Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) has been known as greater duckweed or great duckmeat. It is native inhabited in Korea. It is considered as a rich source of primary metabolites including protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Thus, it is considered as an alternative food source for the future. In addition, it has a strong phytoremediation capacity to remove various environmental pollutants, especially inorganic elements and pesticides. With a variety of duckweed’s application, there is an urgent need to develop a cultivation method for a sustainable supply of S. polyrhiza. In this study, an indoor vertical farm has been introduced to optimize duckweed cultivation. Indoor cultivated S. polyrhiza showed about 2-fold higher fresh weight than outdoor cultivated duckweed. Contents of inorganic elements were also significantly reduced in indoor cultivated S. polyrhiza. Especially, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) were approximately 10-fold decreased in indoor cultivated duckweed. On the other hand, contents of proteins and fats were significantly increased in indoor cultivated S. polyrhiza, while carbohydrates were found more in outdoor cultivated S. polyrhiza. Increasing N content in a homemade nutrition solution also enhanced fresh and dried weights of S. polyrhiza by about 1.8-fold in comparison with other commercial nutrition solutions. Proliferation rate (%) was doubled every 24 hours in this indoor vertical farm, indicating the accomplishment of a sustainable supply for S. polyrhiza. Further studies need to be undertaken to cultivate other duckweeds such as Wolffia arrhiza and Lemna minor using the same indoor farming system.

남방큰무당벌레(신칭)를 한국 미기록종으로 보고한다. 본 종은 국내 Harmornia속의 3종과는 둥글고 볼록한 체형, 앞가슴등판의 갈라진 점 모양, 각 딱지날개에 7개의 검은점이 1-3-2-1 배열로 나타나는 특징으로 쉽게 구별할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 Harmonia속의 종 검색표, 진단형질과 DNA바코드 정보를 제공하고자 한다.

Efficient yet realistic ship routing is critical for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. However, conventional weather-routing algorithms often produce mathematically optimal routes that conflict with the paths mariners use. This study presents a hybrid approach that constrains physics-based weather routing within an AISderived maritime traffic network (MTN) built from one year of global Automatic Identification System data. The MTN represents common sea lanes as a graph of approximately 10,956 waypoints (nodes) and 17,561 directed edges. Using this network, an optimal low-emission route is computed via graph search and then compared against both a traditional unconstrained route and an advanced weather-routing model (VISIR-2). In a May transitionseason case (Busan–Singapore voyage), the AIS-constrained route reduced fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by about 1.9% relative to the fastest feasible route, while closely following real traffic corridors (over 90% overlap with actual 2024 AIS tracks). While this 1.9% saving does not reach the high-end potential of an unconstrained, state-of-the-art model like VISIR-2 (which can demonstrate double-digit savings in certain conditions), it is achieved with an increase in transit time of ~6.5 h (≈3.2%). This represents a crucial trade-off, prioritizing operational realism and adherence to real-world traffic corridors over maximum theoretical efficiency.

This study investigated the flowering response of three Korean native Aster species, namely A. hayatae, A. spathulifolius, and A. koraiensis, to varying photoperiods. Three-month-old plants propagated from cuttings were grown under four different photoperiods: 9, 12, 14, and 16 h. Aster hayatae flowered under all conditions, with flowering rates of 92%, 85%, 65%, and 27% under 9-, 12-, 14-, and 16-h photoperiods, respectively. Flowering in A. hayatae was promoted by shorter photoperiods, classifying it as a facultative short-day plant. Aster spathulifolius flowered only under 9- and 12-h photoperiods, with no significant difference between these treatments, suggesting that the species is an obligate short-day plant. However, given the low A. spathulifolius flowering rates of 27% and 13% under 9- and 12-h photoperiods, respectively, further research is required. Aster koraiensis did not flower under any photoperiod, possibly due to vernalization requirements or juvenility. These findings offer valuable insights into the photoperiodic flowering responses of these three Korean native Aster species, enhancing our understanding of their ecological traits and potential horticultural applications.

