Chlorophyll is an essential pigment involved in light absorption and electron transfer in photosynthesis, a photochemical process that is indispensable for plant growth and development. The biosynthesis of chlorophyll occurs in plastids and shares a common biosynthetic pathway with other tetrapyrroles. The chlorophyll metabolic pathway is divided into four distinct components: the common pathway, chlorophyll-specific biosynthetic pathway, chlorophyll cycle, and chlorophyll degradation pathway, which are regulated in developmental- and environmental-specific manners. During the early stages of plant growth, the expression of most chlorophyll biosynthetic genes is induced by light, resulting in an increase in chlorophyll accumulation, induction of high photosynthetic activity, and continuous plant growth. In contrast, during plant maturation, the expression of most of these genes is gradually downregulated, whereas genes involved in chlorophyll degradation are upregulated during leaf senescence. Chlorophyll biosynthesis is directly or indirectly regulated by the members of various transcription factor families. In this review, we describe representative mechanisms of transcription factor-mediated activation and repression of chlorophyll biosynthesis in response to light treatment. We also present an overview of recent studies that have examined all the enzymatic steps involved in chlorophyll metabolic pathways and their gene regulation at the transcriptional level, which will enable readers to gain a better understanding of chlorophyll metabolism.

Given that soil salinity significantly limits plant growth and production in agricultural land, research on salt stress is of particular agricultural relevance. In this study, for the purposes of functional screening of genes involved in salt stress responses, we selected approximately 651 transgenic Arabidopsis lines (157 independent full-length) from a transgenic Arabidopsis population overexpressing full-length Brassica rapa cDNAs. Initial screening indicated that the transgenic lines of 12 genes showed apparent salt tolerance phenotypes when exposed to NaCl at a concentration of 125 mM, among which, two genes (BrATL30 and BrZHD10) were selected for detailed characterization. The T₃ progeny of these transgenic lines exhibited accelerated seed germination, often accompanied by faster root growth and higher survival rate, compared with wild-type plants under salt stress. Additionally, in order to examine the agricultural potential of the two selected B. rapa genes, we constructed BrATL30- and BrZHD10-overexpressing Brassica napus transgenic plants (BrATL30-OX and BrZHD10-OX), which showed apparent high salt stress-tolerant phenotypes compared with wild-type plants. Furthermore, we found that the basal expression of several salt- and abiotic stress-responsive genes was higher in transgenic plants than in wild-type plants. Taken together, this study will provide two valuable functional genes related to salt stress tolerance.

In this study, conducted in living modified organism (LMO) isolation fields, we sought to develop environmental risk assessment procedures for identifying the potential effects on non-target above-ground insects and spiders within agroecosystems cultivated with vitamin A-enhanced transgenic soybean with tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate. To this end, we investigated insect/arachnid species diversities and population densities on vitamin A-enhanced transgenic soybean and non-GM soybean (Gwangan) grown in LMO quarantine areas of Kyungpook National University (Gunwi) and the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences (Jeonju). In total, 93,419 individual insects and arachnids, representing 65 families in 12 orders, were captured during the study. In Gunwi, totals of 17,110 and 17,627 individual insects and arachnids were collected from vitamin A-enhanced transgenic soybean and Gwangan, respectively, whereas in Jeonju, totals of 28,621 and 30,061 individuals were collected from vitamin A-enhanced transgenic soybean and Gwangan, respectively. Although we detected no significant differences among the population densities of insect pests, natural enemies, and other insects on vitamin A-enhanced transgenic soybean and Gwangan grown within the same field, the population densities of these insects were found to be higher in Jeonju than those in Gunwi. Throughout the study, analysis of variance indicated no significant differences (p<0.05) in insect/arachnid populations, and multivariate analysis indicated that the abundance and diversity of plant-dwelling insects were similar within the same fields.

