• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.931-938
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• 2012

The effects were investigated of different lengths and numbers of slitwalls in drainless containers on growth and change in soil moisture volumes on the growth of Diffenbachia amoena 'Marianne' and Begonia rex. Drainless containers filled with amended soil, with square shape ($240mm{\times}240mm$) were used, as well as three different sets of slitwalls (2, 4 or 8, respectively) in addition to non-slitwall containers. Two indoor foliage plants were grown in slitwall containers in randomized blocks with 3 replications in greenhouse conditions, from March to September, 2009. Soil moisture volumes per container were measured by weighing containers every 2 hours during the day. The change in soil moisture volumes showed considerable differences among slitwalls tested in comparison to control containers before and after twice-weekly irrigation. Particularly, the differences in the S2 (195mm, slitwall 2) containers were significantly greater than other containers tested. For Diffenbachia amoena 'Marianne', plant height, length of leaf, dry weight and fresh weight were higher with S2 containers than with those grown in other containers tested. The Begonia rex with the best quality in terms of plant height, length of leaf and width of leaf was grown in S8 (360mm, slitwall 8) containers. Particularly, statistical analysis has indicated that shoot fresh weights of Begonia rex grown in S8 were 3-fold higher than those grown in CS8 containers. The different results obtained within the two species led us to hypothesize a species-specific influence on indoor foliage plant performance. However, plants of both species grown in slitwall containers showed good results compared with plants grown in non-slitwall containers.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.73-84
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• 2015

Nine plant species were selected through vegetation survey at three military shooting ranges at northern Gyeonggi Province. Plants were germinated in normal soil and three seedlings were transplanted to a bottom sealed pot containing sandy loam soils contaminated with either RDX (291 mg/kg) or TNT (207 mg/kg). Planted, blank (without plant), and control (without explosive compound) pots were grown in triplicate at a green house for 134 days. During cultivation, transplanted plants exhibited chlorosis and necrosis in flower and leaf by explosive toxicity and stress. Only three plants, Wild soybean, Amur silver grass, Reed canary grass, survived in TNT treated pot, while seven plant species except for field penny cress and jimson weed, thrived in RDX treated pot. Appreciable amount of TNT (61.6~241.2 mg/g-D.W.) was detected only in plant roots. Up to 763.3 mg/g-D.W. along with 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, an intermediate of TNT, accumulated in the root of wild soybean. In addition, azoxy compounds, abiotic intermediates of TNT, were detected in TNT treated soils. RDX absorbed average 1,839.95 mg/kg in shoot and 204.83 mg/kg in root. Most of TNT in plant was accumulated in underground part whereas RDX was localized in aerial part. Material balance calculation showed that more than 95% of the initial TNT was removed in the planted pots whereas only 60% was removed in the blank pot. The amount of RDX removed from soil was in the order of Amur Silver Grass (51%) > Chickweed (43%) > Evening primrose (38%). Based on the results of pot cultures, Amur silver grass and Reed canary grass are selected as tolerant remedial plants for explosive toxicity.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.85-94
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• 2015

RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) is the most important explosive contaminant, both in concentration and in frequency, at military shooting ranges in which green technologies such as phytoremediation or constructed wetlands are the best option for mitigation of explosive compounds discharge to the environment. A study was conducted with two identical lab-scale plug flow constructed wetlands planted with Amur silver grass to treat water artificially contaminated with 40 mg/L of toxic explosive compound, RDX. The reactor was inoculated with or without RDX degrading mixed culture to evaluate plant-microorganism interactions in RDX removal, transformation products distribution, and kinetic constants. RDX and its metabolites in water, plant, and sediment were analyzed by HPLC to determine mass balance and kinetic constants. After 30 days of operation, the reactor reached steady-state at which more than 99% of RDX was removed with or without the mixed culture inoculation. The major transformation product was TNX (Trinitroso-RDX) that comprised approximately 50% in the mass balance of both reactors. It was also the major compound in the plant root and shoot system. Acute toxicity analysis of the water samples showed more than 30% of toxicity reduction in the effluent than that of influent containing 40 mg/L of RDX. In the Amur silver grass mesocosm seeded with the mixed culture, the specific RDX removal rate, that is 1st order removal rate normalized to plant fresh weight, was estimated to be 0.84 kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ which is 16.7% higher than that in the planted only mesocosm. Therefore, the results of this study proved that Amur silver grass is an effective plant for RDX removal in constructed wetlands and the efficiency can be increased even more when applied with RDX degrading microbial consortia.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: Arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwater used for long-term irrigation has emerged as a serious problem by adding As to soils. Phytoremediation potential of fiber crops viz., kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), mesta (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), and jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) was studied to clean up As-contaminated soil.METHODS AND RESULTS: Varieties of three fiber crops were selected in this study. Seeds of kenaf, mesta, and jute varieties were germinated in As-contaminated soil. Uptake of As by shoot was significantly higher than that by root in the contaminated soil. In As-contaminated soil, kenaf and mesta varieties accumulated more As, than did jute varieties. In the plant parts above ground, mainly the shoots, the highest As absorption was recorded in kenaf cv. HC-3, followed by kenaf cv. HC-95. Kenaf varieties produced more biomass. In terms of higher plant biomass production, and As absorption, kenaf varieties showed considerable potential to remediate As-contaminated soil.CONCLUSION: The overall As absorption and phytoremediation potentiality of plant varieties were in the order of kenaf cv. HC-3 > kenaf cv. HC-95 > mesta cv. Samu-93 > jute cv. CVE-3 > jute cv. BJC-7370. All varieties of kenaf, mesta, and jute could be considered for an appropriate green plant-based remediation technology in As-contaminated soil.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.318-326
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• 2016

Two phosphate solubilizing bacteria, Pantoea rodasii PSB-11and Enterobacter aerogenes PSB-12, were isolated from button mushroom compost and employed to assess their synergistic effect in liquid medium and on growth of green gram plants by single and co-inoculation of the strains. Co-inoculation of two strains was found to release the highest content of soluble phosphorus ($521{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$) into the medium, followed by single inoculation of Pantoea strain ($485{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$) and Enterobacter strain ($470{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$). However, there was no significant difference between single inoculation of bacterial strain and co-inoculation of two bacterial strains in terms of phosphorous release. The highest pH reduction, organic acid production and glucose consumption was observed in the E. aerogenes PSB-12 single inoculated culture medium rather than those of co-inoculation. According to the plant growth promotion bioassay, co-inoculated mung bean seedlings recorded 10.6% and 10.7% higher shoot and root growth respectively compared to the control. Therefore, in concluding, co-inoculation of the strains P. rodasii and E. aerogenes displayed better performance in stimulating plant growth than inoculation of each strain alone. However, being short assessment period of the present study, we recommend in engaging further works under field conditions in order to test the suitability of the strains to be used as bio-inoculants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 1984

Containerized Quercus acutissima seedlings were inoculated with vegetative mycelial inoculum of Pisolithus tinctorius and were grown in a green-house. The ectomycorrhizal fungus, P. tinctorius (Pt) increased growth of the container-grown oak seedlings. Of three treatments, Pt inoculation stimulated remarkably primary lateral roots, shoot growth, and root collar diameter and leaf area development, compared with either non-inoculated or natural soil treatment. In addition, Pt-inoculated seedlings produced ectomycorrhizae, by 71.1 percent. However, noninoculated and naturally grown seedlings were free of natural ectomycorrhizal. Ectomycorthizal roots developed more abundantly in the middle portion of the container than in the top or bottom portions.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.387-391
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• 2017

