In this study, the biogeochemistry management (BGC-MAN) model was applied to North and South Korea pine and oak forest stands to evaluate the Net Primary Productivity (NPP), an indicator of forest ecosystem productivity. For meteorological information, historical records and East Asian climate scenario data of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) were used. For vegetation information, pine (Pinus densiflora) and oak (Quercus spp.) forest stands were selected at the Gwangneung and Seolmacheon in South Korea and Sariwon, Sohung, Haeju, Jongju, and Wonsan, which are known to have tree nurseries in North Korea. Among the biophysical information, we used the elevation model for topographic data such as longitude, altitude, and slope direction, and the global soil database for soil data. For management factors, we considered the destruction of forests in North and South Korea due to the Korean War in 1950 and the subsequent reforestation process. The overall mean value of simulated NPP from 1991 to 2100 was 5.17 Mg C ha-1, with a range of 3.30-8.19 Mg C ha-1. In addition, increased variability in climate scenarios resulted in variations in forest productivity, with a notable decline in the growth of pine forests. The applicability of the BGC-MAN model to the Korean Peninsula was examined at a time when the ecosystem process-based models were becoming increasingly important due to climate change. In this study, the data on the effects of climate change disturbances on forest ecosystems that was analyzed was limited; therefore, future modeling methods should be improved to simulate more precise ecosystem changes across the Korean Peninsula through processbased models.

Protein is an essential nutrient for humans to sustain life, but it is predicted that it will be challenging to secure protein through the traditional livestock industry in the future. Microalgae has high future value as an alternative protein food source due to resource utilization and sustainability advantages. In order to increase productivity, the culture conditions of microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris, Dunaliella salina, and Scenedesmus obliquus were examined in this study. The optimal culture conditions of C. vulgaris were mixotrophic culture, 25oC culture temperature, 7.0 initial pH, 10% initial inoculation, stirring culture, 3000 Lux light intensity, and 24L:0D light/dark cycle period with red LED. For D. salina, the optimal culture conditions were mixotrophic culture, 20oC culture temperature, 8.0 initial pH, 10% initial inoculation, stirring culture, 6000 Lux light intensity, and 12L:12D light/dark cycle period with white LED. For S. obliquus, the optimal culture conditions were mixotrophic culture, 30oC culture temperature, 8.0 initial pH, 10% initial inoculation, stirring culture, 4500 Lux light intensity, and 14L:10D light/dark cycle period with fluorescent light. These findings can be used as important information for increasing the production of microalgae as an alternative protein material resource in the future.

This study was conducted to determine the optimal irrigation starting point by analyzing tree growth, physiological responses, fruit quality, and productivity in peach orchards. Seven-year-old ‘Kawanakajima Hakuto’ peach trees were used in an experimental field (35°49′30.4″N, 127°01′33.2″E) located within the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science located in Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do. The irrigation starting point was set with four levels of –20, –40, –60, and –80 kPa from June to September 2022. While there were no significant differences in increase of trunk cross-section area and leaf area among treatments, shoot length and diameter decreased in the –80 kPa and –20 kPa treatments. The photosynthetic rate measured in August was highest for –60 kPa (17.7 μmol·m-2·s-1), followed by –40 kPa (15.6 μmol·m-2·s-1), –20 kPa (14.5 μmol·m-2·s-1) and –80 kPa (14.0 μmol·m-2·s-1). SPAD value measured in May and August was lower in the –80 kPa and –20 kPa treatments than in the –60 kPa and –40 kPa treatments. The harvest date reached three days earlier in the –20 kPa treatment compared to other treatments. The fruit weight was highest in the –60 kPa (379.1 g), followed by –40 kPa (344.0 g), –80 kPa (321.0 g) and –20 kPa (274.9 g). Firmness was the lowest in the –20 kPa treatment. The soluble solid content was highest in the –60 kPa treatment (13.3°Bx).The ratio of marketable fruits was highest in the –60 kPa treatment (50.7%) and lowest in the –80 kPa treatment (23.4%). In conclusion, we suggest that setting the irrigation starting point at –60 kPa could improve the fruit quality and yield in peach orchards.

