• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2_spc
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• pp.317-331
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• 2022

The aim of the present investigation is to determine the nutritional composition of various insects and their potential uses as alternative protein sources in animal diets. The feeding industry requires production systems that use accessible resources, such as feed resources, and concentrates on the potential impacts on production yield and nutritional quality. Invertebrate insects, such as black soldier flies, grasshoppers, mealworms, housefly larvae, and crickets, have been used as human food and as feed for nonruminants and aqua culture while for ruminants their use has been limited. Insects can be mass-produced, participating in a circular economy that minimizes or eliminates food- and feed-waste through bioconversion. Although the model for formula-scale production of insects as feed for domestic animals has been explored for a number of years, significant production and transformation to being a conventional protein resource remains to be deeply investigated. This review will focus on the nutritional composition of various insects and their potential use as alternative protein sources, as well as their potential use to promote and support sustainable animal production. Furthermore, nutritional compositions, such as high protein, lauric acid omega 6, and omega 3, and bioactive compounds, such as chitin, are of great potential use for animal feeding.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been proposed for sustainable agriculture and food security in an agricultural ecosystem disturbed by climate change. However, scientific approaches to local agricultural ecosystems to realize CSA are rare. This study attempted to evaluate the weather condition, rice production, and greenhouse gas emissions from the rice cultivation in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do to fulfill CSA of the rice cultivation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Over the past 3 years (2017~2019), Chucheong rice cultivar yield and methane emissions were analyzed from the rice field plot (37°13'15"N, 127° 02'22"E) in the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services located in Gisan-dong, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. Methane samples were collected from three automated closed chambers installed in the plot. The weather data measured through automatic weather station located in near the plot were analyzed. CONCLUSION(S): The rice productivity was found to vary with weather environment in the agricultural ecosystem. And methane emissions are high in a favorable weather condition for rice growth. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the trade-off between the greenhouse gas emission target for climate change mitigation and productivity improvement for CSA in a local rice cultivation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2021.06a
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• pp.143-143
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• 2021

Climate change indicators, mainly frequent drought which has happened since the drought of 1994, 1995, and 2012 causing the devastating effect to the agricultural sector, and could be more disruptive given the context of climate change indicators by increasing the temperature and more variable and extreme precipitation. Changes in frequency, duration, and severity of droughts will have enormous impacts on agriculture production and water management. Since both the possibility of drought manifestation and substantial yield losses, we are propositioning an integrated method for evaluating past and future agriculture drought hazards that depend on models' simulations in the Hung-up watershed. to discuss the question of how climate change might influence the impact of extreme agriculture drought by assessing the potential changes in temporal trends of agriculture drought. we will calculate the temporal trends of future drought through drought indices Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, Standardized Precipitation Index, and Palmer drought severity index by using observed data of (1991-2020) from Wonju meteorological station and projected climate change scenarios (2021-2100) of the Representative Concentration Pathways models (RCPs). expected results confirmed the frequency of extreme agricultural drought in the future projected to increase under all studied RCPs. at present 100 years drought is anticipated to happen since the result showing under RCP2.6 will occur every 24 years, RCP4.5 every 17 years, and RCPs8.5 every 7 years, and it would be double in the largest warming scenarios. On another side, the result shows unsupportable water management, could cause devastating consequences in both food production and water supply in extreme events. Because significant increases in the drought magnitude and severity like to be initiate at different time scales for each drought indicator. Based on the expected result that the evaluating the impacts of extreme agricultural droughts and recession could be used for the development of proactive drought risk management, policies for future water balance, prioritize sustainable strengthening and mitigation strategies.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.85-85
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• 2020

