• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible impact of Bt Chinese cabbage on the soil microbial community. Microbial communities were isolated from the rhizosphere of one Bt Chinese cabbage variety and four varieties of conventional ones and were subjected to be analyzed using both culture-dependent and molecular methods. The total counts of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes in the rhizosphere of transgenic and conventional Chinese cabbages were observed to have an insignificant difference. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes revealed that the bacterial community structures were very similar to each other and this genetic stability of microbial communities was maintained throughout the culture periods. Analysis of dominant isolates in the rhizosphere of transgenic and conventional Chinese cabbages showed that the dominant isolates from the soil of transgenic Chinese cabbage belonged to the Bacilli and Alphaproteobacteria, while the dominant isolates from the soil of conventional cabbage belonged to the Holophagae and Planctomycetacia, respectively. These results indicate that the Bt transgenic cabbage has no significant impact on the soil microbial communities.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2013

This study focused on the promotion of the insecticidal activity of eco-friendly insecticidal materials against four major insect pest in the organic Chinese cabbage cultivation area. Among insecticidal materials mixture, BT+Matrine+Neem against leaf beetle larva, Phaedon brassicae, showed the highest 94.1% at 0.05% which is the lowest concentration of three treated concentrations. The insecticidal activity of Matrine, Neem, and BT alone (0.1%, w/v) or the mixtures (0.05%, w/v) against Cabbage worm larva, Artogeria rapae, was investigated by leaf disc spray method. The insecticidal efficacy of the mixtures of two or three eco-friendly materials was higher than the single treatment of each material with 94.3%, 100% and 100%. Control efficacy of 0.3% COY+0.05% (95.3%) against the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae was higher than that of 0.3% COY+0.05% Neem (90.2%) and lasted for more than 21 days after one time treatment. At 35 days after treatment, the effect of 0.05% BT+0.05% Matrine and 0.05% BT+0.05% Matrine+0.05% Neem treatments against diamondback moth showed very high insecticidal activity with more than 90% of control value. Therefore, BT, Neem, and Matrine where are properly treated could be effective eco-friendly materials for controlling major insect pests in an organic Chinese cabbage field.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.193-197
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• 2014

Transgenic crops that produce insecticidal toxins have a great potential for controlling target pest insects, but there is a growing concern about unintended influences on non-target species. In the present study, the preferences and performance of non-target green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), on transgenic cabbages (Brassica oleracea) that produce Bt toxin (Cry1Ac1) and untransformed control plants were investigated as a part of risk assessment. In a free-choice situation, the number of nymphs larviposited by 10 winged adults over 3 days was $21.9{\pm}1.8$ and $22.5{\pm}2.2$ on transgenic and the control plants, respectively, indicating that the aphids did not discriminate between the two types of plants. In a performance assay, the development time (D) and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) of wingless aphids reared on transgenic and control plants were also similar (D, $5.8{\pm}0.2$ and $5.9{\pm}0.1$ (days) and rm, $0.7{\pm}0.1$ and $0.8{\pm}0.1$, for transgenic and control plants, respectively). These results suggest that M. persicae is not significantly affected by transgenic Bt cabbage.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.797-811
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• 2015

This study was carried out to identify the control effect of entomopathogenic microagent against Spodoptera exigua on organic chinese cabbage. In laboratory condition, insecticidal activity of 4 commercial BT pesticides against S. exigua were lower than 10% against second instar S. exigua. The insecticidal activity of entomopathogenic nematode were 33.3%, 83.3% and 100% at the concentration of $1{\times}10^2$, $3{\times}10^2$, $1{\times}10^3nematodes/ml$, respectively. Mixture of BT and nematode showed growth inhibition against S. exigua larvae. S. exigua nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeNPV) of $10^5PIBs/ml$ showed more than 70% insecticial activity. The yield of SeNPV was increased as in higher initial inoculation concentration of NPV, food supply, and growth temperature increased. In greenhouse experiment, the control value of BT and nematode mixture treatment was higher than BT and nematode treatment alone against S. exigua. In treatment of $10^7PIBs/ml$ of SeNPV, S. exigua was controlled completely. In farm condition, mixture of microbial agent and organic agricultural material showed higher control value against lepidopteran pest including S. exigua than BT single treatment.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2011

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterial biopesticide against insect pests, mainly lepidopterans. Spodoptera exigua and Plutella xylostella exhibit significant decreases in Bt susceptibility in late larval instars. To enhance Bt pathogenicity, we used a mixture treatment of Bt and other bacterial metabolites which possessed significant immunosuppressive activities. Mixtures of Bt with culture broths of Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) or Photorhabdus temperata ssp. temperata (Ptt) significantly enhanced the Bt pathogenicity against late larval instars. Different ratios of Bt to bacterial culture broth had significant pathogenicities against last instar P. xylostella and S. exigua. Five compounds identified from the bacterial culture broth also enhanced Bt pathogenicity. After determining the optimal ratios, the mixture was applied to cabbage infested by late instar P. xylostella or S. exigua in greenhouse conditions. A mixture of Bt and Xn culture broth killed 100% of both insect pests when it was sprayed twice, while Bt alone killed less than 80% or 60% of P. xylostella and S. exigua, respectively. Other Bt mixtures, including Ptt culture broth or bacterial metabolites, also significantly increased pathogenicity in the semi-field assays. These results demonstrated that the Bt mixtures collectively names "Bt-Plus" can be developed into potent biopesticides to increase the efficacy of Bt.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.821-831
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• 2016