식량 작물의 확보 및 생산량 예측은 국가 발전에 있어 필수적이며, 국가 경제뿐만 아니라 전 세계 식량 안보에 기여 한다. 최근 환경오염으로 인한 이상기후는 식량 작물 생산량에 직ㆍ간접적으로 부정적 영향을 끼치고 있어, 작물 수확량 예측 불확실성이 높아지고 있다. 특히, 노지 작물의 경우 생산량 감소와 품질 저하 문제가 화두 되고 있다. 이러한 문제는 농가들뿐만 아니라 소비자들에게도 큰 피해를 안겨주고 있다. 이러한 생산량 예측 이슈를 해결하기 위해 최근에는 인공지능 기술이 농업 분야에도 활발히 적용되고 있다. 작물 수확량의 정확한 예측을 위한 머신러닝 기반 연구가 집중적으로 수행되고 있다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 이와 같은 인공지능 기반의 노지 작물 수확량 예측 기술(머신러닝, 딥러닝, 하이브리드 모델 등) 현황 및 작물 수확량에 가장 영향을 많이 끼치는 모델 파라미터 등을 조사하였다.

It is widely known that forage corn is one of the most important crops in the production of silage and green chops during the summer months. In this study, the characteristics and the productivity of Kwangpyeongok, AGR 41, and Nero IT corn cultivars were evaluated in the regions of Jeju and Cheonan, Korea between 2021 and 2022. In each year, different corn cultivars were sown in different parts of the country on April 7 in Jeju and May 3 in Cheonan. The yield of three cultivars, Kwangpyeongok, AGR 41, and Nero IT were measured at the yellow-ripening stage, including the leaves and stems (Stover) and corn grain. Kwangpyeongok stover and total dry matter (DM) yields were slightly higher in Cheonan than in Jeju over the past two years. The quantity of corn cultivated in all cultivated areas was similar. The average yield of AGR 41, corn quantity and total DM were slightly higher in Jeju than in Cheonan. In terms of stover yield, and total dry matter content of the Nero IT cultivar cultivated in Jeju had a slightly higher yield than the cultivar cultivated in Cheonan. Based on this study, all cultivars can show some variations but not too much in terms of growth productivity and distinct characteristics depending on their location. Overall, AGR 41, and Nero IT cultivars in Jeju exhibit slightly higher levels of productivity than the same cultivars in Cheonan.

Corn silage is extensively utilized in ruminant feeding on a global scale, with substantial research efforts directed towards enhancing its nutritional worth and managing moisture content. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of normal cutting height and elevated cutting height on whole-crop corn silage. Corn was harvested at heights of 15 cm and 45 cm above the ground, respectively, 45 days after heading. The harvested corn was cut into 2-3 cm lengths and packed into 20-liter plastic silos in triplicate. The results showed that dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of C45 were significantly higher than those of the control, while the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was significantly lower in C45 (p<0.05). The C15 had higher yields than C45 (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the total digestible nutrients (TDN) yield of whole-crop corn silage. The increase in cutting height resulted in a larger change in moisture content and NDF per centimeter. After 60 days-ensiling, C45 showed significantly lower NH3-N concentrations. Moreover, C45 had significantly higher lactic acid concentration, lactic acid/acetic acid ratio, and lactic acid bacteria count compared to the control. Mold was not detected and the yeast count was less than 2 log10 cfu/g fresh matter in both control and C45. In summary, C45 improved the feeding value and fermentation quality of whole-crop corn silage at the expense of forage productivity.

