Chrysanthemum is the most popular ornamental plant, after roses and lilies. The cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) promoter, which remains the most widely used promoter in dicotyledons, is a very strong promoter with sufficient effects in most crops. However, weak expression has often been reported in Chrysanthemum. Therefore, we searched for constitutive promoters available in Chrysanthemum. Based on the transcriptome analysis data of Chrysanthemum, nine constitutively expressed genes were selected, and each promoter region (1.0–3.0 kb) was isolated by genome walking. Only two of the nine promoters expressed GUS in tobacco and chrysanthemums. The major motif of the CmERF promoter (U41, 2060 bp) was related to the regulation of ethylene (ERELEE4) or gibberellin (PYRIMIDINEBOXOSRAMY1 and WRKY71OS). Similarly, the motif of the CmGA2 ox promoter (U47, 1060 bp) also contained gibberellin signaling factors, such as PRIMIDINEBOXHVEPB1 and WRKY71OS. Both promoters showed strong systemic expression in tobacco using GUS staining. Although weaker than in tobacco, significant expression was confirmed in the flowers and stems in chrysanthemum. The results of the GUS activity assay using chrysanthemum transformants showed that the transgenic line (#12) containing the U47 promoter had higher expression in all tissues than that containing the 35S-CaMV promoter. The U41 promoter was found to have a higher expression than the 35S-CaMV promoter in the stem.

Brassica juncea, a member of the Brassicaceae family commonly referred to as mustard, is an allotetraploid (AABB, 2n=36) resulting from interspecific hybridization between Brassica rapa (AA, 2n=20) and Brassica nigra (BB, 2n=16). In this study, microspores were cultured using F₁ hybrids between two selected B. juncea double haploid (DH) lines with high anthocyanin and glucosinolate contents in the maternal versus leafy paternity. The results of the microspore culture showed that the total number of cultured buds, obtained embryos, and embryos per bud were 2,010, 15,526, and 7.62, respectively. Colchicine was used to induce the amphidiploids (AABB). We found that 149 of the 218 regenerated plants (68.3%) were amphidoploid. Among them, 117 individuals underwent ripening and seed harvesting and were used for subsequent phenotype analysis. Leaf color, length, and other agricultural traits exhibited various patterns owing to the recombination of the parental allele. The glucosinolate (GSL) content ranged from a maximum of 29.27 μmol/g dry weight to a minimum of 6.39 μmol/g dry weight, exceeding the range of parental value. The composition of GSL was mainly aliphatic, with sinigrin accounting for approximately 89% of the total aliphatic GSL content. These DH lines and their respective unique phenotypic traits are crucial for crop breeding and are valuable resources for advancing functional genomics and developing molecular markers in B. juncea.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) causes yield reduction, quality deterioration, and mycotoxin contamination in wheat, highlighting the need for resistant wheat varieties. In this study, we evaluated FHB resistance genes and infection rates in 44 domestic wheat varieties. Among them, 42 had the Type I resistance gene Fhb4, 37 had Fhb5, and 35 possessed both. For Type II resistance, 14 had Fhb1, 11 had Fhb2, and five had both. Twenty cultivars had both type I and type II resistance genes, and among them, Chungkye, Dahong, Gobun, Namhae, and Ol had all of the Fhb1, Fhb2, Fhb4, and Fhb5 genes. The average infection rate over three years was 42.6% in cases with both Type I and Type II resistance genes and 44.3% in cases without Type II resistance genes. The infection rate was very high in 2020 and very low in 2021, complicating the analysis of the three-year average. However, when the infection rate was evenly distributed in 2019, there was a tendency for increased resistance among the varieties carrying Type II resistance genes. This suggested that external factors may influence infection rates, emphasizing the need for a precise evaluation system suitable for selecting additional resistance genes. In addition, it is necessary to develop resistant varieties suited to the domestic environment through additional resistance gene selection and integration of resistance genes. This study contributes to understanding FHB resistance genes in domestic wheat varieties and developing resistant domestic wheat varieties.

