While potatoes are a representative crop in Bolivia, their cultivation requires a significant amount of chemical pesticides. Some seed treatment chemicals used for seed potatoes in Bolivia can be highly toxic. Additionally, farmers face financial constraints that make it difficult to use these pesticides. In this paper, we investigated the potential of applying plant ash to seed potatoes as an eco-friendly alternative for seed potato disinfection. We also examined the effects of seed tuber cutting in combination with the ash treatment. The potato variety used was “Jatun Puka,” a new variety developed in Peru that has been studied at the Bolivian National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation (INIAF). The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four repetitions in Sipe Sipe and Sapanani o f Cochab amb a, and Mairana of S anta Cruz. The r esults s howed that the e ffects of the ash treatment and tuber cutting were significantly influenced by the local environment of each region in Bolivia. The ash treatment was more effective than the others only in the Sapanani region, where the soil pH was low enough to fall within the optimal range for potatoes after the ash treatment. Generally, cutting seed potatoes had a negative effect on yield across all three regions, with the negative impact increasing in proportion to the humidity or precipitation of each area. However, considering the cost of seed potatoes per unit area, cutting them remains an adoptable option under certain circumstances. We hope this research will serve as an important reference for future studies on eco-friendly potato cultivation in Bolivia.
Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) is a key horticultural vegetable in East Asia, particularly in South Korea. It is an important ingredient in traditional fermented foods like kimchi. With climate change and agricultural diversification, such as crop rotation, becoming increasingly relevant globally, examining the productivity of different Chinese cabbage varieties in new regions is crucial. This study evaluated the feasibility of cultivating Chinese cabbage in Bolivia, where the highland regions present unique environmental conditions, including temperature and soil characteristics. We conducted an experiment to grow five different Korean varieties of Chinese cabbage for three months in Sipe Sipe, Cochab amb a, w here t he KOPIA B olivia c enter is located, t o assess t heir a daptability to t he l ocal environment. A s a result, we i dentified two Korean v arieties a s the most s uitab le f or c ultivation i n Bolivia. We expect that this research will serve as a foundational reference for further exploration of the possibilities for cultivating different Chinese cabbage varieties in Bolivia.
This study is part of the KOPIA project, which aims to enhance Sri Lanka’s self-sufficiency in chilli seed production and support agricultural development. It examines the trends in chilli supply and demand in Sri Lanka, available varieties, cultivation techniques, and pest management practices. By sharing these findings with Korean researchers, the study provides essential data to facilitate the expansion of Korean seeds and agricultural equipment into Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has an annual per capita chilli consumption of 2.32 kg, which is higher than that of its neighboring countries. While fresh chilli production meets local demand, over 90% of dried chilli is imported, underscoring the need for greater self-sufficiency. Various varieties, including ‘MI 2’, ‘KA 2’, and the MI series, are cultivated according to region and season. Recently, Sri Lanka has begun hybrid seed production with the newly developed ‘MICH Hy1’. This study categorizes chilli cultivation techniques into key stages, addressing climate considerations, seedling management, planting density, soil preparation, irrigation, fertilization, weed control, harvesting, drying, seed production, and pest and disease management strategies. Through agricultural cooperation, KOPIA is establishing standardized cultivation practices by integrating research findings. The project also supports the construction of net houses for hybrid seed production and provides field-based technical guidance, contributing to Sri Lanka’s chilli seed self-sufficiency.
This study was conducted to provide comprehensive information on the current status, constraints, and policy responses regarding rice cultivation in Uzbekistan for researchers and policymakers engaged in rice production in Central Asia. Despite annual fluctuations, Uzbekistan’s rice cultivation area has consistently exceeded 100,000 hectares each year. The yield per unit area improved by 19.2%, increasing from 4.21 t/ha in 2021 to 5.02 t/ha in 2024. In terms of cultivation methods, the proportion of doub le c ropping rose f rom 50.7% t o 71.6%, a lthough productivity remained h igher in s ingle cropping (5.35 t/ha) compared to double cropping (4.88 t/ha). Rice demonstrated an economic advantage of 2-5 times per hectare compared to major crops such as wheat, corn, and cotton. However, domestic production growth has not kept pace with rising consumption demands, leading to a sharp increase in imports, from 9,000 tons in 2019 to 108,800 tons in 2023. The structure of rice imports is shifting from a heavy reliance on Kazakhstan (90%) toward diversification, including partnerships with Pakistan, Thailand, and other countries. Major constraints to rice production in Uzbekistan include an arid climate, chronic irrigation water shortages, and soil salinization, which affects 50-70% of irrigated farmland. In response, the government established a comprehensive development strategy through Cabinet Resolution No. 986 in 2019 and is currently promoting economies of scale by establishing 42 clusters across 8 provinces (covering 41,440 hectares, or 29.7% of the total area). To address water scarcity, laser land leveling technology has been implemented on over 700,000 hectares as of 2024, aimed at reducing irrigation water usage and increasing yields, with plans to further expand water-saving cultivation technologies. In terms of international cooperation, the KOPIA project is enhancing quality seed production and distribution, as well as establishing machine transplanting cultivation technology. Partnerships with IRRI and participation in the Council for Partnership on Rice Research in Asia (CORRA) are strengthening the development of climate- adaptive varieties and international networks. Overall, Uzbekistan’s rice industry has the strategic potential to contribute significantly to food security, rural economic development, and regional trade activation through systematic policy implementation and enhanced international cooperation.
