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Rice tungro disease (RTD) is one of the destructive and prevalent diseases in the tropical region. RTD is caused by Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) and Rice tungro bacilliform virus. Cultivation of japonica rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp japonica) in tropical Asia has often been restricted because most japonica cultivars are sensitive to short photoperiod, which is characteristic of tropical conditions. Japonica1, a rice variety bred for tropical conditions, is photoperiod-insensitive, has a high yield potential, but is susceptible to RTD and has poor grain quality. To transfer RTD resistance into Japonica1, we made two backcrosses (BC) and 8 three-way crosses (3-WC) among Japonica1 and RTSV-resistant cultivars. Among 8,876 BC1F2 and 3-WCF2 plants, 342 were selected for photoperiod-insensitivity and good grain quality. Photoperiod-insensitive progenies were evaluated for RTSV resistance by a bioassay and marker-assisted selection (MAS), and 22 BC1F7 and 3-WCF7 lines were selected based on the results of an observational yield trial. The results demonstrated that conventional selection for photoperiod-insensitivity and MAS for RTSV resistance can greatly facilitate the development of japonica rice that is suitable for cultivation in tropical Asia.

Bakanae disease is an important fungal disease in the world. No rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties have been found to be completely resistant to this disease. To facilitate accurate, uniform and simultaneous screening of many rice accessions, we developed an inoculation method for microconidia of Fusarium fujikuroi using a tissue embedding cassette and seedling tray. Standards for evaluating the inoculated rice seedlings as healthy or unhealthy were also established. The method was fast and reproducible for accurately evaluating resistance to bakanae disease in rice.

In this study, we conducted to identify predictive parameters affecting the head rice ratio for developing high quality rice cultivar adaptable to the early-transplanting cultivation. The recombinant inbred lines (RILs) population from a cross between the parents of Pungmi and Koshihikari was used for test materials. Variations were observed in most of the measurements, eg culm length (ranging from 51.0 cm to 97.0 cm), amylose content (14.0~20.1%), protein content (5.2~7.4%), pasting properties (peak viscosity, 227.2~309.8 RVU) and head rice ratio (67.7~96.7%). Significant correlations between head rice ratio versus culm length (0.443) and head rice ratio versus protein content (-0.458) were detected in RIL population. However, culm length was negatively related to lodging tolerance. In order to develop a commercially suitable cultivar, selection for short culm and high head rice ratio of rice grains with physiochemical properties such as protein content, amylase content and taste value should be considered. This results can be used to increase the efficiency of breeding program for developing a new early-maturing rice variety adaptable to early transplanting cultivation in Korea.

Seed germination and dormancy of three green manure seeds such as hairy vetch, crimson clover and narrow-leaved vetch (Vicia angustifolia L.) produced in Milyang, southern part of Korea were investigated to provide a basic information on the stability of seedling establishment in green manure seeds. In addition. the effect of seed storage duration on the germinability of imported hairy vetch and crimson seeds was also investigated. To determine the seed maturity time of three green manure seeds, the seeds were harvested manually at May 25, May 30, and June 4, and the 100-seed weight, germinability and percentage of hard seed were evaluated. Freshly harvested seeds of three green manure crops were strongly dormant because of hard seed coat. Germination percentage of the three green manure crops varied depending on the seed harvest time ranging from 30 - 52% in hairy vetch, 16 - 35% in crimson clover and 2 - 61% in V. angustifolia, respectively. Of the three crops, crimson clover and V. angustifolia matured early on May 30 to June 4 (around 35 to 40 days after flower) but hairy vetch seed did not mature until June 4 based on the seed germinability. The matured seed of crimson clover and V. angustifolia germinated less than 20% while scarification on seed coat significantly overcome the innate dormancy. On the other hand, the seed germination of hairy vetch and crimson clover was lower under dark than in the presence of light. The germination percentage of the imported hairy vetch and crimson clover seeds showed high with 77 - 79%, 94 - 95%, respectively, but the seed germination significantly declined by 21 - 32%, 30 - 40% after one-year of storage under natural conditions. The seeds germinated only 8 - 13% for hairy vetch but crimson clover did not germinate at all after two years storage. These results indicate V. angustifolia and crimson clover mature at May 30 to June 4 but hairy vetch did not. The imported hairy vetch and crimson clover seeds should be used within one-year after import for stable seedling establishment in green manure-rice cultivation cropping system.