Kiwifruits introduced to Korea typically have green fruit flesh, yellow flesh, or yellow flesh with red coloration around the core. Here, we describe a new cultivar called 'Redvita', the first kiwifruit cultivar of Korea with yellow flesh and red coloration around the core. A conventional field cross was conducted in 2003, and permission for the final release of 'Redvita' was obtained in 2012. 'Redvita' originates from 'Red Princess', a maternal vine known for the red coloration in its flesh. The pollinizer is 'NHK0013' (IT233175), which blooms in early May. A principal feature of 'Redvita' is its high vitamin C content, which at an average of 140 mg per 100 g of fresh weight is 2 - 4 times higher than other commercial cultivars. The average fruit weight is 97 g; bigger than that of the control cultivar 'Hongyang'. 'Redvita' blooms in mid-May and is usually harvested in early to mid-October, approximately 150 - 160 days after anthesis. 'Redvita' produces 3 or 4 flowers per fruiting shoot, with no small lateral flowers, therefore does not need to be thinned before blooming for commercial production. The cultivar is acidulous because of a high titratable acidity content (about 1.5%), which is higher than other cultivars (less than 1.0%). 'Redvita' was registered with the Korean Seed and Variety Service in 2015 for plant variety protection rights (no. 5604).

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.489-499
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• 2016

Green shoot cuttings of 10 different grapevine species were inoculated with Agrobacterium vitis to find disease-related metabolites in the grapevine. Crown galls formed 60 days after inoculation varied in gall severity (GS) evaluated by gall incidence (GI) and gall diameter (GD), which were classified into three response types as RR (low GI and small GD), SR (high GI and small GD), and SS (high GI and large GD), corresponding to resistant, moderately resistant, and susceptible responses, respectively. In this, 4, 4, and 2 Vitis species were classified into RR, SR, and SS, respectively. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the grapevine stem metabolites with A. vitis infection showed 134 metabolites in various compound classes critically occurred, which were differentially clustered with the response types by the principal component analysis. Multivariate analysis of the metabolite profile revealed that 11 metabolites increased significantly in relation to the response types, mostly at post-inoculation stages, more prevalently (8 metabolites) at two days after inoculation than other stages, and more related to SS (7 metabolites) than RR (3 metabolites) or SR (one metabolite). This suggests most of the disease-related metabolites may be rarely pre-existing but mostly induced by pathogen infection largely for facilitating gall development except stilbene compound resveratrol, a phytoalexin that may be involved in the resistance response. All of these aspects may be used for the selection of resistant grapevine cultivars and their rootstocks for the control of the crown gall disease of the grapevine.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2004

Glehnia littoralis is known as an edible and medicinal plant using green loaves and mature roots of plant. In the present paper, the influence of plant growth regulators on callus induction and plant regeneration was investigated. Callus induction and regeneration occurred from leaf and petiole explants in Glehnia littoralis. Optimal condition of plant growth regulators for callus induction from leaf and petiole explants was MS basal medium supplemented with 2mg/L 2,4-D and 2mg/L BA. The frequency of callus induction was higher in petiole explant than leaf. When the callus was cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 0∼1 mg/L IAA, 0∼1mg/L NAA and 0∼2mg/L BA for about 65 days, the most effective plant growth regulators on plant regeneration from callus were 1mg/L NAA and 2mg/L BA. The plantlets acclimatized successfully and grown in vermiculite matrix.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.401-414
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• 2016

The synergistic effect on phosphate solubilization of single- and co-inoculation of two phosphate solubilizing bacteria, Burkholderia anthina PSB-15 and Enterobacter aerogenes PSB-16, was assessed in liquid medium and green gram plants. Co-inoculation of two strains was found to release the highest content of soluble phosphorus ($519{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) into the medium, followed by single inoculation of Burkholderia strain ($492{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) and Enterobacter strain ($483{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$). However, there was no significant difference between single inoculation of bacterial strain and co-inoculation of two bacterial strains in terms of phosphorous release. The highest pH reduction, organic acid production, and glucose consumption were observed in the culture medium co-inoculated with PSB-15 and PSB-16 strains rather than that of single inoculation. Based on the plant growth promotion bioassay, co-inoculated mung bean seedlings recorded 9% and 8% higher shoot and root growth, respectively, compared to the control. Therefore, in conclusion, co-inoculation of the strains B. anthina and E. aerogenes displayed better performance in stimulating plant growth than inoculation of each strain alone. However, considering the short assessment period of the present study, we recommend engaging in further work under field conditions in order to test the suitability of these strains as bio-inoculants.