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOL) threatens lettuce production w orldw ide, y et g enomic resources for many field isolates remain scarce, hampering both molecular race diagnostics and effector‑guided breeding. In this study, we produced the draft genome sequence of FOL isolate 16-086 collected from South Korea. High‑molecular‑weight DNA of the 16-086 extracted from a monoconidial culture was sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform (2 × 151 bp). De‑novo assembly with SOAPdenovo produced a 55.0 Mb genome distributed over 16,636 scaffolds (N₅₀ = 104 kb) with 1,941 bp of gaps and a GC content of 47.60 %. AUGUSTUS predicted 16,158 protein‑coding genes, 74.9 % of w hich c arry r ecognisable InterPro d omains, comparable t o other F. oxysporum genomes. Whole‑genome completeness reached 96.3 % BUSCOs for Ascomycota. Pathogenicity was validated with the susceptible line ‘knou322’. Single‑locus PCR alone cannot conclusively assign strain 16‑086 to race 3; additional multi-loci assays and pathogenicity tests are required to resolve its race identity. The genome assembly and raw reads have been deposited in GenBank under BioProject PRJNA758594, BioSample SAMN21031248 and SRA SRR15671714, providing an open resource for refining molecular diagnostics and accelerating resistance‑gene deployment in lettuce breeding programmes.
Stem rot symptoms were recently identified in greenhouse-cultivated paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) in Hwaseong, Korea, with the causal pathogen determined to be Rhizopus stolonifer. Diseased stem samples displaying water-soaked lesions and abundant black mold growth were collected for pathogen isolation. The fungus demonstrated rapid mycelial growth and typical sporangium formation on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), and its morphological characteristics were consistent with those of R. stolonifer. Temperature assays indicated optimal mycelial growth at 20–30℃. Artificial inoculation using a spore suspension (2 × 10⁶ spores/㎖) on pruning wounds replicated the characteristic soft rot symptoms and stem collapse within 10 days. The fungus was re-isolated from the affected tissues and confirmed again as R. stolonifer, thereby definitively establishing its pathogenicity and fulfilling Koch’s postulates. Molecular identification through 28S rDNA sequencing (668 bp) and phylogenetic analysis further supported the isolates as R. stolonifer. To our knowledge, this is the first report in Korea indicating that Rhizopus stolonifer, though commonly recognized as a postharvest pathogen, can also cause stem rot in greenhouse paprika via pruning wounds during cultivation. These findings emphasize the potential risk of disease spread under climate change and highlight the necessity for integrated management strategies throughout both cultivation and postharvest phases.
Grapevine l eaf rust (GLR) c aused b y Phakopsora euvitis diminishes fruit quality and reduces yield in viticulture, making it one of the world’s most significant fruit crop threats. To develop GLR-resistant grape varieties, substantial efforts have been made to select rust-resistant genes and determine effective strategies f or achieving durab le resistance in grapevines. This study aims to identify genetic resources resistant to GLR by investigating disease incidence in vineyards and symptom development in grapevines inoculated with pathogens. Fifty-seven genotypes from Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, Vitis acerifolia, V. aestivalis, V. amurensis, V. cinerea, V. coignetiae, V. flexuosa, V. labrusca, V. labruscana, V. rotundifolia, and V. vinifera were evaluated for rust disease incidence over four years (2021 –2024) at Yeunganm University. Three plants per genotype were potted and sprayed with a pathogen suspension to assess disease incidence on their adaxial leaf surfaces in a greenhouse. Variation in resistance to GLR was observed among genotypes within each species. Resistant genotypes of V. coignetiae exhibited no symptoms on their leaves, while severe infections were noted in the leaves of susceptible genotypes of A. brevipedunculata, V. amurensis, V. flexuosa, V. labruscana, and V. vinifera. None of the tested V. rotundifolia genotypes displayed yellow pustules and remained unaffected for three weeks after artificial inoculation. These findings highlight the potential of V. rotundifolia and V. coignetiae as valuable genetic resources for breeding rust-resistant grapevines. Chlorophyll content was comparable across all uninfected genotypes. While resistant genotypes maintained relatively stable chlorophyll levels, the average chlorophyll content in the majority of susceptible genotypes was significantly lower following inoculation than before. This negative relationship indicates a general decline in photosynthetic capacity due to disease development in grapevines. Identifying resistant genotypes among both resistant and susceptible genotypes across different Vitis species provides crucial insights for developing new grape varieties with improved resistance to GLR.