Transposon tagging and insertional mutagenesis provide one of the most powerful tools in gene function studies. Here, we report a comparison between two novel drooping leaf (DL) mutants from transposon and T-DNA insertion lines of rice. DL is distinct from well-known ABC genes and a member of the YABBY gene family, and it is closely related to the CRABS CLAW (CRC) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. Based on phenotypic analysis, DL regulated midrib formation by promoting cell proliferation in the central region of rice leaf and was necessary for the specification of carpel identity. We identified two DL mutants by screening the Ac/Ds and T-DNA insertional mutant pool of rice. Flanking sequence tag analysis indicated that both Ds and T-DNA segments were inserted in the promoter region at 3.4 kbs and 5.4 kb upstream, respectively, of the previously known OsYABBY domain. Interestingly, the progenies of DL lines of two different pools showed various degrees of leaf drooping and abnormal carpel formation. Flower structures revealed that there were more than two stigmas with normal stamens and pistils per panicle in the Ds-induced mutants. However, T-DNA induced mutant had extra stamens with staminoid carpels. These results indicate that the promoter region of DL plays an important function in regulating anther and carpel formation.

Greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate tolerance of six rice cultivars, three IndicaJaponica rice (long grain, cv. Dasanbyeo, Segejinmi and Hanareumbyeo) and three Japonica rice (short grain, Nampyung, Ilpumbyeo and Junamjosaeng) cultivars, to mesotrione+pretilachlor (MP) and bensulfuron-methyl+mesotrione+pretilachlor+pyriftalid (BMPP) in transplanting rice. Two herbicides were applied at 90 g and 180 g a.i. to three to four leaf stage rice at 5 and 15 days after transplanting, respectively. Related study was also conducted to compare for IndicaJaponica and Japonica rice cultivars at different MP rates. Response to two herbicides varied with respect to rice cultivars and herbicide rates. All IndicaJaponica rice cultivars exhibited susceptible to both MP and BMPP as reflected by increased visual injury, shorter plant height and higher plant dry matter reduction when compared with nontreated rice cutlivars. The degree of foliar chlorosis by MP at 90 g a.i. was 5~6 at 7 days after treatment(DAT) but it was decreased to 3~6 at 14DAT. The degree of leaf chlorosis treated with 180 g a.i. MP was 6~7 at 7DAT and it was also decreased to 3~8 at 14 DAT. The plant hight of IndicaJaponica rices was inhibited by 18~43% at application of 90 g a.i. MP and 30~50% at 180 g a.i. MP. The dry matter reduction was greater than that of plant height inhibition, showing 46~73% at 90 g a.i. MP and 65~82% at 180 g a.i. MP. Similar leaf chlorosis injury and growth inhibition of rice cultivars was observed in the BMPP treatment. The injury and growth inhibition by MP and BMPP increased with increase in herbicide rate from 90 g a.i. to 180 g a.i. . However, most of the Japonica cultivars are tolerant to MP and BMPP at both rates. There was no visible leaf chlorosis but plant height and dry matter production were slightly reduced at 180 g a.i. . Based on value determined in reduction of shoot dry weight for MP, the IndicaJaponica rice showed 12.9 fold lower compared with the Japonica rice. The result indicates that rice cultivars vary in tolerance to herbicides of MP and BMPP and IndicaJaponica rices were more susceptible than the Japonica rices to the MP and BMPP.

