• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.482-489
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• 2022

Fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora (Ea) is a devastating disease in apple and pear trees. Oxolinic acid (OA), a quinolone family antibiotic that inhibits DNA gyrase, has been employed to control fire blight in South Korea since 2015. The continuous use of this bactericide has resulted in the emergence of OA-resistant strains in bacterial pathogens in other countries. To investigate the occurrence of OA-resistant Ea strains in South Korea, we collected a total of 516 Ea isolates from diseased apple and pear trees in 2020-2021 and assessed their sensitivities to OA. We found that all isolates were susceptible to OA. To explore the possibility of emerging OA-resistant Ea by continuous application of OA, we exposed Ea stains to a range of OA concentrations and constructed OA-resistant mutant strains. Resistance was associated with mutations in the GyrA at codons 81 and 83, which result in glycine to cysteine and serine to arginine amino acid substitutions, respectively. The in vitro growth of the mutants in nutrient media and their virulence in immature apple fruits were lower than those of wild-type. Our results suggest that OA-resistance decreases the fitness of Ea. Future work should clarify the mechanisms by which OA-resistance decreases virulence of this plant pathogen. Continuous monitoring of OA-resistance in Ea is required to maintain the efficacy of this potent bactericide.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: The freezing injury by pruning can be reduced by suspending pruning work when severe cold weather (-23 to -49℃) is forecast. Minimum air temperature of the study area, Gunwi region at February 3, 2012 was -21.9℃, and the subzero temperature continued until April 8, 2012. This study was conducted in two years to investigate the effect of delaying winter pruning until full bloom on shoot growth and fruit quality of 'Fuji'/M.9 apple trees. METHODS AND RESULTS: The time of pruning were March 26 for dormant, April 3 for bud break, and May 2 for full bloom. The winter pruning at full bloom significantly reduced fruit weight for two years compared with the control (winter pruning at dormant), and shoot growth was reduced only in the following year. There was no significant effect of delaying winter pruning at bud break on soluble solid content, fruit red color, return bloom, and pruning weight for two years compared with the control. CONCLUSION(S): These results indicated the delaying winter pruning at bud break of 'Fuji'/M.9 apple tree did not offer any disadvantage over comparable dormant pruning, since the fruit quality was not affected. The delayed pruning at full bloom resulted in decreased fruit weight, though shoot growth, fruit quality, and return bloom were not affected by the delayed pruning. So, the delayed pruning should be considered carefully only for the fruit tree orchards in diseases.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 2023

As apple trees mature, it is important to maintain good light distribution within the canopy to produce marketable fruits. Tree thinning is the selective removal of a proportion of trees growing in the orchard to provide more growing space and a good light environment for the remaining trees. This study was conducted over 3 years (14-16 years after planting) to investigate the influence of tree thinning on vegetative growth, yield, fruit quality, and blooming in the 14 years old slender spindle 'Fuji'/M.9 apple trees planted with the tree space of 3.2×1.2 m. The trees were placed in a control group (no thinning; 260 trees per 10 a) or a tree thinning group (thinned 50% of the control; 130 trees per 10 a). The tree thinning successfully improved light penetration, yield per tree, fruit red color, and yield efficiency for 3 years, and the tree thinning controlled the occurrence of biennial bearing. However, tree thinning significantly decreased accumulated yield per 10 a compared with the control. The vegetative growth, yield per tree, soluble solid contents, and blooming were not clear by the occurrence of biennial bearing in the control. These results indicated that tree thinning was a good method for improving light penetration and preventing biennial bearing in the old 'Fuji'/M.9 high-density apple orchards.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.90-95
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• 1998

