The response to gamma irradiation varies among plant species and is affected by the total irradiation dose and dose rate. In this study, we examined the immediate and ensuing responses to acute and chronic gamma irradiation in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Rice plants at the tillering stage were exposed to gamma rays for 8 h (acute irradiation) or 10 days (chronic irradiation), with a total irradiation dose of 100, 200, or 300 Gy. Plants exposed to gamma irradiation were then analyzed for DNA damage, oxidative stress indicators including free radical content and lipid peroxidation, radical scavenging, and antioxidant activity. The results showed that all stress indices increased immediately after exposure to both acute and chronic irradiation in a dose-dependent manner, and acute irradiation had a greater effect on plants than chronic irradiation. The photosynthetic efficiency and growth of plants measured at 10, 20, and 30 days post-irradiation decreased in irradiated plants, i.e., these two parameters were more severely affected by acute irradiation than by chronic irradiation. In contrast, acutely irradiated plants produced seeds with dramatically decreased fertility rate, and chronically irradiated plants failed to produce fertile seeds, i.e., reproduction was more severely affected by chronic irradiation than by acute irradiation. Overall, our findings suggest that acute gamma irradiation causes instantaneous and greater damage to plant physiology, whereas chronic gamma irradiation causes long-term damage, leading to reproductive failure.

In South Korea, the safety management of living modified organisms (LMOs) is regulated by seven government agencies depending on their use, and the Ministry of Environment is in charge of LMOs to manage environmental remediation and effects on natural ecosystems. This study aimed to develop appropriate research tools to determine the factors affecting the invasiveness of transgenic plants used for environmental remediation. We examined the persistence of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a candidate by comparing the seed viability at different controlled temperatures and soil depths (ranging from 0 to 30 cm). The germination characteristics of seeds significantly differed between cultivars and temperatures. The field trials indicated that seeds buried at a depth of 30 cm mostly decayed within three weeks, whereas those buried at 0 cm persisted for eight weeks but decayed after sixteen weeks, implying a significant interaction between burial depth and seed persistence. At all soil depths, no dormant seeds were detected over one week after burial. These results suggest that sunflower seeds could not be successfully established under our experimental conditions. Since seeds on the soil surface demonstrated the highest rates of germination, such seeds may require particularly careful management to prevent unintended effects on ecosystems.

The objective of this study was to devise effective safety management systems for enclosed living modified organism (LMO) fields regulated by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), achieved through an assessment of the impact of LM crops on the surrounding flora. A combination of conventional survey methods and cutting-edge drone-based monitoring systems was employed, with a keen focus on their efficacy. Our investigation spans three distinct zones (forest, non-forest, and enclosed field), involving vegetation surveys, biodiversity index analyses, and drone-powered aerial observations to study topographical shifts. Over time, wild plants adjacent to the enclosed LMO field exhibited stability in terms of species composition. Nevertheless, disparities in growth patterns emerged across various areas. Predominantly, herbs thrived in enclosed and non-forest areas, while trees and shrubs flourished in forested regions. Annual plants predominantly populated the non-forest regions, whereas perennials dominated the forested areas. To this end, drones captured aerial photographs of a 31.65-hectare expanse with 40% coverage overlap, furnishing a real-time vegetation map that transcends the capacities of conventional methods. By combining vegetation surveys, drone-generated vegetation mapping, and dynamic monitoring of topographical changes, our research endeavors to facilitate the formulation of a robust safety management framework for LMO confined fields overseen by the MOE. This holistic approach aspires to prevent ecosystem contamination and establish a resilient, enduring system that averts LMO leakage, thereby safeguarding the environment.

Calanthe aristulifera is a critically endangered orchid species of profound horticultural and ecological significance. However, establishing its species integrity is complicated by frequent natural introgression with sympatric relatives, such as C. sieboldii and C. discolor. Because phenotypic plasticity and complex hybrid swarms often confound traditional floral phenotyping, establishing an accurate molecular diagnostic system is imperative for conservation. In this study, we developed and validated high-throughput Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) and rapid Sequence-Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) markers utilizing Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) data from 64 Calanthe individuals—the same dataset reported in a companion population genomic study—re-analyzed using a more stringent marker-development pipeline. From 853,301 SNPs and 55,857 InDels initially identified, we filtered 62,231 high-quality SNPs and 1271 InDels to mine fixed homozygous alleles specific to C. aristulifera. This process isolated 179 SNP and 107 InDel loci to design three KASP markers (Ca-KASP1–3) and two SCAR markers (Ca-SCAR1–2). The KASP assays demonstrated a concordance of 98.4% (63/64 individuals; 95% CI: 91.6–99.7%) with morphological pre-classification. The single discordant case (Sample 52) was independently confirmed as a heterozygous hybrid by GBS-based population genomic analysis of the same individuals, providing molecular ground truth entirely independent of morphological assessment. The combined SCAR marker system yielded 96.9% concordance (62/64; 95% CI: 89.3–99.1%). Our findings provide an essential molecular framework for assessing species integrity and guiding the restoration of endangered C. aristulifera populations.