This study was conducted to determine the acceptability of locally accepted japonica rice varieties among 53 farmers in Bohol and 38 farmers in Nueva Ecija, who were further classified into adopters and non-adopters of the GUVA japonica rice variety. Snowball sampling was made on farmer adopters/cooperators of a high-quality seed multiplication and dissemination project in the said provinces. The farmer respondents were mostly male whose ages ranged from 30 to 80 years and with farm sizes from 0.5 to 16 hectares. The farmers’ rice variety and usage were assessed by comparing the GUVA japonica rice variety with their commonly planted indica rice variety based on its agronomic characteristics, yield and income potential, and seed purity concerns. The barriers/hesitations to adoption of the GUVA japonica rice variety, namely seed availability, varietal information, and market potential, must be complemented with the suggested improvements on the variety together with factors that convince the farmers for committed use of this variety. Researchers together with partner agencies must put a lot of thought on how to integrate and synchronize these concerns so that the farmers can adopt GUVA japonica rice. Interest check on the usage of GUVA japonica rice variety in rice production as well as suggested improvements were solicited as the basis for continuous R&D pursuits that would eventually promote and adopt the GUVA japonica rice variety from these provinces.

Flammulina velutipesis a popular edible mushroom in South Korea, accounting for approximately 30% of the total mushroom export in the country. Despite its significant position in the domestic mushroom industry, approximately 65% of the cultivated F. velutipes are foreign varieties. To secure variety rights and enhance competitiveness in the export market, there is a need to develop domestic varieties with stable production and excellent shelf life. We focused on breeding a new variety called 'Baekwoon' through mon–mon crossing, using 'Baekseung' and an international collection strain (KMCC02260) as parents. Baekwoon exhibited faster mycelial growth rates at 15 °C and 25 °C and higher mycelial growth across four tested media compared to that of the control variety. Under bottle cultivation, Baekwoon had a mycelial cultivation period that was shorter by approximately 2 days compared to that of the control. The yield of Baekwoon was 228.0±10.9 g, 8.3% more than that of the control. Furthermore, Baekwoon displayed distinct morphological features characterized by a larger pileus and thicker stipe compared to that of the control variety. Genetic tests confirmed that Baekwoon is genetically different from both parental strains and the control variety. It is expected that the newly developed F. velutipes variety, Baekwoon, will be evaluated for its adaptation in different regions and actively promoted in the field, ultimately increasing the market share of domestic varieties.

본 연구는 신품종으로 등록된 길뚝사초 ‘설맥’의 형태적 특성을 구명하고자 하였다. 조사방법은 양적특성과 질적 및 유사질적 특성으로 구분하여 재배시험을 실시하였으며, 양적특성은 독립표본 t-검증(Independent sample t-test)을 이용하여 분석하였다. 질적 및 유사질적 특성은 국제 식물 신품종 보호연맹(UPOV : International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants)에서 발행한 지침(TGP 8/1 PARTⅡ : 8)을 참고하여 균일성을 확인하였다. 그 결과 총 28개의 특성 중 10개의 특성에서 구별성이 있었으며, 8개의 특성에서 균일성과 안정성을 확인하였다. 양적 특성 결과는 일반종보다 엽신의 수와 크기 등 영양기관 부위에서는 작았고, 화경 소수의 수, 소수화수 암꽃 수 와 같은 생식기관에서는 많았다. 질적 특성은 잎 가장자리 세로의 노란 무늬가 명확하였다. 길뚝사초 ‘설맥’은 형태적으로 일반종과 다른 새로운 품종임을 확인하였으며, 왜성의 노란색 세로 무늬종으로서 조경의 관상용으로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

This study was a qualitative investigation into the food security and food variety among the rural elderly. For the qualitative data collection, nineteen elderly people who lived in Yangpyeong-gun were interviewed individually. Food security and variety was evaluated based on accessibility and affordability. The participants seemed to have difficulty preparing their own meals and eating with their families or others. The frequency of vegetable intake was found to be high, as vegetables were available through cultivation. However, in terms of diversity, the intake of meat and milk, which are sources of protein and calcium, was found to be significantly low. This has to do with very poor physical accessibility. A lack of nutrition education was identified as the biggest reason for not following dietary therapy despite having a pre-existing disease condition. Therefore, for the elderly in Yangpyeong-gun, it is suggested that a basic nutrition policy for food supply that can increase their actual intake is more essential than education on cooking and nutrients. Moreover, periodic nutrition education or a regular counseling system for dietary therapy through local public health centers may help improve the health of the elderly.

