• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 2021

A bacterial strain isolated from a Malva verticillata leaf was identified as Bacillus velezensis MV2 based on the 16S rRNA sequencing results. Complete genome sequencing revealed that B. velezensis MV2 possessed a single 4,191,702-bp contig with 45.57% GC content. Generally, Bacillus spp. are known to produce diverse antimicrobial compounds including bacteriocins, polyketides, and non-ribosomal peptides. Antimicrobial compounds in the B. velezensis MV2 were extracted from culture supernatants using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The crude extracts showed antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria; however, they were more effective against gram-positive bacteria. The extracts also showed antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi such as Fusarium fujikuroi and F. graminearum. In time-kill assays, these antimicrobial compounds showed bactericidal activity against Bacillus cereus, used as indicator strain. To predict the type of antimicrobial compounds produced by this strain, we used the antiSMASH algorithm. Forty-seven secondary metabolites were predicted to be synthesized in MV2, and among them, fourteen were identified with a similarity of 80% or more with those previously identified. Based on the antimicrobial properties, the antimicrobial compounds may be nonribosomal peptides or polyketides. These compounds possess the potential to be used as biopesticides in the food and agricultural industry as an alternative to antibiotics.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.376-383
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• 2022

The current study, which consisted of two independent studies (laboratory and greenhouse), was carried out to project the hypothesis fungi-spray scheduling for leaf mold and gray leaf spot in tomato, as well as to evaluate the effect of temperature and leaf wet duration on the effectiveness of different fungicides against these diseases. In the first experiment, tomato leaves were infected with 1 × 10⁴ conidia·mL^-1 and put in a dew chamber for 0 to 18 hours at 10 to 25℃ (Fulvia fulva) and 10 to 30℃ (Stemphylium lycopersici). In farm study, tomato plants were treated for 240 hours with diluted (1,000 times) 30% trimidazole, 50% polyoxin B, and 40% iminoctadine tris (Belkut) for protection of leaf mold, and 10% etridiazole + 55% thiophanate-methyl (Gajiran), and 15% tribasic copper sulfate (Sebinna) for protection of gray leaf spot. In laboratory test, leaf condensation on the leaves of tomato plants were emerged after 9 hrs. of incubation. In conclusion, the incidence degree of leaf mold and gray leaf spot disease on tomato plants shows that it is very closely related to formation of leaf condensation, therefore the incidence of leaf mold was greater at 20 and 15℃, while 25 and 20℃ enhanced the incidence of gray leaf spot. The incidence of leaf mold and gray leaf spot developed 20 days after inoculation, and the latency period was estimated to be 14-15 days. Trihumin fungicide had the maximum effectiveness up to 168 hours of fungicides at 12 hours of wet duration in leaf mold, whereas Gajiran fungicide had the highest control (93%) against gray leaf spot up to 144 hours. All the chemicals showed an around 30-50% decrease in effectiveness after 240 hours of treatment. The model predictions in present study could be help in timely, effective and ecofriendly management of leaf mold disease in tomato.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2023

To investigate the effect of thinning intensity on environmental factors and ectomycorrhizal mushroom fruiting in forest ecosystems, we studied canopy closure, throughfall, soil temperature, soil moisture, light response of understory vegetation, and ectomycorrhizal mushroom fruiting in a 10-year-old pine forest after 34%, 45%, and 60% thinning. Canopy closure was significantly higher in the 34% treatment and control plots, ranging from 80-85% in April. However, in November, all thinning treatment plots showed a decrease of approximately 5-10% compared with the control plot. The 60% treatment plot had over 200 mm of additional throughfall compared with the control plot, and monthly throughfall was significantly higher by more than 100 mm in October. The soil temperature in each treatment plot increased significantly by up to 1℃ or more compared with the control plot as the thinning rate increased. The soil moisture increased by more than 5% in the thinning treatment plots during rainfall, particularly in the 34% treatment plot, where the rate of moisture decrease was slower. The photosynthetic rate of major tree species (excluding Pinus densiflora)was highest in Quercus mongolica, with a rate of 7 µmolCO₂·m^-2·s^-1. At a lightintensity of 800 μmol·m^-2·s^-1, Q. mongolica showed the highest photosynthetic level of 6 ± 0.3 μmolCO₂·m^-2·s^-1 in the 45% treatment. The photosynthetic rate of Fraxinus sieboldiana and Styrax japonicus increased as the thinning intensity increased. The Shannon-Wiener index of mycorrhizal mushrooms did not significantly differ among treatments, but the fresh weight of mushrooms was approximately 360-840 g higher in the 34% and 45% treatments than in the control. Additionally, the fresh weight of fungi in the 60% treatment was 860 g less than that in the control. There were more individuals of Amanita citrina in the control than in the thinning treatment, while Suillus bovinus numbers increased by more than 10 times in the 34% thinning treatment compared with the control.