The effects of punching treatment on mycelial culture and fruiting body productivity were investigated in a new Lentinula edodes cultivar, “Jadam”, in sawdust medium for the stable production of oak mushroom. As the punching volume and number increased, the weight loss rate and color difference increased and the L value decreased. After spawn inoculation, the sawdust medium temperature and CO2 concentration reached their highest values at 33 and 19 days of incubation, respectively. The O2 concentration showed the lowest value on the 14th day of incubation, which was the opposite pattern to the CO2 concentration. As the punching volume and the number increased, the medium temperature and O2 concentration increased, and the CO2 concentration decreased. Higher punching volumes and numbers resulted in higher temperatures and lower CO2 concentrations. The best fruiting body yield was 5 × 70 mm - 30 (punching diameter × depth - number), and the total yield after three cycles was 644.7 g.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a diet supplemented with dried Bacillus subtilis culture on broilers' productivity and blood characteristics. Broiler feeding experiments were conducted twice. The diet fed to the control group was supplemented with 0.2% Palm MateⓇ commercially available probiotics (B. subtilis), and the diet fed to the experimental group was supplemented with ThekerⓇ 0.05% dried B. subtilis culture (DBC) in experiment 1, and 0.1% DBC in experiment 2. Treatment was administered for four weeks in both groups. A higher average daily gain was observed in the group treated with 0.05% DBC in experiment 1 compared with the control group, which was significantly higher in the group that received 0.1% DBC in experiment 2 compared with the control group. A higher production index was observed in the groups that received treatment than in the control group and was higher in the 0.1% DBC group than in the 0.05% DBC group. Significantly lower serum triglyceride (TG) was observed with increased DBC content. Although the findings showed no statistical significance, lower total cholesterol (T-C) was observed in the treated group than in the control group. HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) content showed a significant increase in the DBC-treated groups. A significantly opposite outcome was observed for LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) content. These findings demonstrated that the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factor (CRF) decreased in the DBC-treated groups. Significantly lower serum levels of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT: aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and glutamate pyruvic transaminase (GPT: alanine transaminase, ALT) were detected with an increase in DBC content in the treated groups compared with the control groups. To summarize the findings described above, adding ThekerⓇ dried B. subtilis culture to broiler feeds positively improved productivity through weight gain of broilers and the production of healthier functional broilers through the improvement of blood lipids and liver function. It is expected that the findings of this study will be helpful in the effort to increase the profitability of broiler chicken farming and promote human health.

An aeroponic seed potato production technology project has been established in Pakistan through the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) between RDA-KOPIA and PARC. For sustainable potato production, producing high-quality and disease-free potato seeds is critical in Pakistan. The majority of the farmers recycle their own seeds or obtain them through informal ways. Consequently, tuber-borne illnesses proliferate, seeds deteriorate, and yield diminishes. To mitigate such problems, the country moved to sustainable seed potato production by adopting rapid seed multiplication strategies like the combination of tissue culturing with aeroponic seed production technology which is being evaluated as an alternative to traditional pre-basic seed production methods. A series of experiments were carried out to evaluate the shoot development and mini tuber production attributes between two cultivars, different plantlet size and planting period between October 27, 2021, and January 27, 2022, at the NARC aeroponic facility. A CRD design with three replications was used. The study aimed to compare the productivity by variety, plantlet size and planting period to improve aeroponic seed production technology in Pakistan. The results indicated that Lady Rosetta outperformed Asterix in terms of shoot growth and small tuber output. Early planting at an optimal temperature of 27 degrees Celsius in the daytime showed a substantial difference when compared to late planting in November and tuberization was commenced 50-55 days after transplantation. Furthermore, in an aeroponic seed potato production system, normal plantlets (8-10 cm) at the time of transplantation, performed better than medium and small plantlets. In a nutshell, it was determined that normal size plantlets (8-10 cm) of Lady Rosetta cultivar, planted at optimum time to plant showed best results in the aeroponic system at NARC, Islamabad, Pakistan.

This research focused on the isolation and characterization of the new strains which can be used as microbial resources for auxin production in the agriculture industry. For the isolation of the new microorganism in the gut of Larimichthys polyactis, a marine agar medium was used and 3 colonies were isolated. Through the 16S-based ID service, isolated strains were identified as 1 strain of Niallia circulans and 3 strains of Proteus mirabilis. Verifying the agriculture industrial values of these isolated strains, the productivity of auxin and activity of various enzymes such as amylase, lipase, and protease were confirmed. As a result, isolated 3 strains showed auxin activity and only protease activities which means the possibility of applying them to the production of effective microorganisms in the agriculture industry.

