• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.215-220
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• 2016

The global cultivation area of genetically modified crops (GM crops) has been increasing every year. Cultivation of GM crops is not only beneficial to the economy but also has positive effects on the environment in decreasing the use of agrochemicals, chemical fertilizers, and agricultural machinery. However, there have been controversies about the admixture of GM crops and non-GM crops and the unintentional release of GM crops to the environment. Especially in Korea, where consumption of agricultural products is import-dependent, the economic importance of GM crops has been a significant issue. The Act on import and distribution of GM crops was established in 2001 to start the management of GM crops in Korea. Recently, the imported amount of GM crops to Korea has reached over 10 million tons and is increasing very rapidly; consequently, the potential environmental impact of GM crops is becoming a big issue in Korea. In Japan, the discovery of imported GM canola plants around ports in 2005 raised awareness of the unintentional release of GM crops. In Korea, GM maize plants were also found in port and feed factory surroundings from 2005 to 2007. It is now necessary to monitor imported GM crops by tracing distribution, transport process for practical environmental risk assessment. Possible gene transfer from GM crops to non-GM crops should also be investigated in the cultivation area and the surroundings as well.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the crossability, seed dormancy and overwintering ability of rice plant in GM (glufosinate ammonium-resistant lines. Iksan 483 and Milyang 204) and non-GM (their parents) or red rice (Andongaengmi). Seed-setting rate was not significantly different between GM and non-GM rice varieties. Iksan 483 and Milyang 204 showed the similar level of seed germination rate from 30 to 50 days after heading as compared to non-GM rice varieties. After overwintering in paddy field, seed germination rate of GM and non-GM rice varieties ranged from 14.3 % to 57.6 % in dry soil condition, but there was no germination in wet-soil except red rice. The result in wet-soil condition may help to set up a strategy for reducing the risk of gene flow of transgene via dispersal of seeds of GM plants. The crossability, seed dormancy and seed overwintering of Iksan 483 and Milyang 204, herbicide resistant GM rice varieties, were not significantly different compared to non-GM rice varieties. The results might be helpful to reduce the risk of transgene dispersal from GM crop via seeds and pollens.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.147-150
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• 2016

Global GM crops continue to grow. They have reached 181 million hectares. A total of 28 countries have approved biotech crops for planting. More than 60 countries have approved biotech crops to be imported as food and feed since 1996, meaning that biotech crops are now commonly accepted in those countries. Although biotech crops provide key solutions for the challenge of global food security in the future due to population growth and climate change, there are still some debates on whether biotech crops should be accepted in many countries including Korea. Therefore, it is very important to make people understand that GM crops will provide benefits to both farmers and consumers. In this review, current global status of GM crop development and commercialization are summarized.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.221-224
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• 2014

Genetically modified (GM) crops are not permitted to be cultivated in Korea, but can only be imported as food or feed purposes. The import of GM crops has sharply increased in recent years, thus raising concerns with regard to the unintentional escape of these crops during transport and manufacturing as well as the subsequent contamination of local, non-GM plants. Hence, monitoring of GM crops was studied in or outside of grain receiving ports as well as from feed-processing plants in Korea during July 2008. We observed spilled maize grains and established plants primarily in storage facilities that are exposed around the harbors and near transportation routes of the feed-processing areas. Based on the PCR analyses, a total of 17 GM maize plants and 11 seeds were found among the samples. In most cases, the established maize plants found in this study were at the vegetative stage and thus failed to reach the reproductive stage. This study concludes that, in order to prevent a genetic admixture in the local environment for GM crops or seeds, frequent monitoring work and proper action should be taken.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the agronomic traits, comparison of weed characteristics and possibility of gene flow in 'vitamin A enforced GM rice' and the donor plant, 'Nagdong'. The GM rice was not significantly different agronomic traits compared to the donor plant, Nagdong. Weed population changes were investigated in the cultivation of the GM rice and the donor plant, Nagdong. Dominant weed species and their dry matter did not show the difference between GM rice and the donor plant, Nagdong in macro-GM crop field. Dominant weed species with the GM rice and the donor plant, Nagdong were Monochoria vaginalis, followed by Eleocharis kuroguwai, Echinochloa crus-galli and Lindernia procumbens. The detection of gene from the GM rice was done using PCR, gene flow can't be detected by weed species. Results of this study on the agronomic traits, weed characteristics and possibility of gene flow has elucidated that GM rice might not be different from the donor plant, Nagdong.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.397-403
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• 2015