This study was conducted to identify the insecticidal effect of a mixture of sophora extract and Bacillus thuringiensis against Spodoptera exigua on potted chinese cabbage in both laboratory and plastic house condition. In laboratory condition, mortality of larvae by BT ($1{\times}10^5$, $1{\times}10^6$, $1{\times}10^7cfu\;ml^{-1}$) alone was 27.5%, 51.3% and 92.5%, respectively, which was depend upon concentration of BT. Control efficacy of the mixture of BT and sophora extract was 98.8%, 88.8% and 91.3% which was higher than BT treatment only. The mixture of sophora and lower BT concentration was showed more increase of control efficacy. Anti-feedant effect by BT was depend on concentration of BT. At field experiment, the mixture of BT and sophora extract appeared higher mortality (72.2%, 67.8%, 61.1%) than BT treatment only (14.4%, 26.7%, 66.7%) similar with laboratory experiment. The mixture was less affected by environmental condition at field than BT only. Therefore, for effective control of beet armyworm without possibility to develop resistance against BT at farm, treatment of the mixture of sophora extract (0.033%) and BT ($1{\times}10^5cfu\;ml^{-1}$) would be considered more effective than BT treatment only.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2009

Juvenile hormone (JH) is an insect hormone mediating immature metamorphosis and adult reproduction. It also mediates immune responses to suppress hemocyte behavior, which is, however, activated by ecdysteroid. This study investigated an effect of a commercial pyriproxyfen (a JH agonist) formulation on a cellular immune response of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, and analysed its mixture with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in insecticidal potency. The commercial pyriproxyfen formulation significantly suppressed hemocyte-spreading behavior at low doses as did in pyriproxyfen technical grade. When the commercial pyriproxyfen formulation was mixed with Bt, Bt toxicity was significantly increased against P. xylostella larvae in laboratory. The mixture effect was then confirmed in field cultivating cabbage infested with P. xylostella larvae. The mixture showed a significantly enhanced mortality and reduced effective lethal time, compared to only Bt treatment.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2019

An entomopathogenic bacterium, Xenorhabdus ehlersii KSY, is symbiotic to a nematode, Steinernema longicaudum, and exhibits high entomopathogenic virulence against lepidopteran insects. This study showed that the bacterial pathogenicity is induced by its inhibitory activity against eicosanoid biosynthesis of target insects, resulting in immunosuppression. To be applied for insect pest control, the bacteria should be infected to insect hemocoel. To deliver X. ehlersii to inset hemocoel, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was mixed with the bacteria to breakdown the physical barrier (= midgut epithelium) from midgut lumen to hemocoel. The bacterial mixture significantly enhanced insecticidal activity of Bt only against larvae of Plutella xylostella and Maruca vitrata. For formulation, X. ehlersii cells were freeze-dried and mixed with sporulated Bt cells. The formulated bacterial mixture was applied to semi-field cultivating cabbage crop infested by P. xylostella. The bacterial mixture treatment showed over 95% control efficacy, while Bt alone gave 80% control efficacy. These results suggest that X. ehlersii can be applied to develop a novel insect control agent.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.253-264
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• 2009

This study was conducted to establish agricultural practices to control diseases and insects for chemical pesticide-free cultivation of leafy vegetables. Two diseases, gray mold(Botrytis cinerea) and soft rot(Erwinia carotovora), on lettuce were reduced by controlling temperature and humidity using air-circulation fan. The aphidophagous lady beetle(Harmonia axyridis) and primary parasitoids(Aphidius colemani) showed activity to control aphids density on Chinese cabbage. Co-application of cooking oil and yolk mixture (COY) and BT(Bacillus thuringiensis) decreased diseases including soft rot(Erwinia carotovora), downy mildew(Peronospora brassicae Gaumann), and powdery mildew(Eryslphe polygoni), and insects such as diamondback moth(Plutella xylostella) and beet armyworm(Spodoptera exigua Hubner). Neem extract treatment reduced downy mildew(Peronospora destructor) on Welsh onion.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2013

A microbial insecticide "Bt-Plus" has been developed to enhance an insecticidal efficacy of an entomopathogenic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). However, its wettable powder formulation is not preferred by farmers and industry producers due to relatively high cost. This study aimed to develop a soluble concentrate formulation of Bt-Plus. To this end, an optimal mixture ratio of two bacterial culture broths was determined to be 5:4 (v/v) of Bt and Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) along with 10% ethanol preservative. In addition, Bt broth was concentrated by 10 times to apply the mixture at 1,000 times fold dilution. The resulting liquid formulation was sprayed on cabbage crop field infested by late instar larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. The field assay showed about 77% control efficacy at 7 days after treatment, which was comparable to those of current commercial biopesticides targeting P. xylostella. For storage test in both low and room temperatures, the liquid formation showed a relatively stable control efficacy at least for a month. To develop a quality control technique to exhibit a stable control efficacy of Bt-Plus, Bt spore density ($5{\times}10^{11}$ spores/mL) and eight active component concentrations of Xn bacterial metabolites in the formulation products have been proposed in this study.