The experiment aim to breed an early-maturing variety of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). It was conducted at the Grassland and Forage Crops Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan, Korea, from 2022 to 2023. The new variety named “Oasis” is a diploid with green leaves and has a semi-erect growth habit in late fall, and an erect growth habit in early spring. With a heading date of May 10, Oasis is categorized as an early-maturing variety. Compared with the “Florida80” as a control variety, Oasis’s flag leaf was 1 mm wider and 2 cm shorter, while the plant length was 7.8 cm longer. Additionally, the ear of Oasis was 1.2 cm longer than that of Florida80, and it showed lodging resistance. The dry matter yield of Oasis (8,805 kg/ha) was higher than that of Florida80. The total digestible nutrient and crude protein contents of Oasis were 64.5%, and 9.3%, respectively, which were 1.1% and 0.6% higher than those of Florida80, respectively. The neutral and acid detergent fiber contents in Oasis were 54.2% and 30.8%, respectively, which was 1.9% and 1.4% lower than those of Florida80, respectively. These results indicate that Oasis has good dry matter yield in the most of region and especially, middle and northern region of South Korea.

A new brown variety of Flammulina velutipes, referred to as ‘Asakgold,’ was bred by crossing two monokaryons isolated from the “Geumhyang2ho” and “Garlmoe” varieties. The pileus color of the new variety is light brown and its shape is hemispherical. During bottle cultivation, the period necessary for mycelial growth was 40 days, 9 days for primordia formation and 15 days for fruiting body growth. The total cultivation period was 64 days, which was similar to that of the control variety “Yeoreumhyang1ho.” The pileus of the new variety was similar and the stipe was thinner and longer than that of the control. The number of valid stipes per bottle was 495, which was 37 % higher than that of the control (362), and the yield was 214 g, 16 % higher than that of the control (185 g). The -glucan content was 28.69 %, which was observed to be 1.6 times more than that of the control.

An aeroponic seed potato production technology project has been established in Pakistan through the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) between RDA-KOPIA and PARC. For sustainable potato production, producing high-quality and disease-free potato seeds is critical in Pakistan. The majority of the farmers recycle their own seeds or obtain them through informal ways. Consequently, tuber-borne illnesses proliferate, seeds deteriorate, and yield diminishes. To mitigate such problems, the country moved to sustainable seed potato production by adopting rapid seed multiplication strategies like the combination of tissue culturing with aeroponic seed production technology which is being evaluated as an alternative to traditional pre-basic seed production methods. A series of experiments were carried out to evaluate the shoot development and mini tuber production attributes between two cultivars, different plantlet size and planting period between October 27, 2021, and January 27, 2022, at the NARC aeroponic facility. A CRD design with three replications was used. The study aimed to compare the productivity by variety, plantlet size and planting period to improve aeroponic seed production technology in Pakistan. The results indicated that Lady Rosetta outperformed Asterix in terms of shoot growth and small tuber output. Early planting at an optimal temperature of 27 degrees Celsius in the daytime showed a substantial difference when compared to late planting in November and tuberization was commenced 50-55 days after transplantation. Furthermore, in an aeroponic seed potato production system, normal plantlets (8-10 cm) at the time of transplantation, performed better than medium and small plantlets. In a nutshell, it was determined that normal size plantlets (8-10 cm) of Lady Rosetta cultivar, planted at optimum time to plant showed best results in the aeroponic system at NARC, Islamabad, Pakistan.

The oyster mushroom is a widely cultivated edible mushroom in Korea. It is a regionally specialized crop in Gyeonggi-do, where 68% of the national production is produced. The present study was conducted to develop a new, highquality cultivar with stable cultivation. ‘Manseon’ is a new variety of oyster mushroom suitable for bottle culture. It was produced by mating monokaryons isolated from ‘HB-18’ and ‘P15159-16’. The optimal temperature for ‘Manseon’ mycelial growth was 26–29 °C on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and for primordia formation and the growth of fruit bodies the optimal temperature was 18–19 °C on sawdust medium. Spawn running required 30 d, primordia formation required 4 d, and fruit body growth in the bottle culture required 4 d. Regarding the characteristics of the fruit bodies, the pilei were round and dark grayish brown, stipe color was white, and stipe shape was short and thick. The yield per bottle was 192.7 g/1,100 cc, which was 9% higher than that of the control strain (Suhan-1ho). The physical properties of springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and brittleness of stipe tissue were 87.9%, 77.4%, 445.1 kgf, and 389.6 kgf, respectively.

A new dark brown variety of Flammulina velutipes, referred to as ‘Asakchoco’, was bred by crossing two monokaryons isolated from the ‘Yeoreumhyang2ho’ and ‘Guemhyang2ho’ varieties. The pileus color of the new variety is dark brown and the stipe color is ivory, with uniformity from the upper section to the base. In addition, the primordia formation is uniform compared to that of the control, and the advantage of this is that the pileus does not become deformed after the primordia formation. During bottle cultivation, the period necessary for mycelial growth was 40 d, for primordia formation was 8 d, and for fruiting body growth was 16 d. The total cultivation period was 64 d, which was 2 d shorter than that of the control. The pileus was smaller and thicker and the stipe diameter was the same, but the stipe length was longer than that of the control. The number of valid stipes per bottle was 441, 24% higher than that of the control (357), and the yield was 197 g, 19% higher than that of the control (166 g).

