This study quantitatively analyzes the inter-sectoral linkages of emerging security based on the network of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in North Korea's Voluntary National Review Report (VNR) using Social Network Analysis (SNA). As a result of the analysis, North Korea's overall linkage score for each emerging security sector was high in the following order: health security (7.8), environmental security (5.9), food security (5.4), and energy security (4.0). This refers to the degree of interconnectivity with other security sectors. The ranking of security with high connectivity by the emerging security sector is as follows. Food security was in the order of environment > health > energy security, health security was in the order of environment > food security, energy security was in the order of health > environment > food security, and environmental security was highly connected in the order of health > energy > food security. This quantitative analysis indicates the importance of emerging security sectors and the need for mutual linkage in North Korea's SDGs implementation strategy. This will help set priorities for future cooperation in emerging security areas between North and South Korea and seeking organic linkage plans for each security sector.
The cocoa sub-sector is an important pillar of Ghana’s economic stability and growth prospects; the sub-sector contributes to fiscal stability, infrastructure, and employment. In recent times, diversification has become a common observable feature in the industry. This study uses the conditional mixed process approach to examine the interaction between the diversification status and profitability of cocoa farming simultaneously in a single system. Using data from 401 farmers in the Western and Ashanti regions of Ghana in 2022, the study found that more profitable farmers were more likely to diversify. Conversely, diversified farmers were likely to be more profitable than non-diversified farmers. It also found that the farmer's age, experience, farm area, and location of the farm impacted both the profitability and diversification status of farmers. Thus, it is suggested that policymakers should direct policies and programs to support the creation of alternative farm-based livelihoods for farmers.
In this study, the expression of genes related to fruit ripening was investigated using realtime PCR. The study aimed to determine the effective conditions of calcium compounds (Calcium citrate, calcium chloride, calcium nitrate, GH-Ca, OS-Ca) and chitosan treatment to extend the shelf-life in the ‘Kumhong’ nectarine and ‘Madoka’ peach fruits. In this study, in the ‘Kumhong’ and ‘Madoka’ fruits, the expression of genes related to cell wall degradation, pectin lyase (PL), polygalacturonase (PG), and pectin methylesterase (PME), was inhibited by calcium, chitosan, or a mixture (Chitosan+CaCl2) treatment. In ‘Madoka’ peach, although the expression of the PG gene was suppressed at pre-harvest Ca and chitosan treatment, the expression of the PL gene was induced at pre- and post-harvest Ca and chitosan treatment compared to the control. The spray of calcium, chitosan itself, or a mixture (Chitosan+ CaCl2) on the trees at the ripening stage and harvested fruits can extend the shelf-life by suppressing the expression of cell wall degrading enzymes genes (PL, PG, PME) in ‘Kumhong’ nectarine and ‘Madoka’ peach tree. These results provide valuable information for the development of technology for the extension of the shelf-life of peach and nectarine fruits.
Bolivian tuber species like potato (Solanum tuberosum), native potato (Solanum sp), Oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina), Olluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas), and Isaño (Tropaeolum turosum Ruíz & Pav.) hold extraordinary nutritional value and cultural significance, particularly within the Andean region. This study examined the mineral composition of Bolivian tuber species as an essential step toward understanding their nutritional significance and potential contributions to addressing dietary deficiencies. The research involved detailed analysis of diverse tuber cultivars, uncovering distinct mineral profiles across species. Native potato shows high levels of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg) levels, alongside moderate micronutrients like iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). Commercial potatoes exhibited prominence in N, P, and K, with moderate Fe, Zn, and manganese (Mn) levels. Oca, Isaño, and Papa Lisa displayed unique mineral concentrations, offering potential nutritional benefits. Intricate correlations and significant variances among elements highlighted the diverse mineral compositions among these tuber species. Multivariate analyses emphasized distinct mineral profiles unique to each species, revealing significant compositions of isaño and papa lisa's. The Multitrait Genotype- Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI) identified isaño jaspeado, isaño and an unnamed native potato, AXT2, as promising ideotypes due to their exceptional mineral compositions. These findings provide comprehensive insights into Bolivian tuber species' various mineral compositions, underscoring their nutritional significance and potential in targeted breeding for improved dietary support and enhanced food security.
