• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1258-1269
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• 2022

Objective: For improving meat quality especially tenderness, male cattle are usually castrated to removes both the testicles. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect castration method (half- and complete-castration) on meat yield and quality characteristics of Hanwoo male cattle. Methods: Thirty-two similar age (5.9 months) Hanwoo male calves were divided into: half-castration (HC) and complete-castration (CC) groups (n = 16 per group). At 7 months of age, all the animals were castrated in which the HC calves had only one testicle surgically removed while, the CC calves had both testicles surgically removed. The castrated animals were reared under identical conditions until 25 months of age. After slaughter, the carcasses were evaluated for carcass traits and meat yield of primal cuts. For examination of the castration effect on meat quality, L. lumborum and semimembranosus muscles were used. The meat samples were analyzed for chemical composition, color, pH, shear force and water holding capacity, fatty acids, metabolites and volatile aroma compounds. Results: The HC group showed higher meat yields of all primal cuts (p<0.05). As a result, the total meat yield was higher by approximately 44 kg in the HC group (303.32 kg, corresponding to 67.88%) compared to the CC group (259.30 kg, corresponding to 62.11%) (p<0.05). In terms of meat quality, the HC resulted in two times greater fat content in both muscles examined compared to intact males. More importantly, the shear force values did not differ between HC and CC groups for L. lumborum muscles (p>0.05). The meat from HC animals exhibited higher amount of free amino acids associated with sweetness (p<0.05). Furthermore, the castration method only exhibited a negligible effect on metabolites and volatile aroma compounds in the cooked meat. Conclusion: Half-castration emerged as an alternative practice to be used for increasing the yield and tenderness of male cattle meat.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.385-397
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• 1982

The climatic impacts have been the environmental constraints with soil characteristics to achieve self sufficiency of food production in Korea. In this paper, the distribution and appearance of impacts and the changes in climatological status due to recent trend of early transplanting of rice are widely discussed to derive some countermeasures against the impacts, being focussed on cultural A long term analysis of the climatic impact appearances of the last 74 years showed that drought, strong wind, flood, cold spell and frost were the major impacts. Before 1970's, the drought damage was the greatest among the climatic impacts; however, the expansion and improvement of irrigation and drainage system markedly decreased the damage of drought and heavy rain. The appearance of cold damage became more frequent than before due to introduction of early transplanting for more thermophilic new varieties. Tongillines which were from Indica and Japonica crosses throw more attention to cold damage for high yields to secure high temperature in heading and ripening stages and lead weakness to cold and drought damage in early growth stage after transplanting. The plants became subject to heavy rain in ripening stage also. For the countermeasures against cold damage, the rational distribution of adequate varieties according to the regional climatic conditions and planting schedule should be imposed on the cultivation. A detoured water way to increase water temperature might be suggestable in the early growth stage. Heavy application of phosphate to boost rooting and tillering also would be a nutritional control method. In the heading and ripening stages, foliar application of phosphate and additional fertilization of silicate might be considerable way of nutritional control. Since the amount of solar radiation and air temperature in dry years were high, healthy plants for high yield could be obtained; therefere, the expansion of irrigation system and development of subsurface water should be performed as one of the national development projects. To minimize the damage of strong wind and rainfall, the rational distribution of varieties with different growing periods in the area where the damage occurred habitualy should be considered with installation of wind breaks. Not only vertical windbreaks but also a horizontal wind break using a net might be a possible way to decrease the white heads in rice field by dry wind. Finally, to establish the integrated countermeasures against the climatic impacts, the detailed interpretation on the regional climatic conditions should be conducted to understand distribution and frequency of the impacts. The expansion of observation net work for agricultural meteorology and development of analysis techniques for meteorological data must be conducted in future together with the development of the new cultural techniques.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.200-216
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• 2023

