• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.43-60
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• 2019

Background: Tropical montane forests played an important role in the provision of ecosystem services. The intense degradation and deforestation for the need of agricultural land expansion result in a significant decline of forest cover. However, the expansion of agricultural land did not completely destruct natural forests. There remain forests inaccessible for agricultural and grazing purpose. Studies on these forests remained scant, motivating to investigate biomass and soil carbon stocks. Data of biomass and soils were collected in 80 quadrats ($400m^2$) systematically in 5 forests. Biomass and disturbance gradients were determined using allometric equation and disturbance index, respectively. The regression modeling is employed to explore the spatial distribution of carbon stock along disturbance and environmental gradients. Correlation analysis is also employed to identify the relation between site factors and carbon stocks. Results: The result revealed that a total of 1655 individuals with a diameter of ${\geq}5cm$, representing 38 species, were measured in 5 forests. The mean aboveground biomass carbon stocks (AGB CS) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at 5 forests were $191.6{\pm}19.7$ and $149.32{\pm}6.8Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. The AGB CS exhibited significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation with SOC and total nitrogen (TN) stocks, reflecting that biomass seems to be a general predictor of SOCs. AGB CS between highly and least-disturbed forests was significantly different (P < 0.05). This disturbance level equates to a decrease in AGB CS of 36.8% in the highly disturbed compared with the least-disturbed forest. In all forests, dominant species sequestrated more than 58% of carbon. The AGB CS in response to elevation and disturbance index and SOC stocks in response to soil pH attained unimodal pattern. The stand structures, such as canopy cover and basal area, had significant positive relation with AGB CS. Conclusions: Study results confirmed that carbon stocks of studied forests were comparable to carbon stocks of protected forests. The biotic, edaphic, topographic, and disturbance factors played a significant variation in carbon stocks of forests. Further study should be conducted to quantify carbon stocks of herbaceous, litter, and soil microbes to account the role of the whole forest ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2018

The crops cultivated and consumed in Korea require specific climate conditions corresponding to their own growth characteristics. This study aims to analyze the relationship between climate change and agricultural productivity. According to growing concern about climate change internationally, many agricultural studies are developing technology to prevent damage from climate change. Before developing technology, we should figure out what kind of crop gets huge damage and how much caused by climate change. In the context of agricultural economics, we can define the reduction of agricultural product yield as a decline in productivity. As a result, this study analyzes the effects of climate change on agricultural productivity using Stochastic Frontier Analysis model. There are several kinds of climate change phenomena that increase the inefficiency of production. In other words, there are several kinds of crops that get negative influence by climate change. The result of this study can be used as basic guideline for producers to prepare for changing weather prior to developing disaster tolerance technology coping actively with special weather report.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.390-400
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• 2019

In this study, strains isolated from soil samples collected from Busan, Changwon, and Jeju Island were examined to verify their abilities of phosphate solubilization and nitrogen fixation, production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore, and 1-aminocylopropane-1-carboxylyic acid (ACC) deaminase in order to select strains that promote plant growth and play a role in biocontrol of pests or pathogens. According to the results of this study, most of the isolated strains were found to have ability of phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, IAA production, siderophore production, and production of ACC deaminase. These isolated strains might help plant growth by directly improving absorption of nutrients essential for phosphate solubilization and nitrogen fixation. In addition, they can promote plant growth and control resistance to plant diseases through extracellular enzyme activity and antifungal activity. In addition, most of the selected strains were found to survive in various environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, and pH. Therefore, Pseudomonas plecoglossicida ANG14, Pseudarthrobacter equi ANG28, Beijerinckia fluminensis ANG34, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus ANG35 were finally selected through a comparative advantage analysis to suggest their potential as novel biological agents. Further studies are necessary in order to prove their efficacy as novel biological agents through formulation and optimization of effective microorganisms, their preservation period, and crop cultivation tests.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.3
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• pp.302-310
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• 2019