The development of Features, Events, and Processes (FEPs) and scenarios, which consider the longterm evolution of repository, is underway, along with the construction of input data and a model database for the adaptive process-based total system performance assessment framework, APro. PAPiRUS serves as an integrated information processing platform, enabling users to seamlessly access, search, and extract essential information. To enhance data usability, it is crucial to establish well-structured metadata for each dataset. Regarding FEPs, individual FEPs consist of extensive text-based data and sets of other short textual data. To enhance the searchability of these FEPs, precise keywords must be assigned to each FEP. For user convenience, the PAPiRUS FEP database contains several FEPs not only the long-term evolution FEPs developed by KAERI but also thousands of FEPs form the databases such as NEA PFEPs and Posiva FEPs. Generating keywords for thousands of FEPs proves to be a labor-intensive task. Consequently, this study explores natural language processing techniques for keyword analysis to boost the productivity of the keyword generation process. Specifically, we employ Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) models for keyword extraction. Our test results for keyword extraction demonstrate that, although not flawless, providing suitable prompts yields sufficiently useful keyword sets. We identified several optimal prompts and developed an Excel-based program to derive keywords from the existing FEP database using these prompts. By using the outcomes of this study, initial versions of keyword sets for thousands of FEPs can be rapidly produced and subsequently refined through expert review and editing. The generated keywords will serve as metadata within PAPiRUS.

지중점적 관수･관비 시스템은 지구온난화로 인한 물 부족과 낮은 토양비옥도 문제에 대응하기 위한 효율적인 방법의 하나로 주목받고 있다. 그러나, 국내 식량작물에 대한 지중점적 관수 효과, 특히 지중점적 관비와의 결합에 대한 이해와 관련 시스템 개발은 여전히 미미하다. 본 연구에서는 기존의 표면 관수 및 시비(CF)와 비교하여 지중점적 관수 및 관비 처리(SSF)에 따른 감자(Solanum tuberosum L.)의 성장 및 수량 특성을 측정하였다. 지중점적 처리를 위해, 경상국립대학교 실험 포장(583 m2)에서 점적관(Ø 14.1 ㎜, 1.6 L h-1)을 80 ㎝ 간격으로 깊이 40 ㎝에 매설하였다. 감자의 표준 시비량(N-P-K: 100-88-130 ㎏ ha-1) 중 일정량 기비(N-P-K: 50-48-90 ㎏ ha-1) 후, 잔여 시비량인 N-P-K: 50-40-40 kg ha-1을 괴경형성기와 괴경비대기에 절반씩 나누어 관비하였다. 감자 생육 특성 중 초장은 지중점적 처리구에서 가장 길게 나타났으나, 경직경은 대조구에서 가장 두껍게 나타났다. 총 수량과 상서용 수량은 각각 대조구에서 38.6 Mg ha-1, 27.4 Mg ha-1로 지중점적처리구와 비교하여 총 수량은 14.0%, 상서용 수량은 20.8% 높게 나타났다. 지중점적 관수 후 깊이 80 ㎝까지의 토양 단면조사에 따른 수분 분포는 10~35%의 수분함량을 보였으며, 모세관 확산 현상에 의해 중력으로 인한 수분의 하강이 우세하게 나타났다. 따라서, 사양토 조건에서 지중점적관수･관비 처리에 따른 감자의 생육과 물의 이동은 투입비용과 에너지 효율성을 고려한 작물 생산성을 높기기 위해 지중점적 관수시스템, 매설 깊이나 관수방법 등에 대한 추가적인 연구가 필요할 것으로 사료된다. 검색어 – 관비, 관수, 물관리, 식량작물, 지중점적

