Soybean is one of the most important crops because of its high protein and oil content. Previous studies have refined protoplast isolation methods for soybeans to enhance transfection efficiency. However, these methods have limitations due to the inconsistent number of viable protoplasts for various applications. In this study, we propose an optimized protoplast isolation method to overcome this challenge. Hypocotyls grown in the dark were selected to ensure rapid growth and a steady supply of plant materials. The hypocotyls were cut to 1–2 cm in length and halved longitudinally to achieve consistent protoplast yields. Our new hypocotyl cutting method demonstrated 1.5 times improved protoplast yield and improved protoplast viability compared to that of previous methods. The isolated protoplasts were purified using the sucrose density gradient purification method to remove residues while stacking viable protoplasts. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining was performed to determine the proportion of healthy protoplasts throughout the process. Consequently, we propose a new protoplast isolation protocol that ensures a higher yield, better viability, and healthier conditions. This enhancement is expected to improve the efficiency of soybean transfection.

Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked in broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. This is one of the most common rice preparation methods in Italy. The famous rice varieties for risotto are ‘Carnaroli,’ ‘Arborio,’ and ‘Vialone Nano.’ This study was conducted to provide essential data for breeding risotto rice varieties suitable for Korea by analyzing the agricultural traits of three risotto varieties and ‘Cheolweon96’ (Carnaroli SA-mutant line) under Korean environmental conditions. The risotto varieties and the mutant line showed early maturation, similar to ‘IS592BB.’ They had longer culm lengths and fewer panicles per hill and spikelets per panicle than to the Korean rice varieties, ‘i.e., Sindongjin’ and ‘IS592BB.’ They also exhibited lower ratios of ripened grains, brown/rough rice ratios, and lower yields. The risotto rice varieties and the mutant line other than ‘Vialone Nano,’ represented longer, wider, and heavier grain characteristics. The rice varieties and the mutants line had high levels of chalky rice, which absorbs water rapidly during cooking. Because broth absorption is important in risotto preparation, chalkiness can be considered an important characteristic of risotto rice varieties. In the analysis of pasting properties, ‘Carnaroli,’ ‘Cheolweon96,’ and ‘Vialone Nano’ showed similar characteristics, whereas ‘Arborio’ was grouped with ‘IS592BB.’ The cooked rice of ‘Carnaroli,’ ‘Cheolweon96,’ and ‘Vialone Nano’ exhibited a hard and non-sticky texture, while that of ‘Arborio’ was softer and stickier than that of the Korean rice varieties. The risotto rice varieties showed a larger grain size, higher chalkiness, pasting temperature, setback viscosity, and harder texture than the Korean rice varieties. These characteristics are expected to be useful selection indicators for breeding Korean risotto rice varieties.

“Jeongdami” is a specialized rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety developed to enhance the competitiveness of regional branded rice through its distinct characteristics, setting it apart from those from other regions. It is an early-maturing, semi-dwarf variety with strong resistance to rice blast and features intermediate stickiness with a low amylose content (11.6%), using “Wolbaek” as the maternal parent. The paternal parent is an F₁ hybrid created by crossing the large-grain, intermediate-maturity glutinous rice variety “Nunbora,” which is resistant to bacterial blight (K1, K2, and K3), with “Boramchan,” a high-yield, medium-late Japonica variety that is resistant to bacterial blight (K1, K2, and K3) and stripe virus. The breeding process culminated in 2020, resulting in “Jeongdami.”. Key agricultural characteristics include an average heading date of August 15, which is 6 days earlier than “Baekjinju”, an important low amylose mid-late cultivar, making it a medium-late variety when grown in the four plains regions in the central plains of Korea. Its culm length is moderately short at 77 cm, with an average of 16 panicles per hill and 96 spikelets per panicle. The 1,000-grain weight of brown rice is 20.0 g, similar to that of “Baekjinju.” There was no premature heading, leaf senescence at maturity was moderate, and the pre-harvest germination rate was 1.7%, lower than that of “Baekjinju” (7.5%). The overall cold tolerance rating was 7, indicating weak tolerance similar to “Baekjinju;” however, the variety showed strong lodging resistance in the field. “Jeongdami” exhibited strong resistance to bacterial blight (K1, K2, and K3) and moderate resistance to leaf blast but showed susceptibility to stripe virus, brown planthopper, and white-backed planthopper. The average polished rice yield was 547 kg per 10a, a 16% increase compared to that of “Baekjinju” (472 kg). The grain shape, with a paddy grain length-to-width ratio of 2.2 and a brown rice length-to-width ratio of 1.8, was similar to that of “Baekjinju,” maintaining a short and round shape. The endosperm is clearer than that of “Baekjinju,” providing superior visual quality. The protein content was 6.2%, and the amylose content was 11.5%, indicating intermediate stickiness, which was attributed to the Wx-mq gene. Due to its soft texture and stable cultivation, “Jeongdami” will contribute to increasing rice consumption by enhancing the competitiveness of regionally branded rice with its excellent eating quality and cultivation stability. (Grant No. 9168).

