Ionizing radiation directly and indirectly affects gene expression within the plant genome. To access the physiological response of rice to different types of ionizing radiation, rice seeds were exposed to gamma-ray and ion beam radiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation dramatically decreased the shoot length compared with non-irradiated plants. Fluorescence-activated-cell-sorting (FACs) was used to measure DNA contents. There were significant correlations of dose-dependent between irradiated plant and non-irradiated plant. The radicals induced by the ionizing radiation in the plant could be observed by electron spin resonance (ESR). It was confirmed that the number of free radicals in cell was greatly increased all irradiated plants than non-irradiated plant. A significant positive correlation was shown between ionizing radiation dose and signal intensity. In order to determine the Genetic diversity, AFLP analysis was conducted with the irradiated plant and non-irradiated plant. Based on band patterns, the cluster analysis was conducted to evaluate the genetic variation by using the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Grouping Method of Averages). Genetic diversity of irradiated plants by low dose ion beam was the closest non-irradiated plant and irradiated by high dose gamma-ray was the furthest from non-irradiated. We describe the detailed methods of ionizing irradiation and discuss its applications in genetic research as well as plant breeding.

Compared to wide ranges of genetic variation of natural populations, very limited Miscanthus cultivar has been released. This study was the first report on the development of Miscanthus cultivar by means of radiation breeding. Seeds of M. sinensis were initially exposed to gamma rays of 250 Gy for 24 h, generated from a 60Co gamma-irradiator. The irradiated seeds were sown and then the highly tiller-producing mutants were selected for this study. Biomass-related parameters including tiller number, plant height, stem diameter, and leaf number were measured. Ploidy level and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were investigated to characterize the mutants compared to wild type (WT) Miscanthus. Plant height and tiller number were negatively related, where multi-tillering mutants were relatively short after 4 month growth. However stem diameter and leaf number were greater in mutants. All the materials used in this study were diploid, implying that the mutants with greater tiller numbers and stem diameter were not likely related to polyploidization. Based on the sequence of ITS regions, the mutants demonstrated base changes from the gamma irradiation where G+C content (%) was decreased in the ITS1, but increased in ITS2 when compared to WT sequence. ITS2 region was more variable than in ITS1 in the mutants, which collectively allows identification of the mutants from WT. Those mutants having enhanced tillers and allelic variations might be used as breeding materials for enhanced biomass-producing Miscanthus cultivars.

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and fertility restoration have been utilized as valuable tools for F_1-hybrid seed production in many crops despite laborious breeding processes. Molecular markers for the selection of CMS-related genes help reduce the expenses and breeding times. A previously reported genomic region containing the Ppr-B gene, which is responsible for restoration of fertility and corresponds to the Rfo locus, was used to develop gene-based or so-called "functional" markers for allelic selection of the restorer-of-fertility gene (Rfo) in F_1-hybrid breeding of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Polymorphic sequences among Rfo alleles of diverse breeding lines of radish were examined by sequencing the Ppr-B alleles. However, presence of Ppr-B homolog, designated as Ppr-D, interferes on specific PCR amplification of Ppr-B in certain breeding lines. The organization of Ppr-D, resolved by genome walking, revealed extended homology with Ppr-B even in the promoter region. Interestingly, PCR amplification of Ppr-D was repeatedly unsuccessful in certain breeding lines implying the lack of Ppr-D in these radishes. Ppr-B could only be successfully amplified for analysis through designing primers based on the sequences unique to Ppr-B that exclude interference from Ppr-D gene. Four variants of Rfo alleles were identified from 20 breeding lines. A combination of three molecular markers was developed in order to genotype the Rfo locus based on polymorphisms among four different variants. These markers will be useful in facilitating F_1-hybrid cultivar development in radish.

Nitrate-selective ion exchange resin which have bulky tertiary amine as functional group have been synthesized by the reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer and the corresponding tertiary amine [NR3=NEt3 1, N(C2H4OH)3 2] in ethanol, while commercial resin has NMe3 as functional group. The fundamental properties such as bulk density, water content, appearance index, exchange capacity, effective size, uniformity coefficient of synthesized anion exchange resin (1) have been measured. The ion exchange resin (1) and (2) exhibited the better selectivity for nitrate than sulfate in both batch and continuous column experiments.

A kinetic study for nitrate removal by anion exchange resin was performed using continuous column reactors. Kinetic approach from the packed bed showed the reaction rate constant k1 was 0.07∼0.17 ℓ/㎎·hr and maximum exchange quantity q0 was 27.75∼31.81 ㎎/g. The results from the continuous column well agreed with that from the batch reactor. An economic analysis of the water treatment plant by anion exchange resin with a regenerating system was performed to design plant and process. Based on the treatment of 20 ㎎/ℓ nitrate-contained wastewater of 10,000 gallons per day to 2 ㎎/ℓ , total capital cost and total annual cost are estimated to be 836 million wons and 211 million wons, respectively.

A kinetic study for anion exchange was performed for commercially available Cl- type anion exchange resin in use to remove nitrate in water. The obtained results from the batch reactor were applied to the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The constants for Langmuir model were qmax=29.82 and b=0.202, and for Freundlich model were K=5.509 and n=1.772. Langmuir model showed better fit than Frendlich model for the experimental results. Ion exchange reaction rate was also calculated and the approximate first-order reaction, rate constant k1 was 0.16 L/㎎·hr. Effective diffusion coefficient was obtained in the range from 9.67×10 exp (-8) to 1.67×10 exp (-6) ㎠/sec for initial concentration change, and from 6.09×10 exp (-7) to 3.98×10 exp (-6) ㎠/sec for reaction temperature change. Activation energy during the diffusion was calculated as 36 ㎉/㏖.