본 논문은 남해안 자란만 패류양식어장에서 약 2년 동안 월별로 기초생산력, Chl. a, 영양염류, 입자유기물질과 퇴적물의 유기오 염 정도 및 생화학 조성 등 주요 양식생물의 서식환경인자의 변동특성과 상관성 등을 분석하였다. 또한, 다른 연안 어장과 기초생산력을 비교하고 어장환경관리와 관련된 정책방안을 제시하였다. 월별 평균 기초생산력은 6.43∼115.43 ㎎C m-2 hr-1 범위로 여름과 가을에 높았는 데, 가막만과 마산만 보다는 낮았고, 가로림만과 서해보다는 높았으며, 대체적으로 양식장이 많이 분포한 내만은 그 변동 폭이 상대적으 로 컸다. Chl. a를 구성하는 식물플랑크톤의 크기별 점유율이 시기별로 다소 차이가 있었고, 영양염의 고갈로 인한 식물플랑크톤의 생산력 제한은 거의 없었으나, 대부분 시기에 N/P비가 16 이하로 질소가 상대적으로 부족한 것으로 판단되었다. 수층 입자유기물질의 생화학적 조성은 탄수화물이 가장 높았으나, 반면 표층 퇴적물에서는 지질과 단백질 함량이 높았다. 퇴적물의 TOC와 AVS 농도는 만 안쪽에서 높 았고 일부 시기에는 어장환경기준을 초과한 상태였으며, C:N 비는 평균 8.1∼10.4 범위로 나타났다. 기초생산력은 Chl. a와의 상관성이 가 장 높았고, 입자물질성분 중에서는 탄소보다는 질소 및 단백질과의 상관성이 높았다. 최근 5년 동안의 수층에서의 Chl. a, DIN, DIP 농도는 감소하는 경향이었지만, 반대로 퇴적물의 오염도는 증가하는 추세였다. 자란만의 연간 기초생산력 125.9 gC m-2 yr-1, 굴 양식장 면적 4.97 ㎞2 를 고려하면 연간 식물플랑크톤으로부터 생산되는 탄소량이 약 625 ton이며, 연간 굴 생산 습중량은 약 6,250 ton으로 추정되었다.

이번 연구는 효과적으로 2화방 개화묘를 생산하여 조기에 토마토를 수확하고 수확 기간을 연장하기 위하여 적절한 양액 농도 관리방법을 구명하기 위해 실시되었다. 처리는 양액 농도 로 1줄기 2화방 개화묘 연구에서는 양액 EC를 1.5, 2.0, 2.5dS·m-1, 동적 관리(3.0 → 3.5 → 4.5dS·m-1)로 공급하였다. 육묘기간은 65일로 관행묘에 비해 20－40일, 1화방 개화묘 (큐브 육묘)보다는 10일 정도 길었다. 초장은 EC 2.5dS·m-1와 동적 관리는 각각 78, 77cm로 EC 1.5dS·m-1처리 88cm보다 짧았다. 정식 전 큐브 내 EC는 동적 관리가 EC 5.5dS·m-1로 가 장 높았으며, EC 1.5dS·m-1로 공급한 큐브는 3.0dS/m으로 가 장 낮았다. 2화방 개화묘에서 EC 처리 간 생산량 차이는 나타 나지 않았으나 1화방 개화묘는 2화방 개화묘보다 생산성이 떨 어졌다. 2화방 개화묘는 첫 수확일이 6월 4일로 정식 후 35일 만에 수확하였으며 1화방 개화묘는 6월 11일로 42일만에 수 확하였다. 절곡에 의한 초장 및 뿌리 생육의 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 2줄기 2화방 개화묘 생산 연구에서는 공급 양액 EC를 2.0, 2.5, 3.0dS·m-1, 동적 관리(3.0 → 3.5 → 4.5dS·m-1)로 하 여 공급하였다. 육묘 기간은 90일로 관행묘에 비해 40－50일, 1화방 2줄기 개화묘(큐브 육묘)보다는 10일 정도 길었다. 초장 은 공급 양액 EC 2.0dS·m-1에서 80cm, 2.5dS·m-1에서는 81cm였으며 3.0dS·m-1 처리에서는 75cm, 동적 관리에서는 73cm로 가장 짧았다. 배지 내 EC는 모든 처리에서 육묘 기간 이 길어질수록 높아졌으며 특히 공급 EC가 가장 높았던 동적 관리 처리에서 EC 5.1dS·m-1로 가장 높았다. EC 처리 간 생산 량 차이는 나타나지 않았으나 육묘 기간이 10일 정도 길었던 2 화방 개화묘가 1화방 개화묘보다 15% 정도 생산량이 많았다. 2화방 개화묘의 초장을 짧게 만들기 위해서는 가식 후 공급 양 액 농도를 높이는 방법이 가장 효율적인 방법으로 판단된다.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the change in the productivity of Italian ryegrass seeds according to the inter-row spacing in the southern region of the Korean Peninsula. Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) ‘Green Call’ variety was sown in Jinju, Gyeongnam in the fall of 2020 with three inter-row spacings (20, 30 and 40 cm). The experiment was arranged a randomized block design with three replications. The ryegrass was sown on October 17, 2020, and the harvest was on May 31, about 60 days from the first heading stage. There was no difference among treatments with an average of April 27th in heading stage. Plant height was significantly longer at 30 cm seeding interval and the shortest in 20 cm treatment. The length of the spike was the longest in the 40 cm seeding interval, and the number of seeds per spike was the highest in the 20cm seeding interval, but there was no significant difference among treatments. The seed yield was the highest at the 20 cm sowing interval (2,180 kg/ha), and decreased as the spacing increased. The dry matter content of seeds and straw was found to be 44.90% and 45.51% on average, and there was no significant difference among treatments. The amount of remaining straw after harvesting was found to be 7,506 kg/ha on average on DM basis, and was high at the 20 cm seeding interval. In view of the above results, it was found that it is most advantageous to sow at intervals of 20 cm when producing Italian ryegrass seeds through autumn sowing in the southern region.

