Information and Communication Technology (ICT) remote soil moisture control system including soil sensing, automatic water supply chain, and remote alarming system was established on reclaimed land and operated stably. The system was operated using river water around the reclaimed land without fertilizer. On applying this system to control soil moisture, the kenaf germination rate was improved up to two times. Kenaf biomass was 4,748 kg/10a and was higher than that of untreated soil moisture management. When the nutritious liquid fertilizer was used, kenaf yield reached 8,390 kg/10a, which was lower than 10,848 kg/10a of the non-reclaimed land treated with standard chemical fertilizers. As the soil moisture was managed stably through the ICT remote soil moisture control system, the quality of the kenaf crop was improved, resulting in a 7% increase in dry weight, and a 11.5% increase in plant hardness. The estimated kenaf yield was 5,039 kg/10a when 800 tonnes of water were supplied by the ICT remote soil moisture control system with the stream water around Saemangeum reclaimed land without chemical fertilizers and organic matter.
The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal sowing date for the spring sowing cultivation of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). To determine suitable rapeseed sowing dates for spring sowing cultivation, changes in growth, flowering characteristics, and seed production were investigated in Muan, South Korea between 2019 and 2020. ‘Jungmo7001’ is the suitable variety for spring sowing because of its early flowering characteristics, high seed yield, and the fact that it occupies the highest cultivation area in South Korea. When the yield of ‘Jungmo7001’ was investigated in 2019 and 2020, the highest yields recorded were 243 kg/10a in February 28, 2019, and 294 kg/10a in February 18, 2020. As a result, the optimal rapeseed seeding period is considered to be mid-to-late February in the southern region. There was no statistically significant difference in seed crude oil content. The content of oleic acid (C18:1) decreased, but that of linoleic acid (C18:2) and of linolenic acid (C18:3) increased significantly depending on the sowing date.
This research examined the effects of different liquid manure based anaerobic digestate on the growth and yield of rice compared to chemical fertilizer. The liquid manure was produced by aerobic fermentation from swine with cow or apple pomace anaerobic digestate and treated at different concentrations. The number of grains per panicle increased in both the liquid manure-treated and chemical fertilizer treated rice. The yield index did not vary significantly between the liquid manure and chemical fertilizer. An increased concentration of liquid manure did not correlate with increases in unhulled rice. However, pH and exchangeable K in the soil increased with an increase in liquid manure. In summary, we suggest a properly applied 100% liquid manure fertilizer can replace chemical fertilizer to reduce our excessive use of inorganic fertilizer.
Rapeseed is a typical winter crop, and its freezing stress tolerance is a major feature for winter survival. Therefore, it is important to comprehend clearly the physical and molecular mechanisms of rapeseed under freezing stress conditions. This study investigates the physical and transcriptome changes of two rapeseed lines, ‘J8634-B-30’ and ‘EMS26’, under cold acclimation and freezing temperature treatments. The proline content of ‘J8634-B-30’ at 5 °C increased 8.7-fold compared to that before treatment, and there was no significant change in that of ‘EMS26’ RNA-sequencing analysis revealed 5,083 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ‘J8634-B-30’ under cold acclimation condition. Among the genes, 2,784 (54.8%) were up-regulated and 2,299 (45.2%) were down-regulated. The DEGs of ‘EMS26’ under cold acclimation condition were 5,831 genes, and contained 2,199 up-regulated genes (37.7%) and 3,632 down-regulated genes (62.3%). Among them, only DEGs annotated in the cold response-related signaling pathways were selected, and their expression in the two rapeseed lines was compared. Comparative DEGs analysis indicated that cold response related signaling pathways are proline metabolism and ABA (Abscisic acid) signaling. And ICE (Inducer of CBF expression) CBF (C-repeat-binding factor) COR (Cold-regulated) signaling were the significantly differentially expressed transcripts in the two rapeseed lines. The major induced transcripts of ‘J8634-B-30’ induced P5CS (Δ‘-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase), which is related to proline biosynthesis, PYL (pyrabactin resistance-like protein, ABA receptor) and COR413 (cold-regulated 413 plasma membrane 1). In conclusion, these result provide a foundation for understanding the mechanisms of freezing stress tolerance in rapeseeds. Further functional studies should be performed on the freezing stress-related genes identified in this study, which can contribute to the transgenic and molecular breeding for freezing stress tolerance in rapeseed.