• ANNALS OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.111-120
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different feed inoculation method on rumen fermentation in an in vitro. Three experimental treatments were used: control (CON, direct dispersion of feed (2 g) in rumen fluid), combinations of direct dispersion (1 g) and nylon bag (DNB, pore size: 50 ㎛, 1 g), and nylon bag (NB, 2 g). An in vitro fermentation experiment was carried out using strained rumen fluid for 48 h incubation time and timothy was used as a substrate. At the end of the incubation, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD), pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), and microbial community were evaluated and gas production was estimated at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 h incubation periods. Gas production was higher in CON than DNB and NB at 6 and 12 h incubation time (p<0.01). There were no differences in final gas production, pH, NH₃-N concentration, total VFA production, and VFA profiles among treatments. The IVDMD was lowest in CON (p<0.01) but the IVNDFD was not differed by feed distribution methods. There were no significant differences in general bacteria and fungi. Protozoa count was highest in NB treatment among treatments (p<0.01). The abundance of cellulolytic bacteria, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Fibrobacter succinogenes, was highest in the CON among treatments (p<0.01).

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2024

This study investigated the effectiveness of using pathogens and aqueous acids to reduce the Aspergillus ochraceus and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa contamination in livestock production environments. For this study, 1 mL of each bacterial suspension (10⁷-10⁸ spores/mL) was inoculated on a knife surface, dried at 37℃, and used under each treatment condition. First, to investigate the effect of organic acids, acetic, lactic, and citric acids were used. Subsequently, to select the appropriate concentration, they were prepared at concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5%, respectively. Accordingly, to further maximize the effect of organic acid treatment, we combined the treatment with ultraviolet light. The two strains showed a significant difference (P<0.05) compared to the initial strain, with a greater than 90% decrease in the concentrations of all organic acids. Consequently, acetic and lactic acids decreased by approximately 5 and 2 log colony forming unit (CFU)/cm², respectively, when treated with ultraviolet light (360 mJ/cm²); however, citric acid decreased by less than 1 log CFU/cm². However, when manufactured with 4% acetic acid, a severe malodor was emitted, making it difficult for workers to use it in a production environment. Accordingly, the optimal treatment conditions for organic acid and ultraviolet light for application were selected as follows: immersion in a 4% lactic acid solution for 1 minute and then, sterilization with ultraviolet light at 360 mJ/cm². Finally, when a pork meat sample was cut with a knife that was finally washed with lactic acid and treated with ultraviolet light, the low level of inoculum transferred from the cleaned knife to the surface of the sample was not detected. In conclusion, using this established method can prevent cross-contamination of the surface of the meat during processing.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.45-46
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• 2015

