• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2006

In order to investigate the impacts of non-selective herbicide, glufosinate-ammonium (ammonium 4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphinoyl] -DL-homoalaninate, GLA) to the non-target organisms, earthworm was exposed to GLA in the field soil for a month, and microbial populations in the soil were investigated after application of GLA. Simultaneously, the residues of GLA and its metabolite, 3-MPP were analyzed in the same soil. Meanwhile, to elucidate the influence of GLA to the growth of non-target crops incase of inter-furrow application, the amounts of carotenoid, chlorophyll, amino acid, proteins and sugars in the leaves of potato and chinese cabbage grown in the same field were investigated. In result, the dead earthworm was not observed during the test period, and the increasing rates of bodyweight were $9.410{\sim}11.603%$ in GLA-treated plots and 5.645% in GLA-untreated plots. The populations of fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes in the GLA-treated soils were $6.2{\times}10^4$, $1.5{\times}10^6$ and $5.7{\times}10^4$, respectively. They maintained relatively similar levels to the control which were $3.7{\times}10^4$, $3.7{\times}10^5$ and $3.7{\times}10^4$, respectively. In residue analysis, the limit of detection of GLA was 0.02 mg $kg^{-1}$, that of 3-MPP was the same level, and the half-life of GLA was 15 days in sandy clay loam soil. This result indicates that GLA was degraded very quickly in field soil. On the other hand, the amounts of physiological, biochemical components such as carotenoid, amino acid, chlorophyll, protein and sugar were ranged from 90.0 to 104.3% in potato and from 99.0 to 112.7% in chinese cabbage. Comparing with hand-weeded plots, it is indicated that GLA had not affected to the growth of non-target crops when applied at inter-furrow in crops-growing field.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.299-308
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• 2004

In order to elucidate the behavior of bensulfuron-methyl, a sulfonylurea herbicide, in a soil/plant microecosystem, rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) were grown for 12 weeks in the specially made stainless steel pots (17cm I.D. $\times$ 10cm H.) containing two different paddy soils treated with fresh and 13-week-aged residues of [phenyl-$^{14}C$]bensulfuron-methyl, respectively. During the aging period, the mineralization to $^{14}CO_2$ from soil A (OM, 3.59%; CEC, 7.65 $cmol^+\;kg^{-1}$; texture, sandy clay loam) and B (OM, 1.62%; CEC, 4.51 $cmol^+\;kg^{-1}$; texture, sandy loam) amounted to 6.79 and 10.15% of the originally applied $[^{14}C]$bensulfuron-methyl, respectively. The amounts of $^{14}CO_2$ evolved from the soils with fresh residues were higher than those from the soils with aged residues. At harvest after 12-week growing, $^{14}C$-radioactivity absorbed and translocated into rice plants from soils A and B containing fresh residues of bensulfuron-methyl was 1.53 and 4.40%, while 4.04 and 6.37% in the two soils containing aged residues, respectively. Irrespective of aging and soil type, the $^{14}C$-radioactivity remaining in soil ranged from 80.41 to 98.87% of the originally applied $[^{14}C]$bensulfuron-methyl. The solvent extractability of tile soils was $39.25\sim70.39%$, showing the big differences among the treatments. Most of the nonextractable soil-bound residues of $[^{14}C]$bensulfuron-methyl were incorporated into the fulvic acid fraction$(61.32\sim76.45%)$. Comparing the microbial activity of the soils with rice plants grown with that of the soils without them, the former was $1.6\sim3.0$ times higher than the latter. However, it did not correlate with the $^{14}CO_2$ evolution.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.32-36
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• 1991

The study has been carried out to acquire some basic informations about Bacillus thuringiensis for developing the microbial pesticide. Three strains of Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki, dendrolimus and aizawai, were used in the experiments as follows. Growth characteristics of each strain were examined and parasporal protein crystals were isolated from the mixtures of spores and protein crystals by the new method of centrifugation in two-layer cushion of Renograffin using a fixed angle rotor. The results are as follows. 1. No difference was shown in growth characterestics among three strains of B. thuringiensis. In growth curves, all strains reached to exponential phase by 2 hr and stationary phase by 7-8 hr after inoculation. 2. The pH of the culture media during exponential growth stage decreased about 1.4 of a pH unit at the beginning of sporulation, but recovered during the early stage of sporulation and then remained nearly constant during the later stage. 3. As 10$m\ell$ sample was applied to two-layer cushion of Renograffin and then centrifuged for 1hr at 27,000g a fixed angle rotor, the purity and recovery ratio was 99.9% and 5.8%, respectively. It has been shown that the new method for the isolation of parasporal protein crystals was more efficient than any from the estabilished methods.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.435-439
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• 1995

