Leptotrombidium pallidum is the major vector mites for Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus. To understand the molecular mechanism of L. pallidum, we sequenced the whole genome using Illumina sequencing technology. Totally four genomic libraries with different insert sizes ranging from 280 bp to 8 kb were used to generate 45.1 Gb of genome in the combination of paired-end and mate-pairs sequencing reads. Quality filtering and correction of paired-end reads for very small and/or bad-quality sequences yielded 26.9 Gb of high-quality sequences, which are used to estimate the genome size as 175 Mbusing kmer methods and assembled into a 193.7 Mb genomic sequence scaffolds with N50 length of 92,945 bp. Furthermore, 94% of CEGMA completeness score were obtained from genome scaffold assembly. To facilitate gene annotation, we used a combination of de novo and homology based tools to predict gene models in the chigger mite genome. A combination of evidence-based and de novo approaches predicted 15,842 high-confidence protein-coding genes with an average transcript length of 1,511 bp and 2.4 exons per gene which corresponds to about 12.4% total gene length. Bacterial endosymbiosis are very common in mite species and can range from mutualistic to pathogenic associations. Henceforth, the endosymbionts in L. pallidum were predicted using the NCBI microbial draft genomes and mitochondrial genome. Besides, this L. pallidum draft genome can be used as a significant reference for comparative genomic studies across mite species.

Withthe increasing trend of global trades and protection of agro-ecosystem in importing and exporting countries against quarantine pest, quarantine and pre-shipment(QPS) fumigation in perishable commodities is now more important to maintain postharvest quality until delivering to end user not just eradiation of quarantine pest. However, there are limited use of MB fumigation on export fruits and vegetables due to phytotoxic damages of fumigated one. VapormateTM, alternative to methyl bromide(MB), a gas formulation of ethyl formate(EF) with carbon dioxide, is commercially in use for imported fruits fumigation such as bananas and lemon. Herein, based on previous preliminary studies, scale-up and commercial scale fumigation of ethyl formate is presented for promising export paprika and tomato. Efficacy of ethyl formate was described in terms of concentration × time (CT) products to Myzus persicae for paprika and Bemisia tabaci for tomato.

Since Montreal protocol in1989 designated MB(methyl bromide) as ozone depleting chemicals, IPPC(International Plant Protection Convention) has adopted replacing the MB with alternative chemical and reducing the rate of MB use in plant quarantine in 2008. Pineapples are one of the most frequently fumigated imported fruit with MB in Korea. However, there was no technically available replacement. Therefore, we evaluated phosphine(PH3) fumigation as alternative to MB in applying pineapples. In the preliminary test, PH3 gas in 12L desicators to calculate ranged to 0.1 from 2g/m3 was tested at 2 and 24hr exposure to target pest, citrus mealy bug(CMB, Planococcus citri). All different of stage of CMB was shown 100% mortality when 2g/m3 of PH3 applied for 24hrs at 8℃. To confirm studies designed in 0.5m3 fumigation chamber, all egg, nymph and adult stages of CMB was killed completely and there wasn’t any phytotoxic and quality damages on pineapples for 2 weeks post-fumigation periods at 8℃. In terms of commercial use, further commercial research will need to be carry out in cooperation with importers and fumigators.

Probles is apredominantly Holarctic genus with about 44 species in the Palearctic region (Yu et al. 2012). Palearctic fauna of Probles is rather irregularly studied: West European species were revised by Horstmann (1971, 1981; Horstmann and Kolarov 1988), and Palearctic species of five small subgenera, Microdiaparsis Horstmann, Probles s. str., Rhynchoprobles Horstmann, and Rugodiaparsis Horstmann, were reviewed by Khalaim (2003), whereas the most species rich subgenus, Euporizon Horstmann, is virtually unknown outside Europe. Only two species of Euporizon, P. (E.) sibirica Khalaim, 2007 from Mongolia and Russian Siberia and P. (E.) vulnifica Khalaim & Sheng, 2009 from the Palearctic part of China, are known to occur in the East Palearctic region, and one Oriental species, P. (E.) vietnamica Khalaim, 2011, was recently described from Vietnam (Khalaim, 2011; Khalaim and Sheng 2009). Some species of Probles were recorded as parasitoids of the beetle families Ciidae, Curculionidae, Endomycidae, and Melandryidae in Europe (Horstmann 1971, 1981). In this paper, we describe three closely related new species of Euporzon belonging to one species-group. Three closely related species of the genus Probles Förster, P. fulgida sp. n., P. korusa sp. n., and P. rukora sp. n. differ from other Palearctic species of the genus based on a combination of long and weakly sinuate apically ovipositor and short temple. A portion of the key for identification of this species-group is provided here.

Chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) is a serious pathogen affecting chrysanthemum that has caused significant economic losses to Chrysanthemum flower production worldwide. Control of CSVd disease is difficult due to its contagious nature and long latent period in the field. As chrysanthemum is most often produced by implanting seedlings, it is necessary to diagnose CSVd infection before cultivation. In this study, we screened CSVd infection in seedlings from 30 varieties including 5 domestic, 6 Japanese, and 19 European varieties. Molecular diagnosis of the combination of RT-PCR and nested PCR showed that CSVd was not detected by the first RT-PCR but detected by the second nested PCR analysis in 10 varieties, including 1 domestic, 2 Japanese, and 7 European varieties. Further comparison of 10 identified CSVd nucleotide sequences showed that those are highly conserved (99-100%) and the most similar to an isolate (AB006737) identified in Hokkaido, Japan. Our study suggests that the combination of RT-PCR and nested PCR analysis is successful for the CSVd diagnosis of seedlings and the molecular diagnosis is necessary to prevent the introduction and propagation of viroid disease into the fields.

Semen can be divided into two parts. One is cellular part which contains sperms the other is liquid part which is called by seminal plasma. The seminal plasma is a nutritive and protective medium for the sperms. Fructose, which is major energy source, is supplied to sperms swim to female oocyte. Alkalic property protects sperms from hostile environment of female reproductive organ. Also, seminal plasma induces tolerance to preexisted immune cells, and changes intra‐uterine environment to better conditions for fertilized embryos to implant. However, the effects of seminal plasma in in vitro culture of fertilized embryos are unclear. Second fraction of fresh semen was obtained from a normal farm pig. The semen was centrifuged to remove sperms, and then supernatant was filtrated. The filtered seminal plasma was stored in — 30℃. In this study, electrically activated and chemically activated porcine embryos were employed to investigate the developmental rate after 2 hours treatment of none, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% seminal plasma in culture media by two days of activation. Both electrically and chemically activated embryos, cleavage rate and cell numbers of blastocysts were not significant difference within four groups. Blastocyst formation rate of electrically activated embryos also did not show significant difference within any groups. However 0.1% seminal plasma treatment group showed significantly increase of blastocyst formation rate in chemically activated group (None; 24.8%, 0.1%; 31.7%, 0.5%; 19.4, and 1%; 16.5%, respectively. p<0.05).