Low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste for permanent disposal often contains organic complexing agents, so-called chelating agents. Organic complexing agents, which are polycarboxylic acids, can increase the mobility of radionuclides into the environment by forming water-soluble complexes with most heavy metals. Therefore, analyzing the complexing agents in radioactive waste is crucial for comprehensive management of nuclear wastes. According to regulatory guidelines, specifically Notice No. 2021-16 issued by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the determination of chelating agent content in radioactive waste materials is required to ensure proper management and safe disposal. However, only a few methods are available to analyze the chelators in various matrices such as concrete, metals, soil, and mixed solid wastes like plastics, vinyl, and rubber. Recently, we found a UV-Vis method based on an enzymatic reaction is inadequate for analyzing citric acid in radioactive waste with a complex matrix like concrete. To address this, we developed a method to determine the contents of EDTA and NTA using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer and citric acid using ion chromatography. The results showed good validity and reliability to determine the chelating agents in various radioactive wastes.

To determine the acceptability of Grain Utilization Value Added (GUVA) Japonica rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and South Korea’s Rural Development Authority (RDA), home use tests were conducted in n=69 businesses that were using Japonica rice. In general, they were satisfied with the Japonica brands, because they provided them with the particulars needed in their Japanese and Korean dishes. According to them, the value and quality of the Japonica rice justify the price. However, the GUVA Japonica Rice variety’s positive ratings were significantly lower compared to the brands they were used to. This applied to both their overall and attributespecific evaluations. Among the attributes, size, shape, aroma, and stickiness received significantly lower ratings compared to the other Japonica varieties. For them, it was too small, too round, less aromatic, and less sticky which may lead to challenges in preparation consequently affecting the commercial acceptability of the dishes they offer. Even with this experience and perception, they were still willing to consider the GUVA Japonica Rice when it was available in the market. Using the Van Westendorp pricing model, GUVA Japonica yielded a price of PHP 51.00 (1.01 USD) which was competitive. These findings provide recommendations for measures that should be put in place so that value chain players can preserve and maintain quality until the rice reach the business market.

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of planting densities on the growth characteristics, dry matter yield, and feed value of “Geukdong 6” (a new variety of corn for feed). The experimental design was arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. Treatments consisted of six planting densities, 60 cm × 25 cm (T1), 60 cm × 30 cm (T2), 70 cm × 25 cm (T3), 70 cm × 30 cm (T4), 80 cm × 25 cm (T5) and 80 cm × 30 cm (T6). All treatments were sown on May 14, 2021, and the harvest was on October 3 (late flowering). Plant length and the number of tillers were the highest in T5 (p<0.05), but the number of leaves and stem diameter were the highest in T6 than in the other treatments (p<0.05). Leaf length, leaf width, and dead leaf were not significantly different among the treatments. Organic matter was highest in T6, and crude protein was highest in T5 (p<0.05). The ether extract was not significantly different among the treatments. Crude fiber, NDF, and ADF were highest in T2 with relatively higher planting density (p<0.05). Calcium and phosphorus were not significantly different among the treatments. TDN content was the highest in T3 (p<0.05). Sugar degree (Brix), fructose, glucose, dextran, isomerose, and inverted sugar were not significantly different among the treatment. Fresh yield, dry matter yield and TDN yield were higher in order of T6 > T5 > T4 > T3 > T2 > T1 (p<0.05). Relatively feed value was higher in order of T3 > T6 > T5 > T1 > T4 > T2 (p<0.05). Based on the above results, planting density could be recommended from 80 cm × 30 cm for efficient production of “Geukdong 6”.

Mushroom production in Korea is concentrated on five major mushroom types. To create a new source of income for farmers, it is necessary to establish new mushroom production and marketing systems. This study was conducted to evaluate the marketability of and establish a marketing strategy for Pleurotus nebrodensis variety 'Uram'. The evaluation of distributors showed that it was necessary to cultivate mushrooms of uniform shape and size, to compensate for their low storability, and to sell them in small packages. The consumer evaluation showed that the texture of P. nebrodensis had the highest level of satisfaction for quality, but the levels of satisfaction for size and shape were low. In the consumer evaluation, as in the distributor evaluation, improvements in cultivation were found to be necessary, as the storage time is short due to a high moisture content. An evaluation of the market gave the following results regarding the marketing strategy. It was found to be necessary to consider the production of mushrooms of a uniform shape and size and sell them in small packages in the range of 150 to 300 g. The price of the mushrooms should be set using a high-end strategy for high-end sales. The mushrooms should be introduced to local food and eco-friendly stores in the early stages of production. Subsequently, if farmhouse production increases, shipments should be made to wholesale markets through a regular contract. Finally, considering that P. nebrodensis is an unfamiliar mushroom to consumers, it is necessary to promote it by increasing the accessibility of consumers through tasting events and experience groups.