Ginkgo leaves are considered waste biomass and can cause problems due to the strong insecticidal actions of ginkgolide A, B, C, and J and bilobalide. However, Ginkgo leaf biomass has high organic matter content that can be converted into fuels and chemicals if suitable technologies can be developed. In this study, the effect of pyrolysis temperature, minimum fluidized velocity, and Ginkgo leaf size on product yields and product properties were systematically analyzed. Fast pyrolysis was conducted in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor at 400 to 550℃ using silica sand as a bed material. The yield of pyrolysis liquids ranged from 33.66 to 40.01 wt%. The CO₂ and CO contents were relatively high compared to light hydrocarbon gases because of decarboxylation and decarbonylation during pyrolysis. The CO content increased with the pyrolysis temperature while the CO₂ content decreased. When the experiment was conducted at 450℃ with a 3.0×U_mf fluidized velocity and a 0.43 to 0.71 mm particle size, the yield was 40.01 wt% and there was a heating value of 30.17 MJ/kg, respectively. The production of various phenol compounds and benzene derivatives in the bio-oil, which contains the high value products, was identified using GC-MS. This study demonstrated that fast pyrolysis is very robust and can be used for converting Ginkgo leaves into fuels and thus has the potential of becoming a method for waste recycling.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.366-375
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• 2023

Background: Ginseng contains three active components: ginsenosides, gintonin, and polysaccharides. After the separation of 1 of the 3 ingredient fractions, other fractions are usually discarded as waste. In this study, we developed a simple and effective method, called the ginpolin protocol, to separate gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF), ginseng polysaccharide fraction (GPF), and crude ginseng saponin fraction (cGSF). Methods: Dried ginseng (1 kg) was extracted using 70% ethanol (EtOH). The extract was water fractionated to obtain a water-insoluble precipitate (GEF). The upper layer after GEF separation was precipitated with 80% EtOH for GPF preparation, and the remaining upper layer was vacuum dried to obtain cGSF. Results: The yields of GEF, GPF, and cGSF were 14.8, 54.2, and 185.3 g, respectively, from 333 g EtOH extract. We quantified the active ingredients of 3 fractions: L-arginine, galacturonic acid, ginsenosides, glucuronic acid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), phosphatidic acid (PA), and polyphenols. The order of the LPA, PA, and polyphenol content was GEF > cGSF > GPF. The order of L-arginine and galacturonic acid was GPF >> GEF = cGSF. Interestingly, GEF contained a high amount of ginsenoside Rb1, whereas cGSF contained more ginsenoside Rg1. GEF and cGSF, but not GPF, induced intracellular [Ca²⁺]_i transient with antiplatelet activity. The order of antioxidant activity was GPF > GEF = cGSF. Immunological activities (related to nitric oxide production, phagocytosis, and IL-6 and TNF-α release) were, in order, GPF > GEF = cGSF. The neuroprotective ability (against reactive oxygen species) order was GEF > cGSP > GPF. Conclusion: We developed a novel ginpolin protocol to isolate 3 fractions in batches and determined that each fraction has distinct biological effects.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.236-244
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Liquid fertilizers can provide nutrients to crops effectively and quickly. Amino acid liquid fertilizers produced by decomposing the residues of rendered livestock carcasses are expected to be effective in improving the productivity and quality of crops. METHODS AND RESULTS: The treatment conditions for maize cultivation were control (Cn), inorganic fertilizer (IF), inorganic fertilizer and rendering residue liquid fertilizer (IF+RALF), compost (CP), compost and rendering residue liquid fertilizer (CP+RALF). Crop productivity, sugar content, and nutrient uptake were investigated after maize harvest in the field applied with liquid fertilizers. Maize yields ranged from 87.6-158 g/plant, and the yield increased by 7.9% and 12.9% in IF+RALF IF+RALF and CP+RALF than in IF and CP, respectively. The maize sugar content increased in the range of 0.1-0.5 brix % by rendering residue liquid fertilizer (RALF) fertilization, and the sugar content was the highest in CP+RALF. There was no significant change in soil chemical properties of the soil due to liquid fertilizer treatment. CONCLUSION(S): RALF increased yield and sugar content in maize cultivation, and fertilization with organic fertilizers was more effective for maize cultivation than inorganic fertilizers. Residues of rendered livestock carcass can be recycled as amino acid fertilizers, which can be effectively used for crop production and quality improvement.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.50
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• pp.142-154
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• 2023

