The aim of this study was to select the abiotic tolerant sorghum mutants using chlorophyll a transient OJIP analysis of PSⅠ and PSⅡ so called Kautsky’s effect within 1 second. It was clearly identified that wwt-and drought tolerant sorghum mutants could be classified by wet factor index(WFI). On the basis of WFI, wet tolerant sorghum matants were classified as follows; Ⅰ group, MUT534 bmr/new, MUT525 bmr; Ⅱ group, M2P1207 bmr, 25M2-0404 bmr, MUT371 bmr24, unknown bmr22, 10M2-0775 bmr, MUT135 bmr23; Ⅲ group, M2P0411 bmr, MUT641 bmr, M2P1064 bmr36, MUT855 bmr, 25M2-0137 bmr/new, MUT436 bmr, M2P0929 bmr, 25M2-0026 bmr, 10M2-0387 bmr, 25M2-0173 bmr/new; Ⅳ group, 25M2-0698 bmr. In conclusion, for the selection of wet tolerance, four photochemical parameters such as Electron transport flux until PSI acceptors per PSII(RE1o/RC), Performance index for energy conservation from photons absorbed by PSII antenna, until the reduction of PSI acceptors(PI_total ABS), Driving force on absorption basis(DF_total ABS) and Electron transport flux from QA to QB per PSII(ETo/RC) were important photochemical parameters deduced from maximum quantum yield and electron transport efficiency.

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.

The utility of soil-gas surveys is directly proportional to their accuracy in reflecting and representing changes in the subsurface concentrations of source compounds. Passive soil-gas vapor-phase is merely a fractional trace of the source, so, as a matter of convenience, the units used in reporting detection values from EMFLUX surveys are smaller than those employed for source-compound concentrations. According to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Program Annual Report, approximately 16 U.S. million dollars were spent for environmental site investigations at over 1,600 Underground Storage Tank (UST) sites and approximately over 1,000 acres of land was characterized and remediated in the State of Illinois in the year of 2003 alone. The main purpose of this study is to propose an idea to significantly reduce the site investigation cost by utilizing a passive soil-gas survey and conventional intrusive drilling method and to fully define the three dimensional characteristics of subsurface contamination from two industrial drycleaning facilities.

Photoperiod sensitive genetic male sterile (PGMS) rice is sterile mutant controlled by photoperiod. A PGMS mutant 920S was sterile grown under long-day (LD) photoperiod (14 h light/10 h dark) but fertile grown under short-day (SD) photoperiod (10 h light/14 h dark). Proteome analysis revealed that 12 protein spots were differentially expressed in the spikelets of 920S plants either treated with LD or SD photoperiod. Among these proteins, three proteins including chlorophyll a/b binding protein, vacuolar ATPase β-subunit,~;α-tubulin and an unknown protein were more than three-fold abundant in the spikelet of the SD-treated plants than those of the LD-treated plants. On the other hand, eight proteins including acetyl transferase, 2, 3- biphosphoglycerate, aminopeptidase N, pyruvate decarboxylase, 60S acidic ribosomal protein and three unknown protein spots were more abundant in the spikelets of the LD-treated plants than those of the SD-treated plants. The results suggest that the observed proteins may be involved in sterile or fertile pollen development under LD or SD photoperiod respectively in the PGMS mutant rice.