South Korea experiences few large scale erosion and sedimentation problems, however, there are numerous local sedimentation problems. A reliable and consistent approach to modelling and management for sediment processes are desirable in the country. In this study, field measurements of sediment concentration from 34 alluvial river basins in South Korea were used with the Modified Einstein Procedure (MEP) to determine the total sediment load at the sampling locations. And then the Flow Duration-Sediment Rating Curve (FD-SRC) method was used to estimate the specific degradation for all gauging stations. The specific degradation of most rivers were found to be typically 50-300 tons/㎢·yr. A model tree data mining technique was applied to develop a model for the specific degradation based on various watershed characteristics of each watershed from GIS analysis. The meaningful parameters are: 1) elevation at the middle relative area of the hypsometric curve [m], 2) percentage of wetland and water [%], 3) percentage of urbanized area [%], and 4) Main stream length [km]. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of existing models is in excess of 1,250 tons/㎢·yr and the RMSE of the proposed model with 6 additional validations decreased to 65 tons/㎢·yr. Erosion loss maps from the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), satellite images, and aerial photographs were used to delineate the geospatial features affecting erosion and sedimentation. The results of the geospatial analysis clearly shows that the high risk erosion area (hill slopes and construction sites at urbanized area) and sedimentation features (wetlands and agricultural reservoirs). The result of physiographical analysis also indicates that the watershed morphometric characteristic well explain the sediment transport. Sustainable management with the data mining methodologies and geospatial analysis could be helpful to solve various erosion and sedimentation problems under different conditions.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.600-613
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• 2023

Fusarium oxysporum is the main pathogen causing Fusarium basal rot in onion (Allium cepa L.), which incurs significant yield losses before and after harvest. Among management strategies, biological control is an environmentally safe and sustainable alternative to chemical control. In this study, we isolated and screened bacteria for antifungal activity against the basal rot pathogen F. oxysporum. Isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, 23-055, and 23-056 significantly inhibited F. oxysporum mycelial growth and conidial germination. Isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-056 suppressed the development of Fusarium basal rot in both onion seedlings and bulbs in pot and spray inoculation assays. Isolate 23-055 was effective in onion seedlings but exhibited weak inhibitory effect on onion bulbs. Based on analyses of the 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences together with morphological analysis, isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-055 were identified as Bacillus thuringiensis, and isolate 23-056 as Bacillus toyonensis. All five bacterial isolates exhibited cellulolytic, proteolytic, and phosphate-solubilizing activity, which may contribute to their antagonistic activity against onion basal rot disease. Taken together B. thuringiensis 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-055 and B. toyonensis 23-056 have potential for the biological control of Fusarium basal rot in onion.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.223-234
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• 2024

This review explores the potential of pillared bentonite materials as solid acid catalysts for synthesizing diethyl ether, a promising renewable energy source. Diethyl ether offers numerous environmental benefits over fossil fuels, such as lower emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and carbon oxides (CO_x) gases and enhanced fuel properties, like high volatility and low flash point. Generally, the synthesis of diethyl ether employs homogeneous acid catalysts, which pose environmental impacts and operational challenges. This review discusses bentonite, a naturally occurring alumina silicate, as a heterogeneous acid catalyst due to its significant cation exchange capacity, porosity, and ability to undergo modifications such as pillarization. Pillarization involves intercalating polyhydroxy cations into the bentonite structure, enhancing surface area, acidity, and thermal stability. Despite the potential advantages, challenges remain in optimizing the yield and selectivity of diethyl ether production using pillared bentonite. The review highlights the need for further research using various metal oxides in the pillarization process to enhance surface properties and acidity characteristics, thereby improving the catalytic performance of bentonite for the synthesis of diethyl ether. This development could lead to more efficient, environmentally friendly synthesis processes, aligning with sustainable energy goals.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.967-976
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• 2023

Biochar is emerging as a promising substance for achieving carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation. It can absorb several nutrients via ion bonding on its surface functional groups, resulting in slow dissociation of the bonds. Biochar, like organic fertilizers, contributes to sustainable nutrient management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrient-coated biochar amendments on leafy vegetables production and soil fertility. The nutrient-coated biochar was produced by soaking rice husk biochar in a nutrient solution containing nitrogen (N), phosphorus, and potassium for 24 hours. Nutrient-coated biochar and organic fertilizers were applied to soil at a rate of 120 kg·N·ha^-1. The growth components of the leafy vegetables showed that nutrient-coated biochar led to the highest fresh weight (FW) of both lettuce and kale (i.e., 146.67 and 93.54 g·plant^-1 FW, respectively). As a result, nutrient-coated biochar amendments led to superior yield compared to the control treatment and organic fertilization. The elemental composition of leafy vegetables revealed that soil amended with nutrient-coated biochar resulted in higher nutrient contents, which was attributed to the high nutrient contents supplied by the rice husk biochar. Soil amendment with nutrient-coated biochar positively enhanced the soil fertility compared to amendment with organic fertilizer. Therefore, nutrient-coated biochar is a promising substance for enhancing agronomic performance of leafy vegetables and improving soil fertility.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.417-425
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• 2024