In Asia, where climate change is increasing the damage caused by cold stress, it is crucial to cultivate varieties with enhanced cold tolerance. In this study, the Tongil variety ‘Hanareum2’ was crossed with the Japonica variety ‘Unkwang’ to improve plant growth ability at low temperatures during the seedling stage. This led to the development of 234 recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, and a linkage map was constructed using 249 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The RIL populations were transplanted to the field one month earlier than the standard transplanting period, and plant height (PH), leaf number (LN), and dry weight (DW) were measured to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with plant growth ability at low temperatures during the seedling stage. QTLs related to cold tolerance, particularly those carrying the ‘Unkwang’ allele, were identified in the PH and DW traits. For PH, the QTLs qPH1, qPH5, and qPH8 were located on chromosomes 1, 5, and 8, respectively. Regarding DW, the QTLs qDW1, qDW8, and qDW9 were identified on chromosomes 1, 8, and 9. For the LN trait, qLN3 carrying the ‘Hanareum2’ allele was located on chromosome 3. If the identified QTLs are utilized, they can be incorporated into breeding programs for plant growth at low temperatures during the seedling stage.

Climate change caused by global warming, is predicted to have severe consequences for ecosystems and economic sectors. In the agricultural industry, it is predicted that there will be decreased crop yields resulting from shifting planting seasons, as well as higher temperature and water stress which significantly reduce crop productivity. Kimchi cabbage, a cold-loving plant, is particularly vulnerable to high-temperature stress which can lead to stunted growth, increased susceptibility to pests like soft rot, reduced yield, and lower quality that will negatively impact the Kimchi cabbage market. Kimchi cabbage can be cultivated in highland regions with low summer temperatures and reduced pest occurrence, but rising temperatures and water stress are expected to increase pest pressure, resulting in a rapid decrease in the potential cultivation area of Kimchi cabbage. Currently, research is being conducted around the world to identify physiological mechanisms of heat tolerance at the molecular level, selection of heat-tolerant material, and studies on cellular responses of plants under high-temperature conditions. Despite numerous studies on physiological and biochemical responses of Brassica crops to high temperatures, there is a need to develop heat-tolerant Kimchi cabbage cultivars that can adapt to rapidly changing climates, new strategies for pest control under high-temperature conditions, and mitigation measures to ensure stable cultivation and production.

In common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the protein content and glutenin protein composition are the key quality-determining parameters. Allelic variations, especially in high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs), affect bread quality significantly. The HMW-GS Glu-1 locus consists of two tightly linked genes encoding x- and y-type subunits that exhibit highly variable frequencies. In this study, we evaluated Glu-B1 alleles using allele-specific PCR markers in 44 domestic wheat cultivars. The composition of Glu-1Bx7+Glu-1By8 in the 24 cultivars was either Glu-1Bx7+Glu-1By8, Glu-1Bx7*+ Glu-1By8, or Glu-1Bx7*+Glu-1Bx8*. In addition, the two cultivars initially identified Glu- 1Bx7+Glu-1By8* were corrected to Glu-1Bx7*+Glu-1By8*. Seven cultivars previously classified as having Glu-1Bx7+Glu-1By9 composition contained Glu-1Bx7*+ Glu-1Bx9. The allele composition of the cultivar was identified as Glu-1Bx20+Glu-1By20 instead of Glu-1By20. The HMW-GSs of 21 wheat varieties were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These results will be helpful for evaluating the composition of Glu-B1 alleles in domestic wheat and accurately assessing the quality of domestic wheat flour.

In this study, we established a system to analyze and accurately distinguish changes in the metabolite content of mung bean sprouts at various growth stages. Specific regions of the FT-IR spectrum (1700–1500 cm^-1, 1500–300 cm^-1, and 1100–950 cm^-1) reflected qualitative and quantitative changes in key metabolites, such as amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and sugars. These regions play crucial roles in assessing metabolic changes at different growth stages. The results of the PCA revealed that metabolite clusters were distinctly separated according to growth stage, with notable differences observed between days 7, 10, 14, and 17. This indicated significant differences in metabolite changes across growth stages. PLS-DA analysis also confirmed similar results, clearly distinguishing metabolite changes according to growth stage, thus providing valuable information for identifying growth stages. This technique can be an important tool in the selection and breeding of mung bean varieties and can contribute to the development of functional materials. Furthermore, it is expected to contribute significantly to enhancing mung bean productivity and research on functional substances.