Clubroot disease of crucifers has occurred since 1957. It has spread to the whole China, especially in the southwest and nourtheast where it causes 30-80% loss in some fields. The disease has being expanded in the recent years as seeds are imported and the floating seedling system practices. For its effective control, the Ministry of Agriculture of China set up a program in 2010 and a research team led by Dr. Yueqiu HE, Yunnan Agricultural University. The team includes 20 main reseachers of 11 universities and 5 institutions. After 5 years, the team has made a lot of progresses in disease occurrence regulation, resources collection, resistance identification and breeding, biological agent exploration, formulation, chemicals evaluation, and control strategy. About 1200 collections of local and commercial crucifers were identified in the field and by artificiall inoculation in the laboratories, 10 resistant cultivars were breeded including 7 Chinese cabbages and 3 cabbages. More than 800 antagostic strains were isolated including bacteria, stretomyces and fungi. Around 100 chemicals were evaluated in the field and greenhouse based on its control effect, among them, 6 showed high control effect, especially fluazinam and cyazofamid could control about 80% the disease. However, fluzinam has negative effect on soil microbes. Clubroot disease could not be controlled by bioagents and chemicals once when the pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae infected its hosts and set up the parasitic relationship. We found the earlier the pathogent infected its host, the severer the disease was. Therefore, early control was the most effective. For Chinese cabbage, all controlling measures should be taken in the early 30 days because the new infection could not cause severe symptom after 30 days of seeding. For example, a biocontrol agent, Bacillus subtilis Strain XF-1 could control the disease 70%-85% averagely when it mixed with seedling substrate and was drenching 3 times after transplanting, i.e. immediately, 7 days, 14 days. XF-1 has been deeply researched in control mechanisms, its genome, and development and application of biocontrol formulate. It could produce antagonistic protein, enzyme, antibiotics and IAA, which promoted rhizogenesis and growth. Its The genome was sequenced by Illumina/Solexa Genome Analyzer to assembled into 20 scaffolds then the gaps between scaffolds were filled by long fragment PCR amplification to obtain complet genmone with 4,061,186 bp in size. The whole genome was found to have 43.8% GC, 108 tandem repeats with an average of 2.65 copies and 84 transposons. The CDSs were predicted as 3,853 in which 112 CDSs were predicted to secondary metabolite biosynthesis, transport and catabolism. Among those, five NRPS/PKS giant gene clusters being responsible for the biosynthesis of polyketide (pksABCDEFHJLMNRS in size 72.9 kb), surfactin(srfABCD, 26.148 kb, bacilysin(bacABCDE 5.903 kb), bacillibactin(dhbABCEF, 11.774 kb) and fengycin(ppsABCDE, 37.799 kb) have high homolgous to fuction confirmed biosynthesis gene in other strain. Moreover, there are many of key regulatory genes for secondary metabolites from XF-1, such as comABPQKX Z, degQ, sfp, yczE, degU, ycxABCD and ywfG. were also predicted. Therefore, XF-1 has potential of biosynthesis for secondary metabolites surfactin, fengycin, bacillibactin, bacilysin and Bacillaene. Thirty two compounds were detected from cell extracts of XF-1 by MALDI-TOF-MS, including one Macrolactin (m/z 441.06), two fusaricidin (m/z 850.493 and 968.515), one circulocin (m/z 852.509), nine surfactin (m/z 1044.656~1102.652), five iturin (m/z 1096.631~1150.57) and forty fengycin (m/z 1449.79~1543.805). The top three compositions types (contening 56.67% of total extract) are surfactin, iturin and fengycin, in which the most abundant is the surfactin type composition 30.37% of total extract and in second place is the fengycin with 23.28% content with rich diversity of chemical structure, and the smallest one is the iturin with 3.02% content. Moreover, the same main compositions were detected in Bacillus sp.355 which is also a good effects biocontol bacterial for controlling the clubroot of crucifer. Wherefore those compounds surfactin, iturin and fengycin maybe the main active compositions of XF-1 against P. brassicae. Twenty one fengycin type compounds were evaluate by LC-ESI-MS/MS with antifungal activities, including fengycin A $C_{16{\sim}C19}$, fengycin B $C_{14{\sim}C17}$, fengycin C $C_{15{\sim}C18}$, fengycin D $C_{15{\sim}C18}$ and fengycin S $C_{15{\sim}C18}$. Furthermore, one novel compound was identified as Dehydroxyfengycin $C_{17}$ according its MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectral data, which molecular weight is 1488.8480 Da and formula $C_{75}H_{116}N_{12}O_{19}$. The fengycin type compounds (FTCPs $250{\mu}g/mL$) were used to treat the resting spores of P. brassicae ($10^7/mL$) by detecting leakage of the cytoplasm components and cell destruction. After 12 h treatment, the absorbencies at 260 nm (A260) and at 280 nm (A280) increased gradually to approaching the maximum of absorbance, accompanying the collapse of P. brassicae resting spores, and nearly no complete cells were observed at 24 h treatment. The results suggested that the cells could be lyzed by the FTCPs of XF-1, and the diversity of FTCPs was mainly attributed to a mechanism of clubroot disease biocontrol. In the five selected medium MOLP, PSA, LB, Landy and LD, the most suitable for growth of strain medium is MOLP, and the least for strains longevity is the Landy sucrose medium. However, the lipopeptide highest yield is in Landy sucrose medium. The lipopeptides in five medium were analyzed with HPLC, and the results showed that lipopeptides component were same, while their contents from B. subtilis XF-1 fermented in five medium were different. We found that it is the lipopeptides content but ingredients of XF-1 could be impacted by medium and lacking of nutrition seems promoting lipopeptides secretion from XF-1. The volatile components with inhibition fungal Cylindrocarpon spp. activity which were collect in sealed vesel were detected with metheds of HS-SPME-GC-MS in eight biocontrol Bacillus species and four positive mutant strains of XF-1 mutagenized with chemical mutagens, respectively. They have same main volatile components including pyrazine, aldehydes, oxazolidinone and sulfide which are composed of 91.62% in XF-1, in which, the most abundant is the pyrazine type composition with 47.03%, and in second place is the aldehydes with 23.84%, and the third place is oxazolidinone with 15.68%, and the smallest ones is the sulfide with 5.07%.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.47-68
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• 1988