Some characteristics and pathogenicity of Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HcNPV), a potential microbial pesticide was studied. H. cunea NPV replicated in the nucleus of S. frugiperda cells cultured in the TNMFH medium. In case of virus infected cell, prepolyhedra formation was observed at 24hrs post-infection. At 48 hrs post-infection, Most of the infected cell contained many mature polyhedra which were released into culture media 72 hrs post-infection, with the cells grown in suspension culture, pH of the culture medium increased during the virus replication: the pH of fresh medium was 6.35 and rose to 6.77 within 120 hrs. Polyhedra formed a band in linear density gradient of sucrose by centrifugation, which co-sedimented with $50{\sim}55%$ sucrose. The shape of the purified polyhedra was mostly tetragonal hexahedron and its size was about $2.5{\mu}m$. Electron microscopy and phase contrast microscopy showed that many bundled nucleocapsids were occluded in mature polyhedra at 48 hrs post infection. H. cunea larvae infected with NPV showed a higher motality in the second and third instar than in the fourth instar. Death rate of H. cunea larvae in the second and third instar fed with leaves coated with $1.5{\times}10^{9}{\sim}l.5{\times}10^{7}PIBs/ml$ reached more than 90%.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.108-114
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• 2014

To analyze the hazards associated with cucumber and hot pepper cultivation areas, a total of 72 samples were obtained and tested to detect the presence of biological (sanitary indicative, pathogenic bacteria and fungi) and chemical hazards (heavy metals and pesticide residues). The levels of sanitary indicative bacteria (aerobic plate counts and coliforms) and fungi were ND-7.2 and ND-4.8 log CFU/(g, mL, hand, or $100cm^2$) in cucumber cultivation areas, and ND-6.8 and 0.4-5.3 log CFU/(g, mL, hand, or $100cm^2$) in hot pepper cultivation areas. More specifically, the soil of hot pepper cultivation areas was contaminated with coliforms at a maximum level of 5.6 log CFU/g. Staphylococcus aureus was detected only in glove samples at a level of 1.4 log CFU/$100cm^2$ and Bacillus cereus was detected in the majority of samples at a level of ND-4.8 log CFU/(g, mL, hand, or $100cm^2$). Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp. were not detected. Heavy metal (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Hg) chemical hazards were detected at levels lower than the regulation limit. Residual insecticides were not detected in cucumbers; however, hexaconazole was detected at a level of 0.016 mg/kg (maximum residue limit: 0.3 mg/kg) in hot peppers.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.223-231
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• 1983

The productions of beta-exotoxin from sixteen Bacillus thuringiensis strains were examined by Micrococus flava primarily, and then measured by spectrophotometer during culturing in Conner and Hansen mineral salts medium at 28$^{\circ}C$. Also the toxic effects of the toxin to mice were checked. The growth of Bacillus thuringiensis K2 and BTK2-T1, -T13, -T33 and -T40 got into stationary phase at 6 hour culture and then maintained it up to 48 hours without severe fluctuation. The production of beta-exotoxin from the strains, BTK2, BTK2-T1, -T13, -T17 and -T33 appeared at 6 hour culture and the amounts of the toxin were about 40 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ at 6 hour culture, approximately 70 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ at 12 hours, approximately 85$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ from 24 hours to 48 hours. At 48 hour-culture, BTK2 produced 80 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ of beta-exotoxin (5.5$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$, BTK2-T13 produced 84 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (4.3$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), BTK2-T17 produced 87$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (1.4$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), and BTK2-T33 produced 84 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (4.9$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$). All other serotypes also produced beta-exotoxin. At 48 hour culture, BTK-37 produced 88$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (6.1$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), BTK-35 produced 81 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$), and the rest of them produced less than 70 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$. To check the toxicity of beta-exotoxin and B. thuringiensis, the cultured media with microorganisms were inoculated to mice by per os, intraperiloneal, subcutaneous and intracerebral injection, and nasal cavity inoculation for 30 days. However, the toxin did not kill all of the treated mice.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.962-968
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• 2002

Effects of gamma-irradiation of 1 to 10 kGy on the microbial growth, contents of amino acids, fatty acids, and free sugars, and changes in acid values in soybean powder were studied. Irradiation doses at $3{\sim}5\;kGy$ inhibited the mold growth completely in two kinds of imported soybean powders. Contents of sulfur-containing amino acids, such as cysteine, in both soybean powders decreased with irradiation, whereas no significant changes in free amino acid and fatty acid contents of both soybean powders were observed. Free sugar contents of stachyose and sucrose in Chinese soybean powder decreased with increasing irradiation dose level, whereas, those of other sugars remained unchanged. Results of this study confirm that $3{\sim}5\;kGy$ irradiation can be safely applied to apply to soybean powder without causing significant quality deteriorations microbiologically and chemically.