Breeding wheat cultivars with high nitrogen use efficiency is crucial for sustainable agriculture. In this study, 130 durum wheat accessions from 53 countries were cultivated under two nitrogen fertilization levels to investigate variations in agronomic traits and identify accessions suitable for low-nitrogen conditions. Under no nitrogen fertilization, SPAD value (-99.2), flag leaf length (−15.8 mm), grain area (−0.52 mm²), grain length (−0.27 mm), thousand-grain weight (+5.2 g), and grain protein content (−4.2%) showed significant differences compared to that under standard nitrogen fertilization. Among these traits, the SPAD value exhibited a strong positive correlation with protein content in the absence of nitrogen fertilization, suggesting its potential as an indicator for selecting germplasm with superior nitrogen use efficiency. Hierarchical cluster analysis, based on the differences in the six traits under the two nitrogen fertilization levels, classified the 130 durum wheat accessions into three groups (Groups 1, 2, and 3). Accessions in Group 2 exhibited superior adaptability under no nitrogen fertilization compared with those in the other two groups. We identified seven accessions in Group 2 that exhibited minimal decreases in SPAD values and protein content under no nitrogen fertilization for use in wheat breeding programs aimed at developing cultivars with high nitrogen use efficiencies.

Image-based digitalization of germplasm stock holds significant promise for accelerating plant breeding and crop improvement. This technology facilitates efficient germplasm characterization, evaluation, and management through the capture and analysis of visual phenotypes. However, widespread adoption is hindered by challenges that include image quality control, data analysis complexity, and phenotypic representation limitations. This study investigated these constraints and proposed strategies to address them. By managing technical challenges, refining phenotypic data extraction, and developing robust data analysis pipelines, researchers can fully leverage image-based digitalization to enhance germplasm utilization and contribute to sustainable agriculture.

The development of pollen-free Lilium varieties can reduce the potential for allergies and increase the ornamental value as cut flowers. Moreover, lilies are not only ornamental but also edible, making them versatile in application. In this study, we developed a pollen-free Asiatic lily variety ‘Red Velvet’ with antioxidant activity. The crossbreeding was conducted in 2003 using the blackish-red ‘A3-22’ lineage and the orange and yellow bicolor ‘Cancun’. From the seeds produced, the pollen-free and color-excellent ‘A05-70’ was selected in 2005, and through growth and flowering characteristic tests, ‘Red Velvet (‘WonKyo C1-123’)’ was developed by 2015. Compared to the control ‘Brunello’, ‘Red Velvet’ exhibits superior horticultural characteristics, including taller plant height and excellent coloration in red and orange hues. Analyses of active components (total phenols and total flavonoids) and chemical antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS⁺ free radical scavenging) showed higher contents and antioxidant activity than the control, highlighting the potential for an expanded use of this new variety. The pollen-free ‘Red Velvet’ variety is expected to solve the problem of pollen issues and, through antioxidant activity research, expand the floriculture market and applications as a functional ingredient (Registration No. 6516).

To breed a Gogi Berry cultivar with high quality and high yield, CBP14639-56, as a Gogi Berry line, was selected from the hybrids(F1) of ‘CBP11542-206 (IT345448)’ and ‘CBP07445-64 (IT258918)’in 2015. The preliminary and the advanced yield were conducted to investigate yield characteristics during 2016 to 2017 and the selected line was named Cheongyang No. 34. The regional yield trials of Cheongyang No. 34 were performed at Cheongyang, Yesan and Geumsan areas during 2018 to 2020. As a result, Cheongyang No. 34 was registered as the new variety, ‘Hwaseon’. The specific characteristics of ‘Hwaseon’ are as follows. The type of tree is half opened shape and leaves are green and round-lanceolate. The observed flowering time is June 18, later than the comparative variety ‘Chengmyeong’. The shape of fruits is red, long oval type and a large fruit species. Self-compatibility rate was 71.7%, which was very high compared to 2.8% of the comparative variety, ‘Cheongmyeong’. The resistance against gall mite (Eriophyes spp.) was stronger. The content of betaine, the indicator component, was similar to the comparative variety, and the dried-fruit yield increased by 41% compared to ‘Cheongmyeong’ in the regional yield trials. The Gogi Berry ‘Hwaseon’ is a Self-compatibility variety that does not require mixing of pollinated varieties, and it is expected to help farmers growing Gogi Berry, who are suffering from low fertilization rates due to the recent decrease pollinating insect such as honeybees due to climate change and a decrease in high-temperature activity (Registration No. 9181).