This study was conducted to define the optimal conditions for embryo growth during seed stratification and for breaking dormancy as well as seed germination of stratified ginseng seeds. The experiments were also carried out to detect some materials which were expected to induce seed dormancy in the ginseng seeds. The results summarized as follows; 1. The growth of embryo during seed stratification was significantly inhibited by the existence of endocarp. The fastest embryo growth was resulted at $15^{\circ}C$ and an estimated optimal temperature for embryo growth was about $18^{\circ}C$. 2. There was no significant difference between the embryo growth and germination ratio of ginseng seeds which were sown in seed bed at Aug-5 without seed stratification and that of artificial seed stratification. 3. Embryo growth and germination ratio was significantly inhibited by high temperature treatment at $30^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours or respiration stress by immersing seeds in water for 10 days or more. 4. When the seed stratification was started at $10^{\circ}C$, growth of embryo in the ginseng seeds were almost stopped. But, when the seeds were stratified first at $20^{\circ}C$ for 50 days and next at $10^{\circ}C$ for 50 days, the embryo growth was significantly promoted compared with the embryo growth in the seeds which were stratified at $20^{\circ}C$ for 100 days. 5. The successive embryo growth after seed stratification was significantly accelerated at $10^{\circ}C$ but the seeds chilled at $5^{\circ}C$ for 100 days were resulted in the highest germination ratio as well as the shortest days for germination. 6. The successive embryo growth during chilling treatment and seed germination were significantly inhibited by immersing seeds in water just before chilling treatment or during chilling treatment and by interruption of chilling treatment with raising temperature to $20^{\circ}C$ for 20 days during chilling treatment. 7. The germination ratio of ginseng seeds which finished chilling treatment was highest at $10^{\circ}C$ and 62.5% was the estimated soil moisture for the best germination of ginseng seeds. The ginseng seeds were found to require high amount of oxygen for germination. 8. Only water soluble material in homogenized ginseng seeds showed a significant inhibiting effect on the seed germination of sesame, millet and soybean. Water soluble material dissolved from undehisced ginseng seeds showed stronger inhibiting effect on the seedling growth of sesame than material from dehisced ginseng seeds. Extraction temperature did not influence the inhibiting effect of the material dissolved from ginseng seeds on the seedling growth of sesame. 9. Water soluble materials dissolved from the berry pulps, leaves, fresh roots and dried roots also showed a significant inhibiting effect on the seedling growth of sesame. 10. Water soluble materials dissolved from the ginseng seeds, leaves and fresh roots showed a significant inhibiting effect on the germination of true fungi and the growth of spawn but the growth of phytopathogenic bacteria was not. 11. Among the water soluble materials dissolved from ginseng seeds, the materials of low molecular weight less than 3,000 were resulted a significant inhibiting effect on the seedling growth of sesame and the materials of high molecular weight also showed an inhibiting effect.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.181-191
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• 1980