The effect of red (R) and R/far-red (FR) lights on endogenous gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) content was first investigated during the germination of photoblastic black-hulled weedy rice (PBWR) seeds. The R light-treated PBWR seeds germinated after 36–48 h and germination was increased to 63% at 72 h. However, the FR light-treated seeds after R light treatment, suppressed the R light effect showing only 11% germination even at 72 h after the light treatment. The PBWR seed treated with R light rapidly increased the endogenous level of GA1 to about 200 times at 12 h before seed germination as compared with R/FR (control) which suppressed the effect of R light. The contents of other GAs like GA12, GA53, GA19, GA20, and GA8 were not affected by the R light irradiation. These results showed that the major biosynthetic pathway of GAs in PBWR seeds is the early 13-hydroxylation pathway leading to GA1, which was suggested to be physiologically active in the PBWR seed germination. The decrease in the level of ABA in the R light-treated seeds was greater than the R/FR light-treated seeds, indicating that the balance of endogenous GA1 and ABA is responsible for the induction of germination in the PBWR seed.

The development of rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.) that are resistant to the brown planthopper (BPH; Nilaparvata lugens Stål) is an important objective in current breeding programs. In this study, we generated 132 BC(5)F(5) near-isogenic rice lines (NILs) by five backcrosses of Samgangbyeo, a BPH resistant indica variety carrying the Bph1 locus, with Nagdongbyeo, a BPH susceptible japonica variety. To identify genes that confer BPH resistance, we employed representational difference analysis (RDA) to detect transcripts that were exclusively expressed in one of our BPH resistant NIL, SNBC61, during insect feeding. The chromosomal mapping of the RDA clones that we subsequently isolated revealed that they are located in close proximity either to known quantitative trait loci or to an introgressed SSR marker from the BPH resistant donor parent Samgangbyeo. Genomic DNA gel-blot analysis further revealed that loci of all RDA clones in SNBC61 correspond to the alleles of Samgangbyeo. Most of the RDA clones were found to be exclusively expressed in SNBC61 and could be assigned to functional groups involved in plant defense. These RDA clones therefore represent candidate defense genes for BPH resistance.

This study was conducted to analyze the optimum heading period according to the recent climatic change for improvement of rice yield and grain quality in the Yeongnam area. We analyzed climatic elements including daily mean air temperature, daily range of air temperature, sunshine hours, and amount of precipitation from 1996 to 2005 in comparison with those of the 1971 to 2000 normal. Daily mean air temperature and amount of precipitation in the recent 10 years increased, but daily range of air temperature and sunshine hours decreased in comparison with the norm. Also, monthly mean air temperature was lowered remarkably in July and August. The monthly amount of precipitation largely increased in August and September. The daily range of air temperature and sunshine hours were greatly decreased from August to October, Possible cultivation periods for rice in the recent 10 years ranged from 171 days in Boughwa to 228 days in Busan and was expanded about days in comparison with the normal. Optimum heading date by local regions for the maximum climatic yield potential was estimated as July 31 at Bonghwa to September 7 at Busan, Masan, and Tongyeong in the recent 10 years. There was a wide difference in optimum heading date according to local legions of the Yeongnam area. Compared to the normal, optimum heading date in the recent 10 years was delayed about I~8 days in most local regions except Bonghwa, Mungyeong, and Yeongdeok. These results suggested that it is necessary to develop late maturity rice cultivars for producing high yield and quality rice grain due to the recent climatic change. Moreover, it is still more important to select the most suitable cultivation period appropriate to the changed climate of each local region in Yeongnam area.