Plant abscission is a natural process in which plant organs or tissues undergo detachment, a strategy selected by nature for the disposal of nonessential organs and widespread dissemination of seeds and fruits. However, from an agricultural perspective, the abscission of seeds or fruits represents a major factor that reduces crop productivity and product quality. Therefore, during the crop domestication process in traditional agriculture, mutants exhibiting suppressed abscission were selected and crossbred, thereby enabling the production of modern crop varieties such as rice, tomatoes, canola, and soybeans. These crops possess a unique trait of retaining ripe fruits or seeds in contrast to disposal via abscission. During the previous century, research on quantitative trait loci along with genetic and molecular biological studies on Arabidopsis thaliana have elucidated various cell biological mechanisms, signaling pathways, and transcription regulators involved in abscission. Additionally, it has been revealed that various hormone signals, which are involved in plant growth, play crucial roles in modulating abscission activity. Researchers have developed several chemical treatments that target these hormones and signal transduction pathways to enhance crop yields. This review aimed to introduce the previously identified signal transduction pathways and pivotal regulators implicated in abscission activity. Moreover, this review will discuss the future direction of research required to investigate crop abscission mechanisms for their potential application in smart farming and other areas of agriculture, as well as areas within model systems that require extensive research.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2014

As for Ethephon treatment, the heading stage is 2 days later at the concentration of 250 ppm and 500 ppm for the booting stage that when there is no treatment, 4 days later at the concentration of 1000 or more ppm but no difference for the blossoming and ripening stage. The culm length get shorter as the concentration of Ethephon is higher and the rate of culm length damaged is 37% for 1500 ppm of booting stage, which is the most effective processing, and the inferior culm length damage rate is bigger than the superior culm length damage rate. There is no difference between the number of glumous flower, culm and litter weight and the non-processing and as for the thousand grain weight, it is slightly bigger than when there is not any processing. The rate of germination is indifferent, the number of seeds get numerous regardless of the concentration of treatment and the number augments by 5% maximum for the booting stage. The number of days it takes from treatment of desiccant to the moisture content for harvesting time is respectively 15 days for seeds of 30 day-treatment, 10 days for seeds of 35 days-treatment and 5 days for seeds of 40 to 45 day-treatment. As for the harvest time after treatment of desiccant, the treatment at $30^{th}$ days and $35^{th}$ after the earing is 8 days earlier than the culture by conventional methods, 8 days earlier for the treatment at $40^{th}$ day. When the desiccant treatment is implemented, the thousand grain weight is heavier as the number of days of treatment gets later. The rate of germination gets higher as the number of days of treatment after earing gets later but there is no statistically significant difference 35 days after the earing. Yields are 37% compared to the culture by conventional methods for the treatment of 30 days after the earing, 70% compared to the culture by conventional methods for the treatment of 35 days after the earing, and 92% compared to the culture by conventional methods for the treatment of 40 days after the earing. The treatment before the physiological maturity impacts greatly upon the quality of seeds.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.366-370
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• 2013