For the purpose of studies on the citric acid production, some experiments were carried out with isolated strains. The results obtained were as follows. 1) The optimal culture media of the strain M-80 in surface culture contained 140g of sucrose, 3.0g of (N $H_4$)$_2$S $O_4$, 1.5g of K $H_2$P $O_4$, 0.2g of MgS $O_4$.7$H_2O$, 3.0mg of F $e^{++}$, 1.0mg of Z $n^{++}$, 0.5N HCI to a pH of 5.0 and distilled water to 1.0 liter; and that of the strain M-315 in surface culture contained 140g of sucrose, 2.0g of N $H_4$N $O_3$, 1.0g of K $H_2$P $O_4$, 0.25g of MgS $O_4$. 7$H_2O$, 2.0mg of F $e^{++}$, 2.0mg of Z $n^{++}$, 0.05mg of C $u^{++}$, 0.5N HCI to a pH of 4.5 and distilled water to 1.0 liter. While that of the strain M-315 in submerged culture contained 140g of sucrose, 2.5g of N $H_4$N $O_3$, 1.5g of K $H_2$P $O_4$, 0.3g of MgS $O_4$. 7$H_2O$, 3.0mg of F $e^{++}$, 0.1mg of C $u^{++}$, 0.5N HCI to a pH of 4.5 and distilled water to 1.0 liter. The optimal temperature and size of inoculum were mostly 28-3$0^{\circ}C$, 10$^{7}$ -10$^{8}$ spores/50ml, respectively. 2) Through the course of citric acid production, the growth of strains had nearly been completed, pH value was rapidly decreased below 2.0 and the content of sugar was also reduced, while the accumulation of citric acid in media was remarkably begun in about 3-4 days. The yields of citric acid generally reached the maximum level in 8-10 days in surface or submerged fermentation process. 3) Methanol was effective citric acid production when they were added to fermentation media. In the case of surface culture, by addition of 2％ (strain M-80), 3％ (strain M-315), the yields of citric acid was increased 6.5％, 20.6%, respectively and 5.0% yield was increased by addition of 3% methanol in submerged culture media of the strain M-315. 4) Chromatography analysis of culture broth after fermentation under optimal culture conditions detected that the majority of acid in media was citric acid. 72.1mg/ml, 98.1mg/ml, of citric acid were determined in surface culture media by strains of M-80, M-315, and 59.8 mg/ml of citric acid was contained in the submerged culture media by the strain M-315. strain M-315.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.261-272
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate indices affecting composts maturity for swine manure compost produced in a commercial composting facility with air-forced from the bottom. The composting was made of swine manure mixed with puffing rice hull(6: 4) and turned by escalating agitator twice a day. Composting samples were collected periodically during a 45-d composting cycle at that system, showing that indices of Ammonium-N to Nitrate-N ratio were sensitive indicators of composting quality. Pile temperature maintained more than 62$^{\circ}C$ and water contents decreased about 20% for 25days of composting. A great variety and high numbers of aerobic thermophilic heterotropic microbes playing critical roles in stability of composts have been examined in the final composts, sbowing that they were detected $10^8$ to $10^{10}$ $CFUg^{-1}$ in mesophilic bacteria, $10^3$ - $10^4$ in fungi and $10^6$ - $10^8$ in actinomycetes, respectively. The results of this study for detennining a factor affecting compost stability evaluations based on composting steps were as follows; 1. Ammonium-N concentrations were highest at the beginning of composting, reaching approximately 421mg/kg. However Ammonium-N concentrations were lower during curing, reaching approximately l04mg/kg just after 45 day. The ratio between $NH_4-N$ and $NO_3-N$ was above II at the beginning of composting and less than 2 at the final step(45 day). 2. Seed germination Index was dependent upon the compost phytotoxicity and its nutrition. The phytotocity caused the GI to low during the period of active composting(till 25 days of composting time) depending on the value of the undiluted. After 25 days of composting time, the GI was dependent upon compost nutrition. The Gennination index of the final step was calculated at over 80 without regard to treatments. 3. E4: E6 ratio in humic acid of composts was correlatively decreased from 8.86 to 6.76 during the period of active composting. After 25 days of composting time, the E4: E6 was consistently decreased from 6.76 to 4.67($r^2$ of total composting period was 0.95). 4. Water soluble carbon had a tendency to increase from 0.54% to 0.78%during the period of active composting. After 25 days of composting time, it was consistently decreased from 0.78% to 0.42%. Water soluble nitrogen increased from 0.22% to 0.32% during the period of 15 days after initial composting while decreased from 0.32% to 0.21% after 15days of composting. In consequence, the correlation coefficient($r^2$) between water soluble carbon and water soluble nitrogen was 0.12 during the period of active composting mule was 0.50 after 25 days of composting time

