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| Dr. Kit Chin |
Baton Rouge, LA –Kit Chin, professor, horticulture at SU Ag Center has been published in
an international magazine - International Innovation. His research
article on the health implication of hibiscus is
on page 50-52 of
the August 2013 issue of the magazine. Dr. Chin is an avid researcher who aims to assess the viability of
the roselle plant as a crop for farmers in Louisiana. In the article, Chin
discusses the importance of collaboration and the significance of his work with
Roselle hibiscus, which has a number
of positive attributes making it an ideal candidate for a functional food crop
among small farmers for obvious reasons.
“It is easy to grow; it has demonstrated medicinal properties (a niche
factor for marketing) and can fetch high market price; there is no fresh
roselle hibiscus produce (calyces and leaves) currently available in the US; it
is versatile for a number of uses; and has a worldwide demand,” said Chin. Click here for a PDF version of the article.
In discussing the healing power of hibiscus, Chin says his
inspiration for the research arose from an increased demand for natural foods
to mitigate human chronic diseases such as cancer. He added that some
shortcomings of growing hibiscus include precision in harvesting time, and
great manpower demand in harvesting and peeling the calyces to prevent mildew
disease during storage. However, he plans to overcome harvesting and handling
challenges by continuous variety selection process to ensure the best adaptable
cultivars that will help his research. His method of improving awareness of the
Roselle hibiscus to the public
includes utilizing the Southern University Ag Center website, social media, national
TV broadcast, the Louisiana Farm Bureau (This
Week in Louisiana Agriculture) TV program, field days, and the annual SU Legislative
Day at the Capitol.
Dr. Chin states that in the long run, the wider importance of his
research will impact small farmers as well as the state’s economy. He sees
potential in Louisiana small farmers adopting Roselle hibiscus as a functional food crop; emergence of hibiscus-related
products industry expanding to include other plants for producing wines and
beverages; and growing into other value-added products. “The research can help
to promote market enterprises for small, limited-resource farms and develop new
product industry in Louisiana. I can
also foresee roselle hibiscus playing a significant role in the nutritional
supplement market,” Chin said.
The research project is multidisciplinary and multi-institutional
in nature, utilizing the various expertise of the collaborators to effectively
and efficiently achieve common research goals with minimum expenses. This
approach also helps to build SU Ag Center’s research capability credentials. Primary
partners in this USDA/NIFA funded initiative include Rutgers University, West
Virginia State University, and USDA Agricultural Research Service. The SU Ag
Center project team consists of Drs. Yadong Qi, Sebhatu Gebrelul, Renita Marshall,
Fatemeh Malekian and Adell Brown. The project was funded in 2009 by the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
In the publication, Dr. Chin also responses to the question
concerning his opinion on the effect of climate change on his research. He anticipated
that plants will adapt in the long run to climate changes and probably result
in evolving of new genetic plant species.
Published by Research Media
Ltd., International Innovation is the leading global dissemination resource for the wider scientific,
technology and research communities, dedicated to disseminating the latest
science, research and technological innovations on a global level. More information and a complimentary subscription offer to the
publication can be found at: http://www.international-innovation-northamerica.com.
For additional information on how to grow hibiscus in your
garden or farm, please contact Dr. Kit Chin at 225-771-0068 or kit_chin@suagcenter.com
###
Contact:
Bridget
Udoh
(225)
771-5714
1 comment:
Awesome!
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