The meteorological ecology of a soybean variety (Glycine max Merrill) and its characteristics are important factors in selecting soybean variety suitable for the environment. This experiment was conducted to estimate the meteorologicalecological characteristics of soybean for 27 crop cultivation regions in North Korea. The meteorological ecology of each region was determined by the last harvest date and the maximum growth day determined using the daily minimum temperature of the region. The soybean meteorological group for 27 regions in North Korea was classified by eight groups. The last harvest date of group I, the south-west and south-east areas, was from October 21 to 29, which was the latest harvest date among the eight groups. It became shorter toward the central inland and mountainous areas of group IV, and it ranged from September 18 to October 2. The maximum number of growth days was 153~160 days in group I, and 100~111 days in group IV-3, the northernmost area of the east coast. Assuming total growth days as 110 days, the ranges of last flowering dates (and the day length) of group I, II, III, and IV were August 12~19 (day length of 13.5~13.8 h), August 2~6 (14-14.2 h), July 27~August 2 (14.2~14.4 h), and July 10~22 (14.5~14.8 h), respectively. The accumulative temperature of 110 growth days was above 2,400°C in group II-1, the south to north area of the west inland, and above 2,300°C in all regions except Cheongjin, Seonbong, and Jung-gang. The accumulative temperature calculated based on the maximum growth day was above 3,000°C in group I and II-1 and above 2,500°C in group II-2, the central area of the east coast, III-1, the central inland area, and IV-1, the central inland mountain area.
In recent years, the temperature of Korea has been rapidly increasing due to global warming. Over the past 40 years, the temperature of Korea has risen by about 1.26°C compared to that in the early 1980s. By region, the west region of the Gangwon Province was the highest at 1.76°C and the Jeonnam Province was the lowest at 0.96°C. As the temperature continues to rise, it is expected that the rice yield will decrease in the future using the current standard cultivation method. As a result of global warming, the periods in which rice cultivation could be possible in regions each year has increased compared those to the past, showing a wide variety from 110 days in Taebaek to 180 days in Busan and Gwangyang. In addition, the transplanting time was delayed by 3-5 days in all regions. The average annual yield of rice showed an increasing trend when we analyzed the average productivities of developed varieties for cooked rice since the 1980s, especially in the early 1990s, which showed a rapid increase in productivity. The relationship between the average temperature at the time of development and the rice yield was divided into the periods before and after 1996. The higher the average temperature, the lower the yield of the developed varieties until 1996. However, since 1996, the increase in the average temperature did not show a trend in the productivity of the developed varieties. The climate change adaptability of developed rice varieties was investigated by analyzing the results of growing crops nationwide from 1999 to 2016 and the change in the annual yields of developed varieties and recently developed varieties as basic data to investigate the growth status of the crops in the country. As a result of annual comparisons of the yields of Taebongbyeo (2000) and Ungwangbyeo (2004) developed in the early 2000s for Odaebyeo, which was developed in the 1980s, the annual yields were relatively higher in varieties in the 2000s despite the increase in temperature. The annual yields of Samgwangbyeo (2003) and Saenuribyeo (2007), which were recently developed as mid-late-type varieties, were higher than those of an earlier developed variety called Chucheongbyeo, which was developed in the 1970s. Despite the rapid increase in temperature, rice cultivation technology and variety development are well adapted to climate change. However, since the biological potential of rice could reach its limit, it is necessary to develop continuous response technology.
For humans, soybean and soybean products are the main dietary sources of isoflvones, which are polyphenolic compounds that represent one of the most common categories of phytoestrogens. The objective of this study was to determine isoflavone concentrations in soybean cultivars during germination when treated with some biotic substances. Three soybean cultivars were germinated in replicated trials in 2018/2019 and their individual and total isoflavone concentrations were determined using HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). Significant differences were observed in total isoflavone content were observed among cultivars regardless of years and treatments. ‘Daepung2-ho’ and ‘Uram’ had significantly higher total isoflavones than ‘Pungsannaul-kong’. Differences among treatments were also significant for total isoflavone content. In 2018, with chitosan treatment, total isoflavone concentration ranged from 551.15 to 7584.07 μg g-1, with an average of 2972.64 μg g-1 across cultivars. In 2019, there was no significant difference among treatments in total isoflavone content. Regarding individual isoflavone concentrations, the malonyl-glucoside groups accounted for over 85% of the total isoflavone content, which is indicated that these groups play an important role with regard to isoflavone components in soybean seeds. The individual proportions in the total concentrations of isoflavones varied according to germination period and seed tissues. Glucosides and malonyl-glucosides showed differences in concentrations among seed tissues, aglycones were further accumulated as germination period was progressed. This study suggests that biotic substances have an impact on seed isoflavone content during germination. However, cultivars with consistently high or low isoflavone concentrations across biotic substance treatments were identified desspite differences in germination period and seed tissues, demonstrating that the genetic factor plays the most important role in isoflavone accumulation.