The rice cultivar ‘JJ644wx’ was developed to improve disease resistance and lodging tolerance of Korean japonica glutinous rice cultivars. ‘JJ644wx’ was derived from a cross between ‘HR27814-B-47-1-1’ (‘Sinjinbaek’), a multiple disease-resistant mid-late maturing elite line, and ‘HR29676-AC29’, a medium-maturing glutinous line with lodging tolerance. To shorten the breeding period, an anther culture method was applied to F₁ plants. ‘JJ644wx’ was selected through the pedigree method, yield trials, and local adaptability tests, with high selection pressure for disease resistance and lodging tolerance. The heading date of ‘JJ644wx’ was August 11th, four days later than that of ‘Sinseonchal’. ‘JJ644wx’ exhibited strong tolerance to lodging with a short culm length. The 1,000-grain weight of brown rice of ‘JJ644wx’ was heavier than that of ‘Sinseonchal’, and its yield was 553 kg/10a, which was 10% higher than that of ‘Sinseonchal’. ‘JJ644wx’ had a higher milling performance than ‘Sinseonchal’, but a lower head rice ratio due to a higher percentage of broken rice. ‘JJ644wx’ tended to be situated between ‘Sinseonchal’ and ‘Dongjinchal’ in terms of pasting and texture characteristics. ‘JJ644wx’ is the only Korean japonica glutinous rice cultivar resistant to the most virulent bacterial blight race, K3a; it also showed resistance to rice blast and stripe virus. ‘JJ644wx’ is expected to be a valuable resource that could contribute to improving the cultivation stability of Korean japonica glutinous rice in response to climate change (Registration No. 9606).

A new persimmon (Diospyros kaki L. Thunb.) cultivar ‘Yeonsu’ was derived from a cross between ‘Ro-19’ and ‘Taishu’ in 2009 and finally selected in 2016. The average maturing date was October 20th in Yeoung-am province. ‘Yeonsu’ has a medium average fruit size (235 g) and high soluble solids (17.0 °Bx). The flesh taste was good with soft texture and juice. The fruit shape was very wide ovule when viewed from the side and the fruit's skin color was yellow-orange. Physiological disorders, including fruit cracking or skin fine cracking rarely occurred, but intense sunlight may cause pericarp blackening (Registration No. 8918).

‘Gowon1’ is a large-sized and high-yielding peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. ssp. hypogaea var. hypogaea), which was developed at the Department of Southern Area Crop Science, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), Miryang, and approved for release in 2019. For the harvest of vegetable peanuts, a large-sized pod and comparatively early maturation with high fresh-pod yield are required. ‘Gowon1’ was developed through pedigree selection from a single cross between the large-grain, short-stem variety ‘Pungsan’ and ‘Miryang47’, the early-maturing elite line. ‘Gowon1’ has 11 branches with the main stem and branch lengths of 43 cm and 49 cm, respectively. Each pod contains two seeds with a brown testa and a long ellipse-shape. ‘Gowon1’ exhibits 42 pods per plant, a 100-seed weight of 98 g and 80% mature pod ratio. Seed composition includes 30.2% protein, 47.0% crude fat, and 45% oleic acid, among other fatty acids. In regional yield trials conducted at four locations (2016-2018), ‘Gowon1’ demonstrated enhanced productivity, with an average fresh pod yield of 12.25 MT per hectare, which was 28% higher than the reference variety, ‘Palkwang’. It also exhibited higher resistance to early and late leaf spot and lodging compared to the reference variety in trials (Registration No. 9196).

‘Seum’ is a black-seed coated soybean cultivar developed from crossing ‘IT21785’ and ‘Wonkwang (IT218557)’ in 2010. F₁ and F₂ populations were grown for 2 years and promising lines were selected by pedigree method from F₃ to F₅. The preliminary yield trial (PYT) and advanced yield trial (AYT) were conducted from 2016 to 2017, and regional yield trial (RYT) in 7 regions was conducted from 2018 to 2020. ‘Seum’ is determinate, has a lanceolate leaflet shape, purple flowers, green cotyledons, and black spherical seeds. Flowering and maturing dates were Aug. 4 and Oct. 21, respectively. ‘Seum’ has small seed size (11.4 g/100-seed) and shorter plant height than that of ‘Socheongja’. ‘Seum’ was more tolerant to lodging and pod shattering in regional field and indoor trials than that of ‘Socheongja’. ‘Seum’ was resistant to bacterial pustule during field tests and to soybean mosaic virus (G6H strain) during inoculation tests. The mean yield of ‘Seum’ in RYT was 292 kg/10a which was higher than that of ‘Socheongja’. ‘Seum’ is expected to rapidly replace the elite variety ‘Socheongja’ based on its lodging tolerance and high yield potential (Registration No. 9449).