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.206-241
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• 1985

Attempts to search infection period, infection speed in the tissue of neck blast of rice plant, location of inoculum source and effects of several conditions about the leaf sheath of rice plants for neck blast incidence have been made. 1. The most infectious period for neck blast incidence was the booting stage just before heading date, and most of necks have been infected during the booting stage and on heading date. But $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid varieties had shown always high possibility for infection after booting stage. 2. Incubation period for neck blast of rice plants under natural conditions had rather a long period ranging from 10 to 22 days. Under artificial inoculation condition incubation period in the young panicle was shorter than in the old panicle. Panicles that emerged from the sheath of flag leaf had long incubation period, with a low infection rate and they also shown slow infection speed in the tissue. 3. Considering the incubation period of neck blast of rice plant, we assumed that the most effective application periods of chemicals are 5-10 days for immediate effective chemicals and 10-15 days for slow effective chemicals before heading. 4. Infiltration of conidia into the leaf sheath of rice plant carried out by saturation effect with water through the suture of the upper three leaves. The number of conidia observed in the leaf sheath during the booting stage were higher than those in the leaf sheath during other stages. Ligule had protected to infiltrate of conidia into the leaf sheath. 5. When conidia were infiltrated into the leaf sheath, the highest number of attached conidia was observed on the panicle base and panicle axis with hairs and degenerated panicle, which seemed to promote the infection of neck blast. 6. The lowest spore concentration for neck blast incidence was variable with rice varietal groups. $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid varieties were infected easily compared to the Japonica type varieties, especially. The number of spores for neck blast incidence in $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid varieties was less than 100 and disease index was higher also in $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid than in Japonica type varieties. 7. Nitrogen content and silicate content were related with blast incidence in necks of rice plants in the different growing stage changed during growing period. Nitrogen content increased from booting stage to heading date and then decreased gradually as time passes. Silicate content increased from booting stage after heading with time. Change of these content promoted to increase neck blast infection. 8. Conidia moved to rice plant by ascending and desending dispersal and then attached on the rice plant. Conidia transfered horizontally was found very negligible. So we presumed that infection rate of neck blast was very low after emergence of panicle base from the leaf sheath. Also ascending air current by temperature difference between upper and lower side of rice plant seemed to increase the liberation of spores. 9. Conidial number of the blast fungus collected just before and after heading date was closely related with neck blast incidence. Lesions on three leaves from the top were closely related with neck blast incidence, because they had high potential for conidia formation of rice blast fungus and they were direct inoculum sources for neck blast. 10. The condition inside the leaf sheath was very favorable for the incidence of neck blast and the neck blast incidence in the leaf sheath increased as the level of fertilizer applied increased. Therefore, the infection rate of neck blast on the all panicle parts such as panicle base, panicle branches, spikelets, nodes, and internodes inside the leaf sheath didn't show differences due to varietal resistance or fertilizers applied. 11. Except for others among dominant species of fungi in the leaf sheath, only Gerlachia oryzae appeared to promote incidence of neck blast. It was assumed that days for heading of varieties were related with neck blast incidence.