Precise and fast identification of crop cultivars is essential for efficient breeding and plant breeders' rights. Traditional methods for identification of jujube cultivars are based on the evaluation of morphological characteristics. However, due to time constraints and environmental influences, it is difficult to distinguish cultivars using only morphological traits. In this study, we cloned fragments from improved inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) analysis, and developed stably diagnostic sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. The specific ISSR bands of jujube cultivars from Dalizao and Boeundaechu were purified, cloned, and sequenced. As a result, four clones labeled 827Dalizao550, 827Boeun750, 846Boeun700, and 847Dalizao850 were identified. In order to investigate whether they were specific for the jujube cultivar, four pairs of SCAR primers were then designed and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications were conducted to analyze 32 samples, including jujube and sour jujube. In the PCR amplification of the 827Dalizao550 SCAR marker, the specific bands with 550 bp were amplified in six samples (Dalizao, Sandonglizao, Dongzao, Yuanlin No. 2, Suanzao 2, Suanzao 4), but unexpected bands (490 bp) were amplified in the others. Moreover, in the PCR amplification of the 847Dalizao850 SCAR marker, the specific bands with 850 bp were found in three samples (Dalizao, Sandonglizao, and Dongzao) and 900 bp unexpected bands were amplified in five samples (Pozao, Suanzao 1, Suanzao 2, Suanzao 3, Suanzao 4). These results showed that newly developed markers could be useful as a fast and reliable tool to identify jujube cultivars. However, further identification of polymorphic information and the development of SCAR markers are required for the identification of more diverse cultivars.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2019

Since the RNA interference (RNAi) had been discovered in many organisms, small non-coding RNA-mediated gene silencing technology, including RNAi have been widely applied to analysis of gene function, as well as crop improvement. Despite the usefulness of RNAi technology, RNAi transgenic crops have various potential environmental risks, including off-target and non-target effects. In this study, we developed methods that can be effectively applied to environmental risk assessment of RNAi transgenic crops and verified these methods in 35S::dsRNAi_eGFP rice transgenic plant we generated. Off-target genes, which can be non-specifically suppressed by the expression of dsRNAi_eGFP, were predicted by using the published web tool, pssRNAit, and verified by comparing their expressions between wild-type (WT) and 35S::dsRNAi_eGFP transgenic rice. Also, we verified the non-target effects of the 35S:: dsRNAi_eGFP plant by evaluating horizontal and vertical transfer of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) produced in the 35S::dsRNAi_eGFP plant into neighboring WT rice and rhizosphere microorganisms, respectively. Our results suggested that the methods we developed, could be widely applied to various RNAi transgenic crops for their environmental risk assessment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1528-1539
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• 2019

Objective: To evaluate the effects on microbial diversity and biochemical parameters of gradually increasing temperatures, from $5^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$ on corn silage which was previously fermented at ambient or low temperature. Methods: Whole-plant corn silage was fermented in vacuum bag mini-silos at either $10^{\circ}C$ or $20^{\circ}C$ for two months and stored at $5^{\circ}C$ for two months. The mini-silos were then subjected to additional incubation from $5^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$ in $5^{\circ}C$ increments. Bacterial and fungal diversity was assessed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) profiling and biochemical analysis from mini-silos collected at each temperature. Results: A temperature of $10^{\circ}C$ during fermentation restricted silage fermentation compared to fermentation temperature of $20^{\circ}C$. As storage temperature increased from $5^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$, little changes occurred in silages fermented at $20^{\circ}C$, in terms of most biochemical parameters as well as bacterial and fungal populations. However, a high number of enterobacteria and yeasts (4 to $5\;log_{10}$ colony forming unit/g fresh materials) were detected at $15^{\circ}C$ and above. PCR-DGGE profile showed that Candida humilis predominated the fungi flora. For silage fermented at $10^{\circ}C$, no significant changes were observed in most silage characteristics when temperature was increased from $5^{\circ}C$ to $20^{\circ}C$. However, above $20^{\circ}C$, silage fermentation resumed as observed from the significantly increased number of lactic acid bacteria colonies, acetic acid content, and the rapid decline in pH and water-soluble carbohydrates concentration. DGGE results showed that Lactobacillus buchneri started to dominate the bacterial flora as temperature increased from $20^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$. Conclusion: Temperature during fermentation as well as temperature during storage modulates microorganism population development and fermentation patterns. Silage fermented at $20^{\circ}C$ indicated that these silages should have lower aerobic stability at opening because of better survival of yeasts and enterobacteria.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.193-199
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• 2019