The effects of the early tree shapes with renewal by top-working on Y-shaped peach tree, and the influence on the maintaining fruit quantity with gradual renewal of interstock cultivar were determined. In the comparison of the places of top-working tree, top working tree on the inside of the main branch of interstock cultivar had higher graft union rate and branch growth than those of top working tree on the outside. Tree width, basal diameter of shoot, and number of bearing shoots were smaller in top working tree than in replanted tree. Although labor time was not different to control top working tree and replanted tree, labor time was much required to manage top working tree with interstock cultivar. Accumulated fruit production was 2,384 kg/10a in top working tree and 2,025 kg/10a in replanted tree for three years. However, top working tree had no loss of fruits because interstock cultivar of top-working tree had 3,727 kg/10a of fruits. No variation on fruit quality was observed between top working tree and replanting tree. In terms of economic value of top-working tree, labor to manage interstock cultivar, fertilizer price, fruit bagging, and grading and packing price increased. However, fruit production increased, and price of seedling, rental equipment, pulling-out trees, and repairing supporting system decreased. Therefore, gradual renewal of topworking tree has effects on the maintaining fruit quantity, supplementation on fruit loss, and renewal cultivar.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.3 s.76
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• pp.477-484
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• 2006

This study was performed to know the potentialities of the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica, as a medium for mushroom mycelial culture. Five mushroom mycelial (Agrocus blazei, Grifola frondosa, Hericium erinaceum, Innonotus obliquus, Phellinus linteus) were frown on the malt extract broth (MEB) and the cactus broth medium (CB). The submerged culture mixtures were extracted using equal volume of ethyl acetate, and their extract yields, total polyphenol contents, and some physiological activities were compared with each other Each extract from mycelial culture grown on CB medium showed remarkable enhancement in physiological activities compared with each counterpart grown on MEB. Among five mycelial cultures grown on CB medium, the extract yield and polyphenyl content were highest in the extract from Grifola frondosa (extract yield, 0.4 g/L and polyphenol content, 22.7%). Also, the extracts from Grifola frondosa showed the highest physiological activities, such as DPPH radical scavenging ($IC_{50}=362.9{\mu}g/ml$), xanthine oxidase inhibition (about 80% at $500{\mu}g/ml$), and superoxide radical scavenging (about 80% at $500{\mu}g/ml$), and NO production inhibition ($IC_{50}=43.1{\mu}g/ml$) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. This result suggests that the fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica can be used as a culture medium for improving the functional properties of various mushroom mycelia.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.27
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• pp.47-55
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• 1984

The results of series studies on the ratio of supplements, out-door composting and out-door fermentation induced by using the rice straw as a main substrates at the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus, and the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus using the rice straw bundles on its compost are as follows; When rice straw for cultivation of A. bisporus was used as the main substrates in synthetic compost as a carbon source, yields were remarkably high. Fermentation was more rapid than that of barley straw or wheat straw and the total nitrogen content was high in rice straw compost. Use of barley straw compost for cultivation of A. bisporus was shown of low yield compared with rice straw, but when a 50% barley straw and 50% rice straw mixture was used, the yield was almost the same as that using only rice straw. The total organic nitrogen on the compost were shown the positive relation to the yield of A. bisporus, but the ammonium nitrogen negative relation to the mycelial growth and yield of A. bisporus. When rice straw was used as the main substrate for compost media, urea was the most suitable source of nitrogen. Poor results were obtained with calcium cyanamide and ammonium sulfate. When urea was applied three separate times, nitrogen loss during composting was decreased and the total nitrogen content of compost was increased. The supplementation of organic nutrient activated compost fermentation and increased yield of A. bisporus. The best sources of organic nutrients selected were as follows: perilla meal, sesame meal, wheat bran and poultry manure, etc. Soybean meal, tobacco powder and glutamic acid fermentation byproducts which were industrial wastes, could be substituted for perilla meal, sesame meal and wheat bran as organic nutrient sources for compost media. During out door composing of rice straw for cultivation of A. bisporus, using of tuner, composter and tunnel system increased up to 13% of its yield, and also cut down 34% of production Cost. The cultivation of P. ostreatus and utilizing of rice straw and wheat straw was established and its yield was high on the rice straw pots. When the substrates 'Rice straw' was heated by steam at $60^{\circ}C$ for 6 hr. mycelial growth of P. ostreatus was moderately rapid and its yield was high.