Stemflow (SF) is essential for water resources within forest ecosystems and can constitute up to half of the gross rainfall (GR), depending on the forest stand structures in coniferous plantations. Although numerous studies on SF yield have been reported globally for various forest types, very few studies on SF have been reported to examine the influence of forest stand structures on SF in Korea. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between SF and forest stand structures in unmanaged Japanese cypress plantations. Two study plots were established (10 m × 10 m each) in plantations with the same stem density (SD: 2500 stems ha-1) (hereafter P1 and P2). Almost all forest stand structures (canopy projection area, tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), number of live and dead branches, and ratio of canopy length to canopy width), including canopy volume using mobile LiDAR devices, were investigated. To evaluate the efficiency of funneling rainwater for the effect of tree biomass on SF, a funneling ratio (FR) was used. The present SF ratios (20.7% in P1 and 22.3% in P2) were much higher than those reported in previous studies of various forest types in Korea (SF ratios: 0.2–5.8% with a mean of 2.0%). This is due to the interaction between the high SD and many under-canopy dead branches. Individual-scale FR was correlated with DBH (R2 = 0.43). The present stand-scale FRs (FRstand) (22.3 in P1 and 29.2 in P2) were much higher than those reported in the previous studies (FRstand: 1.0–33.3 with a mean of 7.8) because of the negative relationship between FRstand and mean DBH (R2 = 0.78, p = 0.02). Our results provide useful information for understanding changes in SF caused by forest stand structures.

This study evaluated the effects of solid and water-soluble extracts derived from torrefied Pinus densiflora on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) germination and growth, as well as the cultivation efficiency of torrefied materials combined with plant nutrient solutions. Torrefied samples were prepared under various conditions (200°C, 220°C, 240°C for 20–80 minutes) and mixed with sand at ratios from 20% to 100%. Liquid extracts were formulated with macronutrients (N, P, K, Mg) and micronutrients (Mn, B, Fe, Cu) and applied to leafy and root vegetables. Germination tests showed that 60% and 80% torrefied treatments had the highest and most consistent rates, with torrefied samples promoting more rapid and stable germination than controls. A two-way ANOVA indicated a significant interaction between treatment and concentration (p = 0.043), suggesting concentration-specific effects. While shoot length showed no significant difference, root growth was marginally significant (p = 0.064), with washed torrefied material producing the longest roots. Physical analysis revealed that torrefied materials improved soil thermal retention and moisture-holding capacity. However, increasing torrefied content reduced porosity, likely due to fine particles filling soil pores. In conclusion, torrefied P. densiflora materials exhibit strong potential to enhance germination, root development, and soil condition. Optimal results were achieved with 40–60% solid mixtures for germination and 60–80% diluted extracts for rapid and consistent seedling growth. When optimally applied, they may serve as effective, sustainable amendments in cultivation systems.

농작물의 수분 매개자이며 생태계 유지에 필수적인 역할을 하는 꿀벌의 노제마병(nosemosis)은 꿀벌 집단 붕괴현상(colony collapse disorder: CCD)의 원인 중 하나로 알려져 있다. 또한, 노제마병은 봉군 약화를 초래할 뿐 아니라 여러 가지 양봉 산물의 생산성을 낮추는 원인이기도 하다. 국내에서는 Nosema ceranae가 노제마병의 주요 병원체로 알려져 있다. 노제마 감염을 확인하기 위해서는 꿀벌의 중장을 적출한 후 노제마 포자의 확인 및 계수를 통해 감염 수준을 평가할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 더욱 빠르고 정확하게 노제마 감염 수준을 평가할 수 있는 새로운 방법으로 포자 염색법과 qPCR 방법을 개발하였다. 노제마 포자에 대해 특이적인 염색이 가능한 Fluorescent Brightener를 이용하여 노제마 감염 꿀벌 중장을 염색한 결과, 형광 발현으로 노제마의 감염 여부를 확인할 수 있었다. 또한, 중장내 포자량에 비례한 형광 발현도 확인할 수 있었다. 그러나, 노제마 감염에 대한 특이도 및 포자량에 비례한 형광 발현 민감도는 신뢰하기 어려웠다. 그에 비해, 노제마 특이 유전자를 이용한 qPCR 방법은 노제마의 감염 여부 뿐만 아니라 포자량에 비례한 감염 수준 결정이 가능함을 확인하였다. 특히, 많은 시료들에서 노제마 감염 수준의 신속하고 정확한 평가에 qPCR 방법은 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대되었다.