Perilla seed oil is considered to be a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and phenolic compounds, which have various health benefits. To improve its oil content and nutritional quality, 29 varieties of perilla have been bred, but their nutritional qualities, including the fatty acid and phenolic compound contents, have not been investigated. Therefore, in this study, the seed metabolite profiles, including the fatty acids, of these 29 perilla varieties were analyzed. Palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, rosmarinyl glucoside, and rosmarinic acid were identified as the major metabolites of perilla. The fatty acid contents were higher in the Okdong, Deulsaem, Daesil, Joim, Yeupsil, Danjo, and Joongmo5103 varieties (in order). However, the total phenolic compounds and antioxidative activities of Okdong and Deulsaem were relatively low, whereas the fatty acid and total phenol contents of Joim, Yeupsil, and Danjo were relatively high. These results may be useful for comparing the nutritional quality of the 29 perilla varieties.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.378-386
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• 2018

GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR (GRF) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors and play critical roles in regulating the growth and development of lateral organs. In order to explore the agricultural potential of Brassica rapa GRF genes (BrGRFs), we constructed two BrGRF-overexpressing B. napus plants (BrGRF3-1OX and -9OX). BrGRF3-1OX and -9OX developed larger cotyledons, leaves, and seeds than the wild type. The increased organs' sizes were due to increases in cell number, but not due to cell size alterations. RT-PCR analysis revealed that BrGRFs regulated the expression of a wide range of genes that are involved in gibberellin-, auxin-, cell division-related growth processes. Taken together, our data indicate that BrGRFs act as positive regulators of B. napus growth, thus raising the possibility that they may serve as a useful genetic source for crop improvement with respect to organ size and seed production.

• Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.357-369
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• 2018

The Korean common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has been receiving increased attention as a functional food. The objective of this study was to reveal the phytochemicals genetic variation and antioxidant activity of 209 Korean common bean landraces. Antioxidant activity was evaluated with the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay. Antioxidant activities among common bean accessions showed wide variation. Four flavonoids (kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, and naringenin) of the 209 Korean common bean landraces were measured using HPLC. Among them, kaempferol had the highest phytochemicals compared to the other three flavonoids. Using the relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI), it was found out that the IT104587 had the highest antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, in clustering analysis, the Korean common bean landraces were classified into three clusters. Among them, cluster II contained 64 landraces with higher antioxidant activities and phytochemicals than the other clusters, except DPPH. The results could provide information on the valuable Korean common bean landraces for the development of new common bean varieties.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.219-230
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Biochar is a solid material converted from agricultural biomass such as crop residues and pruning branch through pyrolysis under limited oxygen supply. Biochar consists of non-degradable carbon (C) double bonds and aromatic ring that are not readily broken down by microbial degradation in the soils. Due to the recalcitrancy of C in biochar, biochar application to the soils is of help in enhancing soil carbon sequestration in arable lands that might be a strategy of agricultural sector to mitigate climate change. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were collected from studies on the effect of biochar application on soil C content conducted in East Asian countries including China, Japan and Korea under different experimental conditions (incubation, column, pot, and field). The magnitude of soil C storage was positively correlated (p < 0.001) with biochar application rate under field conditions, reflecting accumulation of recalcitrant black C in the biochar. However, The changes in soil C contents per C input from biochar (% per t/ha) were 6.80 in field condition, and 12.58 in laboratory condition. The magnitude of increment of soil C was lower in field than in laboratory conditions due to potential loss of C through weathering of biochar under field conditions. Biochar production condition also affected soil C increment; more C increment was found with biochar produced at a high temperature (over 450℃). CONCLUSION: This review suggests that biochar application is a potential measures of C sequestration in agricultural soils. However, as the increment of soil C biochar was affected by biochar types, further studies are necessary to find better biochar types for enhanced soil C storage.