This study was conducted to establish an appropriate period of use of sawdust spawn at low temperatures and a nutrient supplement medium for cultivation of Lentinula edodes ‘Hwadam’. Of the nutrient supplements, the total yield of rice bran (5%) + corn flour (5%) treatments were 673.3 g, which was higher than rice bran (551.6 g) and wheat bran (546.7 g) treatments, respectively. As shown by the growth of Lentinula edodes ‘hwadam' during to the sawdust spawn storage period (at 4oC), the period of spawn running, browning, fruiting body formation, and development was 27 d, 81 d, 5 d, and 11-13 d, respectively, regardless of the length of the storage period at 4 oC. After 3 months of storage of sawdust spawn, the number of fruiting bodies and yield decreased as the storage period increased. Therefore, the period of use of sawdust spawn (at 4 oC) for the stable production of fruiting bodies of Lentinula edodes ‘Hwadam’ was a maximum of 3 months.

Natural environmental resources are considered a prospective source of microorganisms capable of producing biocatalysts with great potential in industrial areas. Arable soil fertilized with peat moss is a habitat for various microorganisms. The present research focused on the isolation and identification of hydrolase-producing bacteria that thrive at a broad temperature range. In this study, a total of 33 strains were isolated from arable soil fertilized with peat moss (Silla Garden in Busan, South Korea). The isolated bacteria were mesophiles and thermophiles with a wide temperature range. Taxonomic identification showed that the isolated strains belonged to 2 phyla, 5 families, 10 genera, and 24 species. Subsequently, the isolated strains were screened for hydrolase (amylase, lipase, and protease) activity. All isolates possessed activity of at least one enzyme and six bacterial isolates produced combined extracellular enzymes. Diversity of soil bacteria species in the present study suggest the potential of soil bacteria in the various industrial applications.