This study investigated the effects of various planting models on the joint cultivation of eggplant (Solanum melongena) and marigold (Tagetes erecta)to enhance sustainable rooftop urban farming. Rooftop agriculture is increasingly valued to boost the food supply and benefit the environment. Integrating such practices into urban planning is viewed as a way to sustainably manage resources and improve the food-energy-water cycle in cities. The experiment was conducted on a rooftop in Chungju, South Korea from May to August. Four different planting setups were used: central eggplant with peripheral marigold (SET), eggplant with a protective net (SIC), central marigold with peripheral eggplant (TES), and control with only eggplant (CON S). These models tested the effects of companion planting versus monoculture using a lightweight soil mix ideal for rooftops made from cocopeat and perlite and enriched with organic fertilizer. Measurements focused on soil conditions and plant health and assessed soil temperature, moisture, conductivity, plant height, width, and leaf size. The results indicated that the SET modelyielded the best growth. This setup benefited from marigold pest control properties and its ability to improve soil conditions by enhancing moisture and nutrient levels and aiding eggplant growth. These findings underscore the potential of mixed planting on rooftops and suggest that such approaches can be effectively incorporated into urban agriculture to boost yield and environmental sustainability. This study supports the idea that diverse planting methods can significantly affect plant growth and promote urban greening and food security.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.257-267
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• 2023

The potential polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)-producing bacteria, Bacillus megaterium PP-10, was successfully isolated and studied its feasibility for utilization of pineapple peel waste (PPW) as a cheap carbon substrate. The PPW was pretreated with 1% (v/v) H₂SO₄ under steam sterilization and about 26.4 g/l of total reducing sugar (TRS) in pineapple peel hydrolysate (PPH) was generated and main fermentable sugars were glucose and fructose. A maximum cell growth and PHA concentration of 3.63 ± 0.07 g/l and 1.98 ± 0.09 g/l (about 54.58 ± 2.39%DCW) were received in only 12 h when grown in PPH. Interestingly, PHA productivity and biomass yield (Y_x/s) in PPH was about 4 times and 1.5 times higher than in glucose. To achieve the highest DCW and PHA production, the optimal culture conditions e.g. carbon to nitrogen ratios of 40 mole/mole, incubation temperature at 35℃ and shaking speed of 200 rpm were performed and a maximum DCW up to 4.24 ± 0.04 g/l and PHA concentration of 2.68 ± 0.02 g/l (61% DCW) were obtained. The produced PHA was further examined its monomer composition and found to contain only 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB). This finding corresponded with the presence of class IV PHA synthase gene. Finally, certain thermal properties of the produced PHA i.e. the melting temperature (T_m) and the glass transition temperature (T_g) were about 176℃ and -4℃, respectively whereas the M_w was about 1.07 KDa ; therefore, the newly isolated B. megaterium PP-10 is a promising bacterial candidate for the efficient conversion of low-cost PPH to PHA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.969-977
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• 2024

Indigo is a valuable, natural blue dye that has been used for centuries in the textile industry. The large-scale commercial production of indigo relies on its extraction from plants and chemical synthesis. Studies are being conducted to develop methods for environment-friendly and sustainable production of indigo using genetically engineered microbes. Here, to enhance the yield of bioindigo from an E. coli whole-cell system containing tryptophanase (TnaA) and flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), we evaluated tryptophan transporters to improve the transport of aromatic compounds, such as indole and tryptophan, which are not easily soluble and passable through cell walls. Among the three transporters, Mtr, AroP, and TnaB, AroP enhanced indigo production the most. The combination of each transporter with AroP was also evaluated, and the combination of AroP and TnaB showed the best performance compared to the single transporters and two transporters. Bioindigo production was then optimized by examining the culture medium, temperature, isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside concentration, shaking speed (rpm), and pH. The novel strain containing aroP and tnaB plasmid with tnaA and FMO produced 8.77 mM (2.3 g/l) of bioindigo after 66 h of culture. The produced bioindigo was further recovered using a simple method and used as a watercolor dye, showing good mixing with other colors and color retention for a relatively long time. This study presents an effective strategy for enhancing indigo production using a combination of transporters.