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important feeding crop in Asia, and utilization of genetically modified (GM) rice is highly demanding. For co-existence of GM rice and non-GM rice, the proper confinement measures should be provided. Thus, we surveyed gene flow from herbicide resistant GM rice to the conventional rice cultivars in the field tests. Gene flow frequency decreased with increasing distance between the pollen donor and recipients and did not exceed more than 1% even at the nearest distance. In single recipient model plot, a maximum gene flow frequency was observed at the shortest distance and hybrid was detected up to 12 m from the pollen donor. The direction of gene was coincided with the dominant wind direction. Gene flow assessment to multiple recipient plots was conducted under the high raining season by chance, and abrupt decline of gene flow frequency and maximum distance were resulted. According to the survey results, current regulation for isolation distance is reasonable for environmental safety or for general crop production. However, we suggest an alternative measure for GM rice cultivation that should be supplemented to overcome the out of estimation and in the environment asking higher security levels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2005.10b
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• pp.270-271
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.168-169
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• 2006

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.350-350
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• 2017

The study was conducted to evaluate differences of growth characteristics of rice cultivated in two different regions (Cheonan and Jeonju). It focused on nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factors of rice straw produced from 21 rice varieties including GM rice (Iksan 483). The range of general nutrition ingredient is that crude was 0.97 ~ 3.2 %, carbohydrate was 67.45 ~ 80.01 %, crude protein was 1.46 ~ 4.81 %, crude ash was 6.52 ~ 18.96 %, crude fiber was 25.77 ~ 40.02 %, NDF was 51.84 ~ 67.77 %, ADF was 27.11 ~ 40.44 %, calcium was 0.49 ~ 5.18 mg/g and phosphorous was 0.26 ~ 2.77 mg/g. The general nutritional contents of GM rice were included above range. The range of phytic acid of rice straws cultivated in Cheonan and Jeonju was 0 ~ 0.056 mg/ml and 0 ~ 0.059 mg/ml, respectively. The phytic acid content of GM was 0.033 mg/ml, which was in the range of the content of rice straw in Cheonan and Jeonju. The range of trypsin inhibitor of rice straws cultivated in Cheonan and Jeonju was 0.061 ~ 0.461 TIU/mg and 0 ~ 1.278 TIU/mg, respectively. The trypsin acid content of GM was 0.461 TIU/mg, which was in the range of the content of rice straw in Cheonan and Jeonju. In addition, we investigated microbial community from each soil sample by using metagenomics sequencing based on rRNA microbial diversity in order to inspect indirect changes of soil environment with cultivation of GM rice. Metagenomics analysis was carried out using soil samples cultivated with GM and non-GM rice for before transplanting, young panicle differentiation stage, heading stage, and ripening stage. Beta diversity of microbial community in both soil environments were calculated by using Bray-Curtis distance method and showed low value with an average of 0.24 (dissimilarity = 1). As a result, it was confirmed that the cultivation of GM does not give a significant effect on the change of microbial composition in soil. Therefore, Our study demonstrates that there is no difference in the composition of soil microorganism due to GM and non-GM rice.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2009

The coexistence policy of GM and non-GM crops is still on the debates in EU since “the recommendation on guidelines for the development of national strategies and best practices to ensure the coexistence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming” has been reported in 2003. The major issues are maximum tolerance level of GMO admixture and minimum isolation distances of GM fields with others including conventional, organic and seeds production. Majority of member states in EU proposed that the tolerance level of GMO admixture must be more strictly controlled, in particular in the fields for organic crops and seeds production. To this end, it was proposed that minimum isolation distances to segregate GM crops from fields with organic crops and seeds production need to be further extended than those of conventional crops since cross pollination with other crops adjacent GM fields is known as the most prevalent source for GMO contamination. In these circumstances, it is strongly suggested that the current legislations need to be revised including the minimum isolation distances of fields for each species before field cultivation for a commercial GM crop is approved for the first time in South Korea.