• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2014

It is true that the proper environmental risk assessments for many GM (Genetically Modified) insects almost have not been executed in Korea. Therefore, we tested the environmental risk assessment about GM silkworms if there is any difference between GM silkworms and non-GM silkworms by the following three measurements. First, we measured their mobility in the breeding environment conditions with food and without food. Secondly, we measured their viability at the artificial extreme environmental conditions (low and high temperature and humidity, absent/present of foods,) after escaping from their breeding environments. Thirdly, we observed the number of laying eggs and their hatchability between GM silkworms and non-GM silkworms with four different pair experiments. The mobility of GM silkworms and non-GM silkworms statistically did not differ, and the egg productivity and hatchability were not also different. The hatchability by couple of GM female silkworms and non-GM male silkworms was lower than by non-GM male and female couple between the GM silkworms and non-GM silkworms, and there was statistically different. Relatively, the viability of GM silkworms was lower than non-GM silkworms. We could not exactly test for viability of silkworms in low temperature conditions because of their hibernating. Although there was any difference in viability and hatchability between GM silkworms and non-GM silkworms, all ability of GM silkworms was lower than non-GM silkworms. Conclusively, the environmental risk of GM silkworm was relatively lower than non-GM silkworm in this study.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.221-230
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• 2022

The fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora (Ea) was first reported in 2015 in Korea, and the disease has rapidly spread to 22 regions until 2021. In Korea, all host plants in the apple and pear orchards where fire blight occurred should be eliminated and buried by the Plant Protection Act. To prevent the spread of the disease, all burial sites were prohibited from planting the new host plants for the next three years. To confirm the eradication efficiency of Ea and the reoccurrence of fire blight, the surveillance facilities were established on three burial sites from 2019 to 2020 in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do. As host plants, five apple trees of fire blight-susceptible cultivar 'Fuji', were planted in each facility. All facilities were enclosed with fences and nets and equipped with two CCTVs, motion sensors, and several other sensors for recording weather conditions to monitor the environment of the sentinel plants in real-time. The sentinel plants were checked for the reoccurrence of fire blight routinely. Suspicious plant parts were collected and analyzed for Ea detection by loop-mediated isothermal amplification polymerase chain reaction and conventional polymerase chain reaction. Until November 2022, Ea has not been detected in all sentinel plants. These results might support that the burial control of infected plants in soil works efficiently to remove Ea and support the possibility to shorten the prohibition period of host plant establishment in the burial sites.