The production of hybrid onion (Allium cepa L.) seed is economically feasible using systems of cytoplasmic-genic male sterility(CMS). The identification of cytoplasm types might be helpful to development of sterile and maintainer lines. Due to this reason, a knowledge of the cytoplasm type is essential for hybrid breeding in onion. Especially, due to the biennial generation time of onion, to distinguish of onion cytoplasm type in individual plant may be helpful to reduce the efforts in a breeding program, when new sterile lines and the corresponding maintainer lines be developed. In our study, we applied the PCR-marker (orfA-501) to identify the cytoplasmic genotypes of collected 100 accessions of bulb onion. Among accessions, S-cytoplasm was found in 57 accessions. Nineteen accessions possessed only N-cytoplasm and twenty four accessions possessed both S- and N-cytoplasm.

Nitrogen (N) fertilization is essential for alleviating nutrient deficiencies of the world’s population by increasing rice production, one of the most important food crops of our time. Here we established an in vivo hydroponics rice seedling culture system to investigate the physio-biochemical and molecular responses of various rice genotypes to low nitrogen application. Yoshida’s nutrient solution (YS) was used to grow rice seedlings, and at three-week-old the seedlings manifested highly stable and reproducible symptoms, such as reduced shoot growth and length. Out of 12 genetically selected or tested genotypes, almost all (11 genotypes) showed varied degrees of growth reduction response to applied nitrogen (4 and 40 ppm N for treatment and control, respectively), but SR19663-B-B-34-3-3-3-1 showed similar growth as the control though its leaf width was smaller than the control. The leaves of a 11 representative low nitrogen-responsive genotype as BG90-2 were sampled for revealing the protein profiles between low and normal (control) nitrogen application by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) followed by staining of separated proteins with silver. Fifty differentially expressed silver stained protein spots were excised from 2-D gels and 41 proteins identified using high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS) using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-MS and nano electrospray ionization liquid chromatography tandem MS. These proteins could be assigned as major (energy metabolism, photosynthesis and oxidative stress) and minor functional categories, revealing many novel low N-responsive proteins, including those having energy/photosynthesis, and defense/stress, and iron homeostasis-related functions.

In order to investigate the compositions and the emission rates of monoterpenes emitted from coniferous trees, those from Larix leptoleis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Gordon were measured. In spring and summer, the major monoterpenes were α-terpinene, α-pinene, myrcene; however, α-pinene and α-terpinene were most abundant in fall. The total mean monoterpene emission rates were 0.455 (㎍C/gdw/hr) during the whole period. The higher monoterpene emission rates were found in fall compared to those in spring and summer. In addition, the slopes (β value) between emission rate and temperature were two times lower in fall than those in spring and summer. It was also found that Larix leptoleis (Sieb. et Zucc.) Gordon had lower monoterpene emission rates than P. densiflora and P. rigida.

We study on the dynamic interaction with a simulated physical-biological coupled model response to nutrient reduction scenario in Jinhae Bay. According to the low relative errors, high regression coefficients of COD and DIN, and realistic distribution in comparison to the observation, our coupled model could be applicable for assessing the marine ecosystem response to nutrient input reduction in Jinhae Bay. Due to the new construction and expansion of sewage treatment plant from our government, we reduce 50% nutrient inputs near Masan Bay and sewage treatment plant. COD achieves Level Ⅱ in Korea standard of the water quality from the middle of the Masan Bay to all around Jinhae Bay except the inner Masan Bay remaining at Level Ⅲ. When our experiment reduces 50% nutrient inputs near Masan Bay and Dukdong sewage treatment plant simultaneously, COD decreases to about 0.1-1.2 mg/L (128°30’~128°40’ E , 35°05’~35°11’ N). The COD from the middle of the Masan Bay to Jinhae Bay achieves Level Ⅱ.

A survey of middle school students and teachers in Mokpo city has been done to understand the perception of environment of students and the present situation of environmental education in middle school. Only 2 of the 14 middle schools have chosen the environmental education course as a required subject. The majority of middle-school students in Mokpo city have learned the environmental education as a subordinate course included in the other subjects such as science, social science or technology. The environmental education in school has been done mostly through non-subject activities such as club activity, group work etc. The survey shows that almost all students think the environmental pollution is serious problem(83% of respondents) and they are especially interested in separate garbage collection(72%) and environmental conservation activity(63.9%) to protect the environment. The concerns about the environmental problems of students(57.7%) has increased after environmental education regardless educational methods or subjects. The students and teachers think that environmental education in school has not been carried out enough and almost all of them(68.4% of students, 97.5% of teachers) agree that the environmental education should be done as an independent subject. In order to more practical and effective environmental education, many opportunities to experience environmental conservation activities should be given during the environmental education course and the environmental education should be separated from other subjects to be taught independently. Moreover, it might be necessary to increase proportion of teachers in environmental disciplines and to develop various teaching methods.