• Mycobiology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2000

The capability of higher ascomyceteous fungi to cause typical soft-rot decay for wood under laboratory conditions is reviewed and discussed. Fungi tested were extremely active in the decomposition of timbers. Scanning electron micrographs illustrated typical soft-rot decay pattern of higher wood decay ascomycetes, with the exception of H. trugodes that caused white-rot decay. Most of the fungi tested could be grouped as soft-rot fungi that showed typical soft-rot type II. Hypha confined primarily to the resin canals in softwoods or vessel elements in hardwoods and spread tracheid to tracheid via pits of cell wall to cell wall with mechanical force.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.68-77
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• 2006

The heartwood of cengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii) is known to have a high degree of decay resistance by virtue of its high extractive content. After 30 years in ground contact an utility pole of this tropical hardwood was found to be degraded only in the surface layers by cavity-forming soft rot fungi. The present work was undertaken 1) to characterize the degradation of cengal heartwood from the aspect of ultrastructure and chemistry and 2) to investigate the correlation between soft rot decay and its extractive microdistribution in wood tissues. The chemical analysis of cengal heartwood revealed the presence of a high amount of extractives as well as lignin. The wood contained a relatively high amount of condensed lignin and the guaiacyl units. Microscopic observations revealed that vessels, fibers and parenchyma cells (both ray and axial parenchyma) all contained extractives in their lumina, but in variable amounts. The lumina of fibers and most axial parenchyma were completely or almost completely filled with the extractives. TEM micrographs showed that cell walls were also impregnated with extractives and that pit membranes connecting parenchyma cells were well coated and impregnated with extractives. However, fungal hyphae were present in the extractive masses localized in cell lumina, and indications were that the extractives did not completely inhibit fungal growth. The extent of cell wall degradation varied with tissue types. The fibers appeared to be more susceptible to decay than vessels and parenchyma. Middle lamella was the only cell wall region which remained intact in all cell types which were severely degraded. The microscopic observations suggested a close correlation between extractive microdistribution and the pattern and extent of cell wall degradation. In addition to the toxicity to fungi, the physical constraint of the extractive material present in cengal heartwood cells is likely to have a profound effect on the growth and path of invasion of colonizing fungi, thus conferring protection to wood by restricting fungal entry into cell walls. The presence of relatively high amount of condensed lignin is also likely to be a factor in the resistance of cengal heartwood to soft rot decay.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.314-317
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• 2007

A soft stem rot disease was observed on Chamaecereus silvestrii (Korean name: Sanchui), a scion of graft-cactus, in major growing areas of Suwon (National Horticulture Research Institute), Anseong, Eumseong, Cheonan, Daegu, and Goyang, Korea during 2000 and 2001. Typical symptoms were soft rots characterized by moist and watery decay of the whole cactus stem, which initiated as small water-soaked lesions and enlarged rapidly to the entire stem. The causal organism isolated from the infected stems was identified as Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora) based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics and confirmed by the cellular fatty acid composition and Biolog analyses. Artificial inoculation of the bacterium produced the same soft rot symptoms on the cactus stems, from which the same bacterium was isolated and identified. This is the first report of the P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in the graft-cactus C. silvestrii in Korea.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.23
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• pp.67-72
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• 2008

This study was conducted to examineboth the type of wood decay and the degree of degradation for the waterlogged woods (Alnus spp. and Fraxinus spp., about 5,700~5,900 year old), which were excavated at Higokri, Pyungteak in the west-coastal region of Korea. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation indicated the degradations by soft rot and bacteria were common in both woods. Erosion bacteria attacked gradually and irregularly from the secondary layer to compound middle lamella and often produced the cavity which was similar to soft-rot cavity but much smaller ones. Tunneling bacteria decomposed mainly $S_2$ layer. Though of highly degraded walls, the cells almost kept the original form with intact lignin-rich middle lamella, which were saturated by water. No marine borer's trace indicated that the sealine rise in the western coast of Korean peninsula during the climate optimum period in the holocene might not be high enough to submerge the Higokri area which locates about 2 km from the present sealine.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.23 no.4 s.61
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• pp.242-246
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• 1984

Results obtained from the experiment conducted to find out e relationships between tuber decay, and water potential and bruising in or on the tubers, are summerized as follows ; 1) When potato tubers were bruised or injected with bacterial inoculum, the tubers with high water potential rotted more easily than the tubers with low potential. A big difference in the development of decay between high and low water potential tubers was found. 2) In tubers injected with different levels of inoculum. high water potential tubers were more susceptible to soft rot than low water potential tubers. 3) $ED_{50}$ of inoculum concentration was 8.5(log) at high water potential tubers and 9.8(log) at low water potential. A small difference between low and high water potential was detected. The results of this experiment show that potatoes should be handled carefully and must be dried after harvest to reduce decay development in shipment and storage.

• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.27-34
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• 2001

Following the recommendations made by the cultural authorities the wooden cultural properties (WCP) had been treated with fire-retardants for fire protection. However, visual inspections of some of the WCPs treated with fire-retardants showed microbial decay. The work was extended to examine the micromorphological characteristics of the WCPs in a Buddhist temple which had been treated with fire-retardant. Microscopic examination showed the presence of typical soft rot cavities along the length of microfibrils in the secondary wall. Bacterial attack was also observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It is interesting that the decay patterns observed in the Buddhist temple were very similar to those observed in the waterlogged woods. Presumably chemicals in the fire-retardants used rendered the wood susceptible to attack by soft-rot and bacterial decay by causing an increase in the moisture content of wood. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of fire-retardants used currently on the hygroscopicity and the strength of wood materials in the WCPs. Microbial attacks caused degradation of the secondary cell walls and in some cases also of the middle lamella. In addition, the cell walls in the outer parts of wood were also degraded due to weathering, and cell separation occurred from total disintegration of the middle lamella.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.195-201
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• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the resistance of heat-treated wood using the catalyst to decay caused by fungi for sapwood and heartwood of two tree species, Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) and Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi), respectively. Wood samples were immersed for 10 min in sulfuric acid (7.5%) and then heat-treated at $130^{\circ}C$ for 90 min. Fomitopsis palustris, a brown-rot fungus, was used to examine the decay resistance of Korean red pine and Japanese larch wood. Weight and density of wood from the all conditions increased after heat treatment using the catalyst. Weight loss after decay resistance test was also dropped with a heat treatment. The lowest weight loss indicated at heat-treated heartwood of Japanese larch. Heat treatment using the catalyst effectively increased the resistance of wood to decay caused by fungi.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.322-327
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• 2008

Antifungal activities of natural substrances from Eucalyptus darlympleana, E. globules, E. gunnii and E. unigera were evaluated against postharvest pathogens of kiwifruits, Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Diaporthe actinidiae, to screen effective natural substances as an alternative to chemical fungicides. Methanol extract of the Eucalyptus trees showed strong antagonistic activity against the pathogenic fungi. Among them, E. unigera and E. darlympleana effectively inhibited mycelial growth of the pathogens. For chemical identification of the antifungal substances, the methanol extract of E. darlympleana leaves was successively partitioned with $CH_2Cl_2$, EtOAc, n-BuOH and $H_2O$. Among the fractions, $CH_2Cl_2$ and n-BuOH showed strong inhibitory activity of mycelial growth of the fungi. Five compounds were isolated from EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions subjected to $SiO_2$ column chromatography. Two phenolic compounds(gallic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid) and three flavonoid compounds(quercetin, quercetin-3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-O-$\beta$-glucoside) were identified by $^1H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR spectroscopy. Among them, only gallic acid was found to be effective in mycelial growth and spore germination of B. cinerea at relatively high concentrations. The results suggest that gallic acid can be a safer and more acceptable alternative to current synthetic fungicides controlling soft rot decay of kiwifruit during postharvest storage.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.10
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• pp.63-68
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• 1968

The effects of $^{60}Co-{\gamma}$ radiation on the change of composition and susceptibility to soft rot during the storage of sweetpototoes and the radioresistance of spores of the soft rot fungus were investigated and the following results were obtained. 1) Gamma-irradiation of sweetpotatoes caused the increase in water-soluble sugar content and the decrease in ascorbic acid content during the storage. 2) The rate of oxygen uptake in sweetpotato slices becomes higher as the dose increases. But the oxygen uptake in slices irradiated with higher doses decreases along with the color change as the time passes. 3) Irradiation with high doses (above $2.5{\times}10^5$ rad) brought about the increased susceptibility to soft rot decay as the chilling injury did in the storage of sweetpotatoes. 4) Average lethal dose for the spores of Rhizopus nigricans was $3.0{\times}10^5$ rad and the complete death required the level of $1.25{\times}10^6$ rad.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.332-338
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• 2018

In August of 2011, a wilting disease of ginseng was observed at Bongwha, Gyeongbuk province, Korea. Affected plants initially show withering symptoms on leaves of ginseng. As the disease progresses, withering leaves spread downward, eventually encompassing the whole plant. Leaves lose vigor but remain pale green. Symptoms of roots were brown, and soft rots characterized by moist and watery decay of the whole ginseng root, which initiated as small brown, water-soaked lesions of hairy roots and enlarged to the entire roots. The causal organism isolated from the infected roots was identified as Serratia plymuthica based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics, by cellular fatty acid composition (GC-FAME), the utilization of carbon sources (BioLog System), and 16S rRNA sequence of the isolated bacterium were 99% homologous to those of Serratia plymuthica strains. Artificial inoculation of the bacterium produced the same brown or soft rot symptoms on the ginseng roots, from which the same bacterium was isolated. This is the first report of bacterial root rot caused by the Serratia plymuthica in ginseng in Korea. Serratia plymuthica has been used as antagonistic microorganism for biological control on several crop plants. But it was proved pathogen of ginseng at humid condition in this study.