To determine the damages to waxy corn caused by low temperature weather, we investigated the relationship between the temperature and duration of low temperature treatment and the changes in growth characteristics during the recovery period after the treatments in different growth periods. Growth inhibition started in the low temperature group treated at temperatures below 5°C for three days. The inhibition ratio (IR) was more than 22% or more in all sample groups. As the treatment duration increased and the Temperature decreased, the growth was more greatly inhibited than that in the control. The IR was the highest at 27% or more in the 2nd leaf stage group treated at below 5°C for 5 days. The IR was in the order of 2nd leaf stage > 1st leaf stage > coleoptile. The IR during recovery was the highest in the 2nd leaf stage group treated at -3°C degree for 7 days, nd the values were 82% and 98% for NDVI and Fv/Fm, respectively. Especially, all groups treated at -3°C showed either no changes or decreases in the growth characteristics. As a result, growth inhibition increased as the temperature decreased, and as the duration of the low temperature increased. The degree of damage was in the order of 2nd leaf stage > 1st leaf stage > coleoptile. All early seedlings stopped growing and withered when exposed to temperatures at or below -3°C for 3 days or more.
The objective of this study was to identify the effect of zebularine soaking on the early growth stage of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Hence, root elongation was measured daily according to the different concentrations of zebularine (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 μM) for 4 days. On the first day, root length at 2.5 and 5.0 μM was significantly longer than that in the non-treated control. On the second day, root length was not significantly different among all concentrations and controls. On the third day, root elongation was suppressed by the effect of zebularine, except at 2.5 μM. The treatment time of zebularine accounted for the largest proportion of the variation in root elongation. After transplanting, plant growth velocity was similar to that of the control; however, plants at 2.5 μM showed faster growth velocity than that of the other concentrations and the control. In the metaphase of mitosis, most chromosomes of cells under zebularine treatment were ordinary regardless of the concentration, while some cells with short chromosomes were investigated at around 2%. The short chromosome showed a centromere. In addition, it showed short and long arms based on the centromere. The lengths of the short and long arms were different for each short chromosome. It is necessary to study the effect of the short chromosome as a chromosomal function on plant growth and phenotype through investigation of meiosis and fertilization at the chromosome level.
Association mapping is widely used in rice and other crops to identify genes underlying important agronomic traits. Most association mapping studies use diversity panels comprising accessions with various geographical origins to exploit their wide genetic variation. While locally adapted breeding lines are rarely used in association mapping owing to limited genetic diversity, genes/alleles identified from elite germplasm are practically valuable as they can be directly utilized in breeding programs. In this study, we analyzed genetic diversity of 179 rice varieties (161 japonica and 18 Tongil-type) released in Korea from 1970 to 2006 using 192 microsatellite markers evenly distributed across the genome. The 161 japonica rice varieties were genetically very close to each other with limited diversity as they were developed mainly through elite-by-elite crosses to meet the specific local demands for high quality japonica rice in Korea. Despite the narrow genetic background, abundant phenotypic variation was observed in heading time, culm length, and amylose and protein content in the 161 japonica rice varieties. Using these varieties in association mapping, we identified six, seven, ten, and four loci significantly associated with heading time, culm length, and amylose and protein content, respectively. The sums of allelic effects of these loci showed highly significant positive correlation with the observed phenotypic values for each trait, indicating that the allelic variation at these loci can be useful when designing cross combinations and predicting progeny performance in local breeding programs.
Population genetic structure and genetic diversity of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) collections
Salinity is one of the major abiotic stressors that inhibits the growth, yield, and productivity of crop plants. Therefore, it is necessary to develop crops with increased salt tolerance for cultivation in saline soils such as is found in reclaimed land. The objective of this study was to develop a salt-tolerant silage rice line that grows on reclaimed land. In order to develop this salt-tolerant silage rice, we transferred Saltol, a major QTL associated with salt tolerance, from IR64-Saltol, a salt-tolerant indica variety, into Mogyang, a susceptible elite japonica variety. To determine the effect of salt stress, Mogyang and IR64-Saltol cultivars were grown on a medium containing various concentrations of NaCl in in vitro conditions. Shoot length was found to decrease with increasing salt concentrations, and root growth was almost arrested at NaCl concentrations over 50 mM in the Mogyang cultivar. Based on these preliminary results, we screened five salt-tolerant lines showing superior growth under salt stress conditions. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing results showed that the introgression types of Saltol QTL were derived from the IR64-Saltol cultivar in almost all selected lines. Based on the observed growth and physiological characteristics, the new Saltol introgression lines showed higher salt tolerance compared to the Mogyang parental cultivar. The salt-tolerant lines identified in this study could be used as a genetic resource to improve rice salt tolerance.
