• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.875-890
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• 2021

In order to confirm the safety of a genetically modified organism (GMO), we assess its potential toxicity on non-target insects and spiders. In this study, the effects of GM soybean, a type of vitamin-A-enhanced transgenic soybean with tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate, were assessed under a field condition. The study compared this vitamin-A-enhanced transgenic soybean and a non-GM soybean (Gwangan) in a living modified organism (LMO) isolated field of Kyungpook National University (Gunwi) and the National Institute Agricultural Sciences (Jeonju) in the Republic of Korea in 2019 - 2020. In total, 207,760 individual insects and arachnids, representing 81 families and 13 orders, were collected during the study. From the two types of soybean fields, corresponding totals of 105,765 and 101,995 individuals from the vitamin-A-enhanced transgenic soybean and Gwangan samples areas were collected. An analysis of variance indicated no significant differences (p < 0.05). A multivariate analysis showed that the dominance and richness outcomes of plant-dwelling insects were similar. The data on insect species population densities were subjected to a principal component analysis (PCA) and an orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), which did not distinguish between the two varieties, i.e., the vitamin-A-enhanced transgenic soybean and the non-GM soybean in any cultivated field. However, the results of the PCA analysis could be divided overall into four groups based on the yearly survey areas. Therefore, there was no evidence for the different impact of vitamin A-enhanced transgenic soybean on the above-ground insects and spiders compared to non-GM soybean.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2017

In the present study, we investigated the effects of two herbicide-resistant genetically modified rice (GM rice) varieties, Milyang 204 and Iksan 483, recently developed in Korea on non-target insects and a spider. No difference in host preferences of the English grain aphid Sitobion avenae and the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens were observed between GM rice and non-GM rice. Wolf spider Pirata subpiraticus, feeding on N. lugens reared on GM rice or non-GM rice, revealed no significant difference in body weight. P. subpiraticus, fed with N. lugens reared on Milyang 204, showed survival rates similar to that in P. subpiraticus fed with N. lugens reared on non-GM rice. However, P. subpiraticus feeding on N. lugens reared on Iksan 483 demonstrated significantly lower survival rates than that in P. subpiraticus feeding on N. lugens reared on Milyang 204 or non-GM rice. In addition, when larvae of the western honeybee Apis mellifera were supplied with Iksan 483 pollen, a significantly longer pupal period occurred, as compared with that of A. mellifera supplied with pollen of Milyang 204 or non-GM rice. As GM rice has negative effects on P. subpiraticus, which is an important predator in agricultural ecosystems, and on A. mellifera, which plays important roles in pollination and honey production, additional studies on risk assessment of GM rice should be conducted before releasing newly developed herbicide-resistant GM rice to the agricultural environment.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2010

The environmental risks of cucumber mosaic virus resistant transgenic chili peppers with the CMVP0-CP gene on non-target organisms in the agroecosystem environments was evaluated during the periods of the chili pepper growing season (June 19, July 30, August 31) in 2007. Arthropods assemblages leaves and flowers of chili peppers were quantitatively collected by using an insect vacuum collector to compare the arthropod community structures between non-transgenic chili peppers (nTR, P 915) and mosaic virus resistant transgenic chili peppers (TR, CMV-cp, line 7). There was no statistical difference in the arthropod community structure between the two types of crops, nTR and TR, at the same season, although the species richness and Shannon's index were somewhat different among seasons; indicating no effects of genetically modified peppers on the arthropod community. However, further studies were required to conclude more concretely for the potential environmental risk of the transgenic chili pepper of CMV-cp.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.719-736
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• 2022

Environmental risk assessment of living modified (LM) crops is essential for their cultivation. In this study, we cultivated β-carotene enhanced transgenic soybean (LM soybean) and non-LM soybean (Gwangan) in living modified organism (LMO) isolated fields, and investigated changes in the insect fauna using three types of collection methods for three years. In total, 331,483 individual insects and arachnids, representing 82 families in 14 orders, were captured during the study. Totals of 166,518 and 164,965 individual insects and arachnids were collected from LM soybean and Gwangan, respectively. Throughout the study, although there were differences between the investigation year, region, and methods, there were no significant differences between the population densities of insect pests, natural enemies, and other insects on LM soybean and non-LM soybean. Also, there were no statistically significant differences between varieties in the results of the species diversity analysis. The data on insect species population densities were subjected to multidimensional scaling (MDS), which did not distinguish between the two varieties, LM soybean and the non-LM soybean, in all cultivated fields. However, the results of the MDS analysis were completely divided into six groups based on the yearly survey areas. These results provided the insect diversity for an environmental risk assessment of LM soybean and suggested that the guideline could be useful to detect LM crops.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2020

Debates over the ecological and public health impacts of aerial pesticide sprays are increasing. This is particularly true for controlling Monochamus beetles, which are vector insects of pinewood nematodes. In 2017, adult female orb-web spiders, Trichonephila clavata, were sampled from pine forests in Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, where the aerial pesticide spray, fenitrothion or thiacloprid, was used for several decades. The biological traits of the spiders (body weight, body length, carapace width, and total hind leg length) were compared among treatment sites (no-spray, sprayed three times, and sprayed five times), and differences were observed. The body length, carapace width, and total hind leg length of the spiders in the sprayed areas were significantly shorter than in the no-spray area, but there were no differences between the area sprayed three or five times. These results indicate that repeated exposures to an aerial pesticide spray can alter morphological parameters, which influences population-level fitness. Future studies should monitor the spider long-term responses to pesticides (a direct effect) and prey availability (an indirect effect).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.326-335
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• 2007

This study was conducted to assess the environmental risks of anthracnose resistant transgenic chili peppers with the PepEST gene on non-target organisms in the agroecosystem environments during the chili pepper growing seasons in 2006. We quantitatively collected arthropods assemblages living on leaves and flowers of chili peppers on June 20, July 25, and August 25 by using an insect vacuum collector to compare the patterns of arthropod community structures between non-transgenic chili peppers (nTR, WT512) and anthracnose resistant transgenic chili peppers (TR, line 68). We found the seasonal difference with the highest species richness and Shannon's diversity in July's sampling among the growing seasons (P<0.05) and each sampling season showed the different arthropod community composition. We also found there was no statistical difference between the two types of crops, nTR and TR, at each sampling time (P>0.05). The significance level of arthropod community showed that there were lots of seasonal difference of functional groups as well as taxa but only the herbivore group in the functional groups was significantly different for the types of plants (P<0.05). So, we further examined the herbivore groups to find any potential damage and identified the possibility of herbivorous damage from some herbivores, grasshoppers, aphids and thrips. Although we couldn't find any adverse effects from the environmental risk assessment between the arthropod community structures on two types of plants from our results, we should keep working for the environmental risk assessment because of the herbivorous potential risk possibility.