This research investigated the effects of the plant growth regulators (PGRs) on fruit characteristics and storability of ‘Shine Muscat’ grapes. The objective was to identify effective PGR treatment methods for high-quality production and efficient storage. The characteristics of ‘Shine Muscat’ fruits were more affected by the secondary treatment applied 14 days after full bloom than by the primary treatment applied at full bloom. The fruits treated with thidiazuron (TDZ) in the secondary treatment showed higher weight. However, the forchlorfenuron (CPPU) treated fruits exhibited lower acidity and higher soluble solids content, which led to a higher sugar-to-acid ratio. Additionally, it had higher firmness, contributing to a good texture and a brighter yellow-green skin color, thus indicating better quality. The storage period for ‘Shine Muscat’ varies depending on the storage method: up to 60 days in cold storage and up to 110 days in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage. Like other kinds of fruits, CA storage was more effective for long-term storage. Furthermore, considering that the quality characteristics manifested during the prestorage PGR treatment were maintained during CA storage, secondary treatment with CPPU was deemed effective for optimal quality and storage.
Pepper cultivation requires a great amount of manual labor, especially for varieties needing support stakes to prevent them bending or breaking in heavy winds or rain. In Korea, it is recommended to secure support stakes and string lines carefully, so as to minimize the risk of damage caused by typhoons. The harvesting of peppers is a labor-intensive process with low rates of mechanization.The removal of stakes is particularly time-consuming during mechanical harvesting, and lodging is a major issue during cultivation and mechanical harvesting. Given increased mechanization during pepper harvesting, it is important to consider these issues when undertaking variety development and cultivation method improvements. Further research and development are required to improve cultivation practices and develop pepper varieties that are more resistant to lodging. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of different cultivation methods on pepper lodging, thus broadening our knowledge on the desirable architecture of pepper plants required for lodging tolerance.
This study aimed to determine the optimal planting density for sesame cultivation in a double cropping system after harvesting onion and garlic in the Muan region. It compared the growth, yield, disease susceptibility, and labor hours for two varieties of sesame (Landrace and Geonbaek sesame) at different planting densities. Plant height in the Landrace sesame showed no significant variation with different planting densities, whereas Geonbaek sesame increased in height with higher planting densities. Both cultivars increased the number of viable branches at lower densities. The stem diameter was thicker in Landrace sesame with decreasing planting density, while in the Geonbaek sesame, there was no significant difference in stem diameter regardless of planting density. The number of capsules per plant for the Landrace sesame increased with decreasing density, whereas Geonbaek sesame showed no significant difference. Yield for both cultivars was higher at greater densities. However, the late direct sowing time and shorter cultivation period significantly reduced the yield of sesame cultivated in a double cropping system compared to that of sesame grown in a single cropping system, due to the late direct sowing time and shorter cultivation period. There was no significant difference in disease occurrence based on planting density. Furthermore, although labor hours did not vary with planting density when comparing the labor hours required for cultivating the Landrace sesame and Geonbaek sesame, the latter needed less labor time. This study reveals the optimum planting distance and density for sesame cultivation as a double cropping after harvesting onion and garlic, providing invaluable data for establishing sesame double cropping cultivation techniques.
The system of rice intensification (SRI) has been proposed as a way of transitioning towards more sustainable rice farming. In rainfed rice farming, however, various environmental constraints often make SRI practices challenging to adopt. We conducted an on-farm experiment in 30 rainfed lowland fields to examine the technical efficacy of SRI in southern Cambodia during the wet seasons of over three years of 2012, 2013, and 2015. Across the three years, the SRI practices produced significantly greater plant biomass and grain yield than non-SRI. We ascribed the yield increase to the increased number of grains per land area as the increased number of spikelets per panicle rather than the number of panicles per land area. With no significant difference in seedling age between the SRI and the non-SRI, we attributed the more substantial number of grains per panicle to the reduced planting density, increased manure application, and reduced amount of inorganic fertilizers in SRI fields. Our results suggest that the advantage of the SRI lies in the efficient use of internally available soil nutrients, whose mechanisms need quantitative understanding through future studies.