Space-borne remote sensing is an effective and inexpensive way to identify crop fields and detect the crop condition. We examined the multi-temporal spectral characteristics of rice fields in South Korea to detect their phenological development and condition. These rice fields are compact, small-scale parcels of land. For the analysis, moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and RapidEye images acquired in 2011 were used. The annual spectral tendencies of different crop types could be detected using MODIS data because of its high temporal resolution, despite its relatively low spatial resolution. A comparison between MODIS and RapidEye showed that the spectral characteristics changed with the spatial resolution. The vegetation index (VI) derived from MODIS revealed more moderate values among different land-cover types than the index derived from RapidEye. Additionally, an analysis of various VIs using RapidEye satellite data showed that the VI adopting the red edge band reflected crop conditions better than the traditionally used normalized difference VI.

Gene expression profiles can serve as a valuable reference for deciphering gene functions. We exploited the potential of whole genome microarrays to measure the temporal expression profiles of rice genes in 13 stages of reproductive development. We could profile expression of 17,676 genes in at least one of the tissues. Differential expression analysis with compare to leaf and preceding stages of development revealed reproductive stage-preferential/-specific genes. we identified 35 genes expressing specifically during panicle and seed development. The metabolic/hormonal pathways and transcription factor families playing key role in reproductive development were elucidated after overlaying the expression data on the public databases and manually curated list of transcription factors, respectively. During floral meristem differentiation (P1cm) and male meiosis (P5cm), the genes involved in jasmonic acid and gebbellin biosynthesis were significantly upregulated. F11DAP stage of seed, containing enlargement organ, exhibited enrichment of transcripts involved in starch or sucrose biosynthesis. Genes regulating auxin biosynthesis were induced during early seed development. We validated the stage-specificity of regulatory regions of two panicle-specific genes, AK072471, Os08g0538700, and AK121412, an early seed-specific gene, in transgenic rice. The data generated here provides a snapshot of the underlying complexity of the gene networks regulating rice reproductive development.

Leaf structure is one of the important agronomic traits. A rolled leaf mutant was induced from an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-treated japonica rice, 'Koshihikari'. The rolled leaf mutant showed phenotypes of reduced leaf width and leaf rolling. In addition, several abnormal morphological characteristics were observed, including dwarfism, defected panicle, delayed germination, and lower seed-setting. Microscopic analysis revealed that the number of small veins was decreased and the sizes of adaxial bulliform cells were reduced in the mutant leaves. The genetic study with two F2 populations from the crosses of the rolled leaf mutant with 'Koshihikari' and Milyang23 suggested that the mutant phenotype might be controlled by a single dominant gene.

A new kidney bean cultivar, “Noghyeob 1” was developed at the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) in 2005. “Noghyeob 1” was selected from a cross between KLG50074 and KLG50063. It has determinate growth habit, white flower, green pod color, oval shape of crossed section of pod at the harvesting time for edible pod, white seed coat and middle seed size (21.1 grams per 100 seeds). The average yield of edible pod of “Noghyeob 1” was 24.25 M/T per hectare in the yield trials which were carried out at the green house in spring and autumn in 2005. It was 7 percent higher than that of the check cultivar “Kangnangkong 1”.

A new soybean cultivar for soy-paste, “Mansu”, was developed from the cross between ‘Suwon 192’, which was tolerant to disease, late maturing and high yielding, and ‘Suwon 196’ which was early maturing and large seed by soybean breeding team in the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) to make new variety having large seed and high yielding. A promising line, SS97213-2B-3SSD-39-1-1, was selected and designated as the name of ‘Suwon 236’. It was characterized by regional yield trials (RYT) for three years from 2004 to 2006 and released as the name of “Mansu”. It has a determinate growth habit, purple flower, grey pubescence, pale green seed coat, yellow cotyledon, large spherical seed (26.5 grams per 100 seeds). Maturity date is 4 days later than the check cultivar, Taekwang. The average yield of Mansu was 2.93 ton per hectare in the regional yield trials (RYT) carried out for three years from 2004 to 2006 which was 7 percent higher than that of the check cultivar, Taekwang.