‘Sinbaram’ is a new cultivar developed for soy sprout production at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS). It was developed using the line breeding method in 2010 by artificially crossing ‘Pungsannamulkong’(IT263156) with the ‘HS1371-49-2-2’ line in 2010. F₁ plants and the F₂ population were developed in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and a promising line was selected using F₃ to F₅ in the pedigree method. It was evaluated for agronomic traits, yield, and soy sprout characteristics in a preliminary (PYT) and an advanced (AYT) yield trial in 2016 and 2017, respectively. ‘Sinbaram’ has purple flowers, a lanceolate leaflet shape, grey pubescence, and small yellow seeds (10.2 g/100 seeds). The flowering and maturing dates were August 4 and October 9, which were 2 and 5 days earlier than ‘Pungsannamulkong.’ Plant height, first pod height, number of nods, number of branches, and number of pods were 46 cm, 10 cm, 14, 3.5, and 82, respectively. The germination rate and sprout characteristics were similar to those of ‘Pungsannamulkong’, and the yield was 83% higher in the sprout test. In the yield test, the yield was 3.58 tons/ha in the 2-year yield trial, which was 1% higher than that of ‘Pungsangnamulkong,’ and 2.71 tons/ha in the 3-year regional yield trial, 8% lower than that of ‘Pungsannamulkong’, with an average of 2.71 tons/ha in the four regions. In addition, the overall score of 6.7 in the processor survey was higher than 6.0 for ‘Pungsannamulkong.’ Therefore, the ‘Sinbaram’ cultivar is expected to be preferred because it has good sprout characteristics. (Registration number: 9460)

Most paprika farmers in Korea have grown bell-type paprika, mostly for export to Japan. However, continued long-term yen depreciation has worsened the export profitability of paprika, increasing domestic sales and decreasing farmers’ income. Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services developed ‘New Daon Red’ as a new mini paprika to replace some bell-type paprika cultivation to cope with the change. The maternal line, Trirosso, has deep orange conical fruits with good fruit set, while the paternal line, SBR970, exhibits red fruits and stable fruiting with strong vegetative growth. F₁ ‘New Daon Red’ was selected as an excellent cultivar for fresh consumption in 2018 from the on-site test that lasted 2 years starting in 2017. This cultivar showed similar plant height to the control ‘Raon Red’ but had larger leaves. The fruit weighed 71 g, 8% heavier than that of the control, with a longer and narrower shape. Fruits of ‘New Daon red’ had a sweetness level of 9 °Brix and were soft. The occurrence rates of blossom-end rot and skin cracking were 1.4% and 2.4%, respectively, in ‘New Daon Red,’ while they were 0.2% and 0.8% in ‘Raon Red.’ However, ‘New Daon Red’ had a 26% higher yield per land unit due to its better fruit set than the control cultivar. Therefore, it is expected that the high productivity of this cultivar, along with good fruit quality, could contribute to increasing farmers’ income (Registration No. 9684).