• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.644-651
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• 2013

The fermented manure derivative known as Preparation 500 is traditionally used as a field spray in biodynamic agriculture for maintaining and increasing soil fertility. This work aimed at characterizing the product from a microbiological standpoint and at assaying its bioactive properties. The approach involved molecular taxonomical characterization of the culturable microbial community; ARISA fingerprints of the total bacteria and fungal communities; chemical elemental macronutrient analysis via a combustion analyzer; activity assays for six key enzymes; bioassays for bacterial quorum sensing and chitolipooligosaccharide production; and plant hormone-like activity. The material was found to harbor a bacterial community of $2.38{\times}10^8$ CFU/g dw dominated by Gram-positives with minor instances of Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. ARISA showed a coherence of bacterial assemblages in different preparation lots of the same year in spite of geographic origin. Enzymatic activities showed elevated values of ${\beta}$-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, chitinase, and esterase. The preparation had no quorum sensing-detectable signal, and no rhizobial nod gene-inducing properties, but displayed a strong auxin-like effect on plants. Enzymatic analyses indicated a bioactive potential in the fertility and nutrient cycling contexts. The IAA activity and microbial degradation products qualify for a possible activity as soil biostimulants. Quantitative details and possible modes of action are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2008

Diverse organic amendments available in local areas have been used to improve soil quality in red pepper field and so the need for investigating the soil chemical and biological properties changed by the organic amendments application is increasing. Soil microbial diversities were measured by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and Biolog $EcoPlate^{TM}$. Compost was most effective for improving soil chemical properties including pH, EC, total nitrogen, P, K, and Ca, and bark increased soil organic matter significantly (P=0.05). Compost increased the fatty acids indicating actinomycetes and vascular arbuscular fungi, and ratio of cy19:0/18:1w7c and monounsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids in soils in PLFA analysis. Bark increased soil fungal indicators in PLFA analysis (P=0.05). Principal component analysis of Biolog EcoPlate data and PLFA differentiated the compost- and bark-amended soils from other organic matteramended soils especially the soil incorporated with compost. More researches are needed to use bark for improving soil microbial properties because the soil chemical and microbiological properties caused by compost and bark are significantly different.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.479-484
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• 2011

Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were used to describe differences in soil microbial communities influenced by conventional farming system (CFS), conventional farming system without pesticides (CFSWP), and organic farming system (OFS) for strawberry cultivation in controlled horticultural land. In comparison to the CFS soils, the average soil microbial biomasses of in the OFS soils were approximately 1.2 times for total FAMEs ($195nmol\;g^{-1}$), 1.4 times for total bacteria ($58nmol\;g^{-1}$), 1.5 times for Gram-negative bacteria ($27.3nmol\;g^{-1}$), 1.2 times for Gram-positive bacteria ($26.1nmol\;g^{-1}$), and 1.5 times for actinomycetes ($2.8nmol\;g^{-1}$). The microbial communities of total bacteria (p<0.05) and Gram-negative bacteria (p<0.05) in the OFS and CFSWP soils were significantly higher larger than those in the CFS soils. However, fungal structure was significantly greater in CFS than in OFS and CFSWP (p<0.05). In principal component analyses of soil microbial communities, our findings suggest that actinomycetes should be considered as potential factor responsible for the clear microbial community differentiation observed between OFS and CFS in controlled horticultural land.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.110-116
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• 2012

Nuruk plays a significant role in the flavor and quality of Takju and Yakju, which are produced through saccharification and alcohol fermentation by various microorganisms. In this study, we identified microbial strains isolated from a plate count and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis targeting the 16S and 28S rRNA genes, in order to characterize bacterial and fungal diversity in Sansung Nuruk. The numbers of bacteria and fungi in Nuruk were $1.5{\times}10^9$ CFU/g and $2.2{\tims}10^8$ CFU/g, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the predominant bacteria in the isolates and PCR-DGGE profile of Nuruk were Kocuria spp., Pantoea spp., Lactobacillus spp., Pediococcus spp., Weissella spp., Staphylococcus spp., endophytic bacterium, uncultured Gamma-proteobacteria, uncultured Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria. Dominant bacteria from the PCR-DGGE profile were Pediococcous pentosaceus and uncultured Cyanobacteria. The 28S rRNA gene sequence indicated the predominant fungi in the isolates and PCR-DGGE profile to be Trichomonascus spp. Pichia spp., Torulaspora spp., Wickerhamomyces spp., Sacharomycopsis spp., Lichtheimia spp., Mucor spp., Rhizopus spp. Aspergillus spp., and Cladosporium spp. Dominant fungi from the PCR-DGGE profile were Pichia kudriavzevii and Aspergillus oryzae. The PCR-DGGE technique was used for the first time in this study to assess a microbial community in Nuruk and proved to be an effective protocol for profiling microbial diversity.