North Korea claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb in its fourth nuclear test in 2016, and declared that the hydrogen bomb was completed after the sixth nuclear test in 2017. North Korea’s operation of Yongbyon Graphite-moderated reactor has been thought to be aimed at producing plutonium, but it has been strongly argued that the restart of the Graphite-moderated reactor is, indeed, aimed at supplying tritium recently. Tritium can be used not only to manufacture hydrogen bombs, but also to miniaturize nuclear weapons, making it as a key material for nuclear weapon capability. Since upgrading nuclear weapons and developing hydrogen bombs through the use of tritium by North Korea could pose a major threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula, it is important to accurately evaluate North Korea’s nuclear weapon capabilities through the analysis of nuclear material production scenarios based on its nuclear facilities. However, researches on North Korea’s nuclear materials such as HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium) and Pu production has been actively conducted, while no research has been shown on tritium production yet. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the tritium productivity based on the analysis of hypothetical nuclear material production facilities and possible tritium production scenarios. Basic research was conducted about the existing theoretical methodology for tritium production, the analysis of the global tritium production history, and the analysis of nuclear facilities. Based on this basic investigation, feasible tritium production scenarios were constructed. Subsequently, based on design criteria of an hypothetical Graphite-moderated reactor, possible tritium production scenario was modeled by applying the TPBAR (Tritium Production Burnable Absorber Rod). In addition, the factors such as 6Li concentration, design parameters, material compositions, and the number of TPBARs, which may affect tritium throughput were analyzed in terms of sensitivity study such that the maximum and minimum throughput can be predicted.

This study was conducted at the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) from 2010 to 2017 to develop a late-maturing variety with high productivity for cultivation in the southern region of South Korea. The new variety of Italian ryegrass, ‘IR901’, was a late-maturing variety, and its heading date was 22 May, 17 days later than that of the control variety ‘Kowinearly’. ‘IR901’ had a flag leaf width of 11.2 mm, flag leaf length of 31.8 cm, and plant length of 103 cm on its heading date. The combined average dry matter yield of ‘IR901’ in all three adaptability evaluation regions (Cheonan, Pyeongchang and Haenam) was 7,747 kg/ha, which was similar to that of the ‘Kowinearly’ variety (7,734 kg/ ha). However, the average dry matter yield over three years in Cheonan and Pyeongchang was 82% and 96%, respectively, compared to that of the control, which was most likely because of the poor cold tolerance of ‘IR901’. By contrast, in Haenam, in the southern region, the average dry matter yield of ‘IR901’ was 19% higher than that of the ‘Kowinearly’ variety. The proportions of crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in ‘IR901’ were 8.6%, 59.7%, 36.9%, and 54.8%, respectively; the proportions were 0.2% lower, the same, the same, and 2.5% lower than those in the ‘Kowinearly’ variety. The determined in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of ‘IR901’ was 72.2% higher than that of ‘Kowinearly’ (67.2). In general, of the two varieties, the forage quality of ‘IR901’ was marginally superior to that of ‘Kowinearly’.

To investigate the domestic seed production potential of Italian ryegrass, it was sown in autumn in the southern region and harvested in the spring of the following year to investigate the productivity and quality of seeds and straw. Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) ‘GreenCall’ variety was sown in Jinju, Gyeongnam in the fall of 2020 with three seeding rates (20, 30 and 40 kg/ha). The experiment was arranged consisted of a randomized block design with three replications. The ryegrass was sown on October 17, 2020, and the harvest was on May 31, about 60 days from the heading stage. The heading stage of Italian ryegrass was April 28, and there was no difference among treatments. Plant height was significantly shorter in the 40 kg/ha seeding treatment group, and there was no significant difference in the remaining treatments. The resistance of lodging, disease, and cold did not show significant differences among treatments. Spike length and number of seeds per spike were highest at 20 kg/ha seeding amount, and there was no difference in the remaining treatments. The seed yield was the highest at 1,956 kg/ha in the 20 kg/ha seeding rate, and there was no difference in the 30 and 40 kg/ha seeding rates. The dry matter content of seeds and straws was 45.60 and 41.83% on average, and there was no significant difference among treatments. The amount of remaining straw after seed harvesting was found to be 7,689 kg/ha on average on a dry basis, and it was high in the 40 kg/ha sowing area, but there was no significant difference among treatments. According to the above results, it was found that it is most advantageous to sow at 20 kg/ha when producing Italian ryegrass seeds through autumn sowing in the southern region.