Bakanae disease is caused by several species of Fusarium and imposes serious limitations on rice production worldwide. The incidence of this disease is increasing in the top rice-growing countries. Thus, higher resistance to this disease may be a cost-saving solution preferable to the application of fungicides. Here, we developed 168 near-isogenic rice lines (NILs, BC6F4) to locate a QTL for resistance against bakanae disease. The lines were derived from a cross between Shingwang, a highly resistant variety (indica), and Ilpum, a highly susceptible variety (japonica). The 24 markers representing the Shingwang allele in a bakanae disease-resistant NIL, YR24982-9-1 (parental line of the BC6F4 NILs), were located on chromosome 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. Single marker analysis using an SSR marker, RM9, showed that a major QTL is located on chromosome 1. The QTL explained 65 % of the total phenotype variation in BC6F4 NILs. The major QTL that designated qBK1 was mapped in 520 kb region between RM8144 and RM 11295. The identification of qBK1 and the closely linked SSR marker, RM9, could be useful for improving rice bakanae disease resistance in marker-assisted breeding.

Summary The effects of thinning were investigated on naturally regenerated Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance (Korean ash) grown in the understorey of a Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr. plantation, established on a site that previously supported old growth hardwood forests. The regeneration characteristics were evaluated after thinning of the plantation (about 60 per cent of relative density was removed). In the naturally regenerated and mixed stands, Quercus mongolica Fisch. was the most abundant tree species in the overstorey, but the understorey of the thinned plantations was dominated by F. rhynchophylla with six other minor tree species. Fraxinus rhynchophylla was regenerated by four propagation types including natural seedling, stump sprout, root sprout and layering. Before thinning, the difference of average height growth for each regeneration type was insignifi cant. One year after thinning, the stump sprouts showed the fastest growth among the regeneration types. Height growth of advance regeneration was slow in the year following thinning but then increased rapidly surpassing the other regeneration types 5 years after thinning. Thinning had an effect on the composition of regenerated trees also by seedling, stump sprout, root sprout and layering in the understorey. Advance regenerations occupied the upper understorey at 5 years after thinning. A large number of stump sprouts emerged in the plots 1 year after thinning, while at 5 years after thinning the occupation of stump sprouts decreased. Root sprouts and layers faded away. Considering the early growth and the composition of understorey F. rhynchophylla , its advance regeneration has a high potential to develop into overstorey trees at this site.

本研究はフェーン現象下の気象を風洞装置を用いて再現し, 高温乾燥風に対する耐性イネ品種と感受性品種との水分状態とクロロフィル含量の差を調べたものである. 耐性品種として韓国農村振興庁嶺南農業試験場の盈徳出張所で選抜した日本型Naepung-byeo (NP), 感受性品種として同定されたオーストラリア原産の日本型Ilabong (IB) を供試し, それぞれ水田土壌をつめた1/1250aポットに移植し, 屋外自然条件下の湛水状態で生育させた. 3時間の高温乾燥風処理は出穂後4日目に行った. 穂の水ポテンシャルの変化は処理終了直後から顕著に現れ, NPでは処理開始前の-0.25 MPaに比べ, -0.75 MPaと大きく低下した. 一方, IBではさらに著しく, 処理開始前の-0.34 MPaから-1.53 MPaに大きく低下した. NPの穂の水ポテンシャルは, 処理終了後2時間目までは低下したが, 処理終了後6時間目には回復する傾向を示した. 葉身における水ポテンシャルは低下する傾向があったものの, 高温乾燥風処理による差は小さく, 品種間で有意な差は認められなかった. また, 穂の相対水分含量は水ポテンシャルと同様, NPでは高温乾燥風処理による低下はほとんど見られず, 処理終了後6時間目には回復する傾向を示した. しかし, IBでは処理終了直後の相対水分含量は処理開始前に比べて大きく低下し, 処理終了後6時間目では22%と極めて低かった. 穂のクロロフィル含量もNPで高く維持され, IBでは顕著に低下し, 処理終了後6時間目にはほとんどが白穂となった. このことから, 耐性品種であるNPは高温乾燥風に対し, 頴花で水分損失を防ぐ何らかの防御機構を有し, 時間の経過とともに回復したと考えられた.

