• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.28-60
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• 1983

This study was carried out to define the effects of external factors including temperature, moisture, oxygen and light quality on the germination of sesame seeds and to investigate the change of major chemical constituents of seeds during germination. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The average germination ratio was from 95.8% to 97.2% when it was tested every $5^{\circ}C$ intervals from $20^{\circ}C$ to $35^{\circ}C$ and no significant difference in germination ratio was found within $20^{\circ}C$ to $35^{\circ}C$. But the germination ratio dropped rapidly to 32.2% when seeds were germinated at $15^{\circ}C$ and the coefficient of variation become greater(77%) 2. The days required for germination ranged from 1.16 to 1. 64 at the temperatures of $35^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$ and they were 3.07 and 10.4 at the temperatures of $20^{\circ}C$ and $15^{\circ}C$, respectively. 3. Considering the germination ratio and days needed, $15^{\circ}C$ was assumed to be the minimum temperature for germination practically and this temperature is recommended for testing low temperature tolerance of seed germination of sesame cultivars. 4. The varieties shown the highest low temperature tolerance were Shirogoma and Turkey. The next varieties shown some degree of low temperature germination were Suweon #29, Naebok and IS 58. The varieties with 70 to 80% of germination ratio were Maepo, Suweon #14, Kimpo, Moondeok, and Haenam. Among the 90 varieties tested, the varieties with comparatively high degree of low temperature tolerance were about 10%, and 70% of the low temperature tolerant varieties were domestic varieties. 5. At $12^{\circ}C$ the Shirogoma was the only variety which showed over 50% of germination ratio, 71.4% of the varieties showed less than 20% of germination ratio. When the temperature was raised to $27^{\circ}C$ 18 days after placement at $12^{\circ}C$ all the varieties showed over 90% of germination ratio within 2days. 6. The amounts of water imbibition needed for seed germination were 0.48 to 0.62 times of the seed dry weight at $25^{\circ}C$ and were significantly different among sesame cultivars. About 63% of water required for germination was imbibed in 2 hours after placement of seeds under the germination condition. 7. Under saturated moisture condition the average germination ratio was 0.42%. In the soil of which water potential was -0.4bar 64.8% of the seeds germinated and the most adequate soil water potential for sesame seed germination was about -0.4 to -5.5 bar. The germination ratio decreased as the soil water potential declined below -5.5 bar. 8. Six out of 10 varieties were not influenced by 5% of oxygen in air germination chamber, while varieties such as Yecheon, PI 158073, IS 103 and Euisangcheon showed 64 to 91% of germination under the 5% oxygen content. Under anaerobic condition, cotyledones were not emerged but only hypocotyl was emerged and elongated. The germination ratio of IS 103 decreased significantly under anaerobic condition. 9. When the seeds were dried for 24 hours after 12 hours imbibition of water, the seeds of Cheongsong did not lose their germination ability and 27.5% was germinated but Suweon #9 and Early Russian failed to germinate. However, the germination ratio of IS 103 decreased when the seed were dried 24 hours after 4 hours imbibition of water and the germination ability of IS 103 was maintained even though the seeds were dried for 24 hours after 24 hours imbibition of water. 10. During germination, sugar content of sesame seed increased rapidly and activity of ${\alpha}$-amylase increased gradually while starch content decreased significantly. The rates of increase in sugar content and enzyme activity and decrease in starch content were significantly lower at $15^{\circ}C$ compared with those at $25^{\circ}C$. 11. During germination of sesame seeds, lipid content in the seeds dropped rapidly and the activity of alkaline lipase increased significantly at early stage of germination. The rate of decrease in lipid content and increase in emzyme activity was lower at $15^{\circ}C$ than at $25^{\circ}C$. 12. Four out of 6 varieties were not affected in germination by light wave length. But Suweon #8 was inhibited in germination by 600-650nm. and IS 103 by 600 to 650nm and 500 to 550nm of light wave length. Suweon #8 showed high germination ratio under 650 to 760 nm and 500 to 560nm, and IS 103 under 400 to 470nm and complete darkness. 13. The germination ratios increased significantly in the seeds of which 1000 grain weight is heavier. When the seeds were placed at soil 4cm deep, Cheongsong and Early Russian failed to emerge their cotyledones, but Suweon #9 and IS 103 showed 32.5 and 50% cotyledone emergence, respectively. The extracts from sesame plant and soil where the sesame was cultivated previously did not affect in the-germination of sesame seeds. 14. The covering by black or transparent polyethylene films increased germination ratio compared with uncovered seeds. The covering was effective in shortening the days needed for germination and in improving the early seedling growth, number of capsules per plant and grain yield. Difference was not so seizable between the two polyethylene films but the transparent film appeared somewhat more effective than the black one. 15. Simcheon, Cheongsong. Suweon #9. PI 158073 and IS 103 showed lower rate of water absorbtion by seed during germination and Suweon #8, Suweon #26, Orotall and Euisangcheon showed high increase in seed weight after water absorbtion by seed.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.98
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

