ that contains all the sought out qualities.

Continue Reading The medicinal plant ‘olena is difficult for farmers to grow in soil; tissue culture may be the answer

Professor Christopher D. Lu participated in the Chinese Sheep and Goat Association’s 30th Anniversary Conference and the International Goat Association’s Board of Director’s meeting last August.

By Norman Arancon, Associate Professor of Horticulture.

Christopher Lu
Christopher Lu

Professor of Animal Science Christopher Lu was invited to attend the Chinese Sheep and Goat Association Conference held in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China in August, 2017. The organization celebrated its 33rd anniversary and recognized individuals who made significant contributions to the association. The conference was well attended by about 800 Chinese and international participants.

Continue Reading Animal scientist Christopher Lu participates in Chinese sheep and goat conference