Rice stripe disease, caused by rice stripe virus (RSV) is a serious constraint to rice production in subtropical regions of East Asia. We performed fine mapping of a RSV resistance QTL on chromosome 11, qSTV11 ( SG ), using near-isogenic lines (NILs, BC(6)F(4)) derived from a cross between the highly resistant variety, Shingwang, and the highly susceptible variety, Ilpum, using 11 insertion and deletion (InDel) markers. qSTV11 ( SG ) was localized to a 150-kb region between InDel 11 (17.86 Mbp) and InDel 5 (18.01 Mbp). Among the two markers in this region, InDel 7 is diagnostic of RSV resistance in 55 Korean japonica and indica rice varieties. InDel 7 could also distinguish the allele type of Nagdong, Shingwang, Mudgo, and Pe-bi-hun from Zenith harboring the Stv-b ( i ) allele. As a result, qSTV11 ( SG ) is likely to be the Stv-b ( i ) allele. There were 21 genes in the 150-kb region harboring the qSTV11 ( SG ) locus. Three of these genes, LOC_Os11g31430, LOC_Os11g31450, and LOC_Os11g31470, were exclusively expressed in the susceptible variety. These expression profiles were consistent with the quantitative nature along with incomplete dominance of RSV resistance. Sequencing of these genes showed that there were several amino acid substitutions between susceptible and resistant varieties. Putative functions of these candidate genes for qSTV11 (SG) are discussed.

Calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) are a group of typical Ser/Thr protein kinases that mediate calcium signals. Extensive studies using Arabidopsis plants have demonstrated that many calcium signatures that activate CIPKs originate from abiotic stresses. However, there are few reports on the functional demonstration of CIPKs in other plants, especially in grasses. In this study, we used a loss-of-function mutation to characterize the function of the rice CIPK gene OsCIPK31. Exposure to high concentrations of NaCl or mannitol effected a rapid and transient enhancement of OsCIPK31 expression. These findings were observed only in the light. However, longer exposure to most stresses resulted in downregulation of OsCIPK31 expression in both the presence and absence of light. To determine the physiological roles of OsCIPK31 in rice plants, the sensitivity of oscipk31::Ds, which is a transposon Ds insertion mutant, to abiotic stresses was examined during germination and seedling stages. oscipk31::Ds mutants exhibited hypersensitive phenotypes to ABA, salt, mannitol, and glucose. Compared with wild-type rice plants, mutants exhibited retarded germination and slow seedling growth. In addition, oscipk31::Ds seedlings exhibited enhanced expression of several stress-responsive genes after exposure to these abiotic stresses. However, the expression of ABA metabolic genes and the endogenous levels of ABA were not altered significantly in the oscipk31::Ds mutant. This study demonstrated that rice plants use OsCIPK31 to modulate responses to abiotic stresses during the seed germination and seedling stages and to modulate the expression of stress-responsive genes.

Even though Ac/Ds gene-tagging systems have been established in many higher plants, maize is the only major plant in which short-distance transposition of Ac/Ds has been utilized to probe gene function. This study was performed to evaluate the efficiency of obtaining new alleles and functional revertants from Ds insertion loci in rice. By analyzing 1,580 plants and the progeny of selected lines, the insertion sites and orientations of Ds elements within 16 new heritable alleles of three rice loci were identified and characterized. Intragenic transposition was detected in both directions from the original insertion sites. The closest interval was 35 bp. Three of the alleles had two Ds elements in cis configuration in the same transcription units. We also analyzed the excision footprints of intragenic and extragenic transpositions in Ds-inserted alleles at 5 loci. The 134 footprints obtained from different plants revealed predominant patterns. Ds excision at each locus left a predominant footprint at frequencies of 30-75%. Overall, 66% of the footprints were 7-bp additions. In addition, 16% of the excisions left 0-, 3-, 6-, and 9-bp additions with the potential of conserving reading frame.