Located on the right side of the third floor of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the "Art of Central Asia" exhibition boasts the world's finest collection of artworks and artifacts from the Silk Road. Every item in the collection has been classified by region, and many of them were collected in the early twentieth century through archaeological surveys led by Russia's Pyotr Kozlov, Mikhail Berezovsky, and Sergey Oldenburg. Some of these artifacts have been presented around the world through special exhibitions held in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. The fruits of Russia's Silk Road expeditions were also on full display in the 2008 exhibition The Caves of One Thousand Buddhas - Russian Expeditions on the Silk Route on the Occasion of 190 Years of the Asiatic Museum, held at the Hermitage Museum. Published in 2018 by the Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House in collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia introduces the Hermitage's collection of artifacts from the Kuche (or Kucha) region. While the book focuses exclusively on artifacts excavated from the Kuche area, it also includes valuable on-site photos and sketches from the Russian expeditions, thus helping to enhance readers' overall understanding of the characteristics of Kuche art within the Buddhist art of Central Asia. The book was compiled by Dr. Kira Samosyuk, senior curator of the Oriental Department of the Hermitage Museum, who also wrote the main article and the artifact descriptions. Dr. Samosyuk is an internationally renowned scholar of Central Asian Buddhist art, with a particular expertise in the art of Khara-Khoto and Xi-yu. In her article "The Art of the Kuche Buddhist Temples," Dr. Samosyuk provides an overview of Russia's Silk Road expeditions, before introducing the historical development of Kuche in the Buddhist era and the aspects of Buddhism transmitted to Kuche. She describes the murals and clay sculptures in the Buddhist grottoes, giving important details on their themes and issues with estimating their dates, and also explains how the temples operated as places of worship. In conclusion, Dr. Samosyuk argues that the Kuche region, while continuously engaging with various peoples in China and the nomadic world, developed its own independent Buddhist culture incorporating elements of Gandara, Hellenistic, Persian, and Chinese art and culture. Finally, she states that the culture of the Kuche region had a profound influence not only on the Tarim Basin, but also on the Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang and the central region of China. A considerable portion of Dr. Samosyuk's article addresses efforts to estimate the date of the grottoes in the Kuche region. After citing various scholars' views on the dates of the murals, she argues that the Kizil grottoes likely began prior to the fifth century, which is at least 100 years earlier than most current estimates. This conclusion is reached by comparing the iconography of the armor depicted in the murals with related materials excavated from the surrounding area (such as items of Sogdian art). However, efforts to date the Buddhist grottoes of Kuche must take many factors into consideration, such as the geological characteristics of the caves, the themes and styles of the Buddhist paintings, the types of pigments used, and the clothing, hairstyles, and ornamentation of the depicted figures. Moreover, such interdisciplinary data must be studied within the context of Kuche's relations with nearby cultures. Scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating could also be applied for supplementary materials. The preface of Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia reveals that the catalog is the first volume covering the Hermitage Museum's collection of Kuche art, and that the next volume in the series will cover a large collection of mural fragments that were taken from Berlin during World War II. For many years, the whereabouts of these mural fragments were unknown to both the public and academia, but after restoration, the fragments were recently re-introduced to the public as part of the museum's permanent exhibition. We look forward to the next publication that focuses on these mural fragments, and also to future catalogs introducing the artifacts of Turpan and Khotan. Currently, fragments of the murals from the Kuche grottoes are scattered among various countries, including Russia, Germany, and Korea. With the publication of this catalog, it seems like an opportune time to publish a comprehensive catalog on the murals of the Kuche region, which represent a compelling mixture of East-West culture that reflects the overall characteristics of the region. A catalog that includes both the remaining murals of the Kizil grottoes and the fragments from different parts of the world could greatly enhance our understanding of the murals' original state. Such a book would hopefully include a more detailed and interdisciplinary discussion of the artifacts and murals, including scientific analyses of the pigments and other materials from the perspective of conservation science. With the ongoing rapid development in western China, the grotto murals are facing a serious crisis related to climate change and overcrowding in the oasis city of Xinjiang. To overcome this challenge, the cultural communities of China and other countries that possess advanced technology for conservation and restoration must begin working together to protect and restore the murals of the Silk Road grottoes. Moreover, centers for conservation science should be established to foster human resources and collect information. Compiling the data of Russian expeditions related to the grottoes of Kuche (among the results of Western archaeological surveys of the Silk Road in the early twentieth century), Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia represents an important contribution to research on Kuche's Buddhist art and the Silk Road, which will only be enhanced by a future volume introducing the mural fragments from Germany. As the new authoritative source for academic research on the artworks and artifacts of the Kuche region, the book also lays the groundwork for new directions for future studies on the Silk Road. Finally, the book is also quite significant for employing a new editing system that improves its academic clarity and convenience. In conclusion, Dr. Kira Samosyuk, who planned the publication, deserves tremendous praise for taking the research of Silk Road art to new heights.