Soil residues of paraquat (1,1-dimethyl-4,4-dipyridinium dichloride) were determined in apple, pear, grape, and peach orchards for which 15 sites each were selected randomly from the corresponding large-scale production area throughout the country. Strong adsorption capacity measured using wheat bioassay (paraquat concentration required to reduce 50% root growth of wheat, SAC-WB) was also investigated on the orchard soils and the paraquat residue level was calculated against total SAC-WB values (SAC-WB value + paraquat residue). Average bound residue of paraquat on the 60 sites was 6.9 ppm, while paraquat residue in apple orchard reached 20.2 ppm which was the highest among the orchards and was almost double as compared with those in the other three orchards. Loosely bound residue of paraquat determined on the bound residue high top five soils occurred less than 0.5 ppm detection limit. Average SAC-WB value was 276.1 ppm and there were no any correlations between the SAC-WB value and clay content, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity of the orchard soils. Paraquat residue level of the orchard soils against total SAC-WB recorded 2.43%.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.239-249
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• 2020

To find out the cause of the fire blight outbreak in apples and pears of Korea in 2019, we investigated disease appearing situation of thirty fire blight infected orchards, and interviewed farmers to determine the cultivation characteristics. Fire blight occurred mostly in orchards that had infected more than 2 years before. The cause of this were as follows: farmers did not know the symptoms of the disease properly. It is presumed that it has spread from the first occurrence to the surrounding orchards by flower-visiting insects or farmers and to a short distance or a long distance by the same cultivator or co-farmer. These series of processes repeated in the newly spreading area, and then disease reports increased as farmers became aware of fire blight. To minimize the spread of fire blight in Korea, it suggested that thorough education of farmers for early diagnosis and quantitative detection technology that can diagnose even in no symptom showing plants. And chemical or biological spraying systems suitable for domestic cultivation methods, which are producing large fruits, and molecular epidemiological studies of pathogens.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.27-34
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• 2023

Weeding in orchards is closely associated with productivity and quality. The customary weeding process is both labor-intensive and time-consuming. To solve the problems, there is need for automation of agricultural robots and machines in the agricultural field. On the other hand, orchards have complicated working areas due to narrow spaces between trees and amorphous terrain. Therefore, it is necessary to develop customized robot technology for unmanned weeding work within the department. This study developed a path generation and path control method for unmanned weeding according to the orchard environment. For this, the width of the weeding span, the number of operations, and the width of the weeding robot were used as input parameters for the orchard environment parameters. To generate a weeding path, a weeding robot was operated remotely to obtain GNSS-based location data along the superheated center line, and a driving performance test was performed based on the generated path. From the results of orchard field tests, the RMSE in weeding period sections was measured at 0.029 m, with a maximum error of 0.15 m. In the steering period within row and steering to the next row sections, the RMSE was 0.124 m, and 0.047 m, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1989

This study was performed to reveal the heavy metal contents in apple leaves, and to estimate the correlation between contents of heavy metals of orchard lands and those of apple leaves. For this experiment, the apple leaves were collected from 58 apple orchards in Korea. The results were as follows ; 1. The average heavy metal contents in apple leaves were 26.44(6,23-182,85) ppm in Cu, 0.34 (0.07-0,61) ppm in Cd and 9.47 (0.00-225.50) ppm in Pb. 2. On the simple correlation coefficients between contents of heavy metals of orchard lands and those of apple leaves, all three copper cadmium and lead were positive but cadmium was insignificanfly, correlated. There was no difference among varieties (Ralls, Jonathan, etc) in these results. 3. The 0.1N HCl extraetion proved, was more suitable than the $IN-NH_4OAC$ extraction for describing the relation-Ship between heavy metal contents of apple leaves and those of orchard lands.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.259-264
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• 1993

