Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the important oil crops of the world. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of 384 peanut germplasms including 100 Korean germplasms and 284 core collections from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) using an Axiom_Arachis array with 58K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We evaluated the evolutionary relationships among 384 peanut germplasms using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of seed aspect ratio data processed by ImageJ software. In total, 14,030 filtered polymorphic SNPs were identified from the peanut 58K SNP array. We identified five SNPs with significant associations to seed aspect ratio on chromosomes Aradu.A09, Aradu.A10, Araip.B08, and Araip.B09. AX-177640219 on chromosome Araip.B08 was the most significantly associated marker in GAPIT and Regularization method. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) was found among the eleven genes within a linkage disequilibrium (LD) of the significant SNPs on Araip.B08 and could have a strong causal effect in determining seed aspect ratio. The results of the present study provide information and methods that are useful for further genetic and genomic studies as well as molecular breeding programs in peanuts.

The small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus) is one of the most important rice pests in Republic of Korea because it damages rice plants not only by sap-sucking but also by transmitting Rice stripe virus (RSV). Outbreaks of RSV are closely related to outbreaks of the small brown planthopper (SBPH). Therefore, it is very important to control SBPH for the management of RSV. Mass-migrating SBPH collected by aerial net traps in June 2011 at Taeanup, Geunheungmyon and Gonammyon in Taeangun were examined for virus carrier status and effects of the pesticide, 'Myungtaja', on the control of RSV. Among 1,217 SBPH trapped, about 7.7% were detected as RSV positive and 4.4% were positive for Rice black streak dwarf virus (RBSDV) by RT-PCR. After the mass migration, pesticide 'Myungtaja' was sprayed once or twice on rice fields and compared to untreated fields. The incidence of RSV was not affected by the frequency of spraying 'Myungtaja' but was influenced by the time of pesticide treatment. Myungtaja' treatment within 5−7 days after mass migration resulted in the most efficient RSV control, resulting in RSV incidence decreased by 87.6% compared to the control. Therefore, we conclude that pesticide spraying for RSV control was most effective when it was done within 5−7 days after mass migration.

The content of chlorophyll, a fundamental component required for photosynthesis in plants, has been widely studied across crop species. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of 453 peanut accessions. We evaluated the evolutionary relationships using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of leaf color data based on chlorophyll content analysis using the Axiom_Arachis array containing 58K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We identified seven SNPs as being significantly associated with leaf chlorophyll content on the chromosomes Aradu.A02, Aradu.A08, Araip.B02, Araip.B05, Araip.B06, and Araip.B08 in a GAPIT analysis. The SNP AX-176820297 on Araip.B05 was significantly linked with leaf chlorophyll content across the seasons. The Arahy.SDG4EV gene was detected to be in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the significant SNPs, and its expression was significantly correlated with leaf chlorophyll content. The results of the current study provide useful and fundamental information with which to assess genetic variations in chlorophyll content and can be utilized for further genetic and genomic studies and breeding programs in peanuts.