Rice cultivar ‘Saeodae1’ was generated by crossing ‘Saeodae’, which has good taste and a medium-short round grain, and ‘Unbong51’ which has a combined disease resistance and translucent grain. The aim of this was to develop an early maturing rice cultivar with medium-short round grain and high quality rice which adapts to the mid-northern inland plain, northern-middle highland, northern-east coastal region of Korea, and was undertaken by the rice breeding team of Cheolwon Substation, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, in 2022. In the normal growing season in the mid-northern inland plain of Korea, the heading date of ‘Saeodae1’ was July 25 around the same time in ‘Odae’. ‘Saeodae1’ had a 75 cm culm length, 1 cm longer than that of ‘Odae’, and 75 spikelets per panicle, similar to that of ‘Odae’. The ripened grain ratio (84.7%) of ‘Saeodae1’ was higher than that (72.5%) of ‘Odae’. The head rice ratio (60.9%) of ‘Saeodae1’ was higher than that of ‘Odae’, which is advantageous in securing yield. 1,000 grain weight (25.9 g) was similar to that of ‘Odae’, but it has a smaller degree of white core rice, leading to an improved consumer preference. ‘Saeodae1’ exhibited resistance to blast and bacterial blight (K1, K2, K3 races), but was susceptible to the K3a race of bacterial blight, stripe virus, dwarf and black streak dwarf viruses, and plant-hoppers. The milled rice of this variety was translucent, with a medium-short grain shape. The cooked rice grains of ‘Saeodae1’ exhibited a good palatability index (0.13) and similar amylose content (18.2%) to that of ‘Odae’. Grain milling characteristics, including head rice milling recovery ratio and head rice ratio (82.0%) were better than those of ‘Odae’. Average milled rice productivity of ‘Saeodae1’ was 5.59 t/ha at six sites in the normal growing season (Registration No. 10182(2024.5.14.)).

A new winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar “Joongmo2015” was developed by the NICS (National Institute of Crop Science), RDA (Rural Development Administration) in 2019. Its heading date was April 20 and its maturity date was June 1, which was similar to Keumkang. “Joongmo2015” had a longer culm length (80 cm), similar spike length (7.8 cm) and spikes per m² (804), lower 1,000-grain weight (43.0 g) than “Keumkang” (78 cm, 7.8 cm, 804 g, 46.3 g, respectively). “Joongmo2015” was showed stronger to winter hardiness than “Keumkang”, and susceptible to fusarium head blight and powdery mildew. The average grain yield in the advanced yield trial (AYT) was 4.97 MT/ha, which were 26% more than “Keumkang” and in the regional yield trial (RYT) was 5.75 MT/ha in upland and 5.27 MT/ha in paddy field, which were 16% and 18% higher than those of “Keumkang” (4.95 MT/ha and 4.46 MT/ha, respectively). “Joongmo2015” showed lower protein content (11.7%), SDS-sedimentation volume (42.8 ml), gluten content (9.0%) and flour lightness(90.76) than “Keumkang” (13.6%, 61.8 ml, 11.4% and 91.50, respectively). “Joongmo2015” showed higher lightness (83.10) of noodle dough sheet than “Keumkang” (82.48). “Joongmo2015” exhibited higher hardness (3.92N) and similar springiness and cohesiveness of cooked noodles (0.94 and 0.60) compared to “Keumkang” (3.65N, 0.93, and 0.59, respectively). High molecular weight gluten subunits (HMW-GS) composition are Glu-D1d (5+10), granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) composition are Wx-A1a, Wx-B1a, Wx-D1a and composition of puroindolines are Pina-D1a, Pinb-D1a (Registration No. 9790).