The experiment was carried out to investigate Insecticide susceptibility of the spiraea aphid (Aphis citricola) in apple orchards In Korea, using dipping method. Although insecticIde susceptibility vaned with local and seasonal populations, the susceptibility to demeLon S-rnethyl and phosphamidons was different from that Lo the other insecticides. The LCso values were 10 ppm for deltamethrin and chloropyrifos, 103 ~ 629 ppm for demeton S-methy1, acephate, phosphamidon, monocrotophos and vamldothion, 12,200 ppm for EPN, and 1,745 ppm for pirimicarb. 'When Insecticide susceptibility was compared between the S-clone selected from a population on the host plant spiraea and the R-clone selected from a population on the apple tree, the resistance ratio as expressed by RIS ratio of $LC_{50}$ was 78 for phosphamidon and 546 for pirimicarb. Esterase zymogram determined by the agar gel electrophoresIs revealed a significant difference between the clones. The activity of the E2, E5, E6 and E7 of the R-clone was higher than that of the S-clone, It is suggesLed that the Increased esterase activity may be involved in the mechanism of insecticide resistance in the spiraea aphid, although the involvement of other factor(s) may not be ruled out.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.132-138
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• 1995

우리나라 사과원에서의 토양병 발생현황과 발생실태를 1991년부터 1993년까지 3년간 조사한 결과, 전체 조사주수의 약 8.1%가 각종의 토양 병원균에 감염되어 있는 것으로 나타났다. 토양병 중 자주날개 무늬병의 발생빈도가 5.1%로 가장 높게 조사되었으며, 흰날개무늬병과 역병의 이병주율은 각각 2.5%와 0.2%로 조사되었다. 자주날개무늬병에 감염된 나무에서는 잎의 황화 및 조기낙엽, 신초생장 억제, 과실 생육 불량 등의 지상부 병징이 관찰되었고, 지하부 뿌리 표면에는 적자색 실모양의 균사나 균사속이 관찰되었다. 감염된 뿌리의 표피는 쉽게 벗겨지고 목질부로부터 잘 이탈되는 특징이 있었다. 흰날개무늬병균에 감염된 나무의 뿌리는 흰색의 균사 혹은 균사막으로 싸여 있으며 이 균사막은 시간이 경과하면 회색 내지 흑색으로 착색되었다. 굵은 뿌리의 표피를 제거하면 목질부에 백색 부채모양의 균사막과 실모양의 균사속을 확인할 수 있었다. 이 병원균은 목질부까지 부패시키므로 병의 증세가 심하게 나타났다. 자주날개무늬병은 새로 개원한 10년 이하의 과원에서 발생이 많았다. 자주날개무늬병은 왜화도가 높은 대목에서 발병율이 높았으나 흰날개무늬병은 대목의 종류에 관계없이 발명되었다. 자주날개무늬병은 식양토 과원에서 발생이 많았으며 흰날개무늬병은 사양토 과원에서 발생이 많았다.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

This study was conducted to compare the local climate conditions and growth periods for the apple (Malus domestica 'Borkh') orchards at different altitudes (330, 500, and 670 m) in Jangsu-Gun, Korea. Observation data for the growth period show that the monthly mean air temperatures at the 'Hongro' apple orchard sites decrease with height at the rate of 1.0 to $3.0^{\circ}C$/100 m. The monthly minimum temperatures in April (blooming period for 'Hongro' apple) were 4.3, 2.9, and $0.4^{\circ}C$ at 330, 500, and 670 m, respectively. The monthly mean temperatures in September (i.e., the coloration and maturation period) were 20.6, 18.7, and $14.5^{\circ}C$, respectively. The annual precipitation range varied from 1,234 to 1,439 mm, which tended to increase with height. The heavy rainfall occurred in summer (June to August) and amounted to 827-933 mm. No significant differences in the duration of sunshine were observed amongst the orchards at three different altitudes. The earliest bud break was observed at the 330 m altitude (18 March 2009), which was 4 and 11 days earlier in comparison to those at 500 and 670 m, respectively. The time of full bloom at 330 m was 12 days ahead of that at 670 m. The optimal maturation of fruit (based on skin redness > 80%) was observed between 7 and 10 September at 330 m, 15 and 18 September at 500 m, and 21 and 23 September at 670 m.