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential utility of marker-assisted selection (MAS) based on storability-associated molecular markers in apple breeding and to provide genotype information for the markers Md-ACS1, Md-ACO1, and Md-PG1 in apple genetic resources as basic data for the use of breeding materials. We analyzed 750 apple genetic resources to assess the allelic composition of Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1, which play roles in the ethylene biosynthesis pathway, and Md-PG1, which is involved in cell wall degradation. For 108 of the genetic resources used for genotyping, we measured fruit firmness using a texture analyzer (10 mm plunger) at harvest and after 20 days of room temperature (20~25℃) storage. Md-ACS1 and Md-PG1 were found to be associated with changes in fruit firmness (the difference between firmness at harvest and after storage), with ACS1-2/2, PG1-1/1, and PG1-2/2 showing the lowest changes in fruit firmness. In addition, we found that changes in fruit firmness were smallest in late-harvest species, even for the same genotype. In contrast, Md-ACO1 appeared to be unrelated to the storability of fruit. Of the 750 apple genetic resources screened, the genotypes ACS1-2/2, and PG1-1/1 or PG1-2/2 were detected in 3.6% of accessions, including ‘Fuji’, bud mutation cultivars of ‘Fuji’, ‘Chubu’, and ‘Iwakami’. The Md-ACS1 and Md-PG1 markers could have potential utility in assessments of storability and applied in MAS to improve the efficiency of apple breeding.

Rice doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from crosses of the indica cultivar 93-11 and japonica line Milyang352 were used in genetic mapping and QTL analysis studies of days to heading (DTH), an important trait that controls rice yield and biomass. QTL mapping was conducted using the inclusive composite interval mapping method. We used 234 single-nucleotide polymorphic markers in the whole-genome region, including 100 KASP markers and 134 Fluidigm markers, to construct a genetic map. DH populations were raised in Milyang, Korea, over three different periods. Two major DTH QTLs, qDTH3-1 and qDTH7, were detected under natural conditions in Milyang, and explained 14.88%~24.56% and 24.20%~37.39% of the phenotypic variation, respectively, in 93-11×Milyang352 DH populations. During three different rice cultivation periods, qDTH3-1 and qDTH7 were repeatedly detected with significant logarithm of the odds scores and phenotypic variability explained. The findings of this study will make a valuable contribution to breeding high-yielding and early-maturing rice in Korea.

In order to select sweetpotato varieties with excellent tip characteristics, we investigated the appearance, yield, and functional compounds in 32 domestic sweetpotato varieties. During the cultivation period, the total production of sweetpotato tips among the different variety ranged from 1,780 to 9,923 g/m², with that of the Gogeonmi variety being the highest. The lutein content among varieties ranged from 21.7 to 47.0 mg/100 g and was highest in the Juhwangmi variety, whereas the ß-carotene content ranged from 25.5 to 183.4 mg/100 g and was highest in the Hayanmi variety. The total polyphenol content ranged from 30.7 to 74.4 mg CAE/g, and it was high in the Pungwonmi, Daeyumi, and Dahomi varieties at 74.4, 73.8, and 72.9 mg CAE/g, respectively, whereas the DPPH radical scavenging activity of tips ranged from 88.6% to 91.6%, with Gogeonmi and Healthymi showing the highest value of 91.6%. ABTS radical scavenging activity was found to be lowest in the Yeonjami variety at 86%, whereas the remaining 31 varieties showed values in excess of 96%. ABTS radical scavenging activity showed a high positive correlation with total polyphenol content. On the basis of these analyses, we identified Juhwangmi with high lutein content, Hayanmi with high beta-carotene content and high yield, and Gogeonmi with high DPPH radical scavenging activity and high yield, as being suitable varieties for tip cultivation. We anticipate that these sweetpotato varieties with excellent tip characteristics will be used as parents for the breeding of varieties for vegetable use.

Recent climate changes have resulted in high temperatures, a greater frequency of flooding, and outbreaks of various plant diseases and insect pests, the latter of which has been characterized by a change in pest type from crop chewing to sap-sucking insects. To date, however, there has been limited study of plant resistance to sap-sucking insects. This study was carried out to evaluate the resistance and genetic patterns of the foxglove aphid Aulacorthum solani, a sap-sucking pest of soybean. We investigated the growth and reproduction of the foxglove aphid on five different varieties of soybean showing either susceptibility or resistance to this aphid in a non-choice test. Genetic analysis was conducted using the two F₂ populations derived from Daepung (susceptible to foxglove aphid)×IT104704 (resistant to foxglove aphid) and Daepung×IT188399 (resistant to foxglove aphid) crosses, which were evaluated for their responses to foxglove aphids. Differences in the responses of resistant and susceptible varieties were confirmed by monitoring aphid growth and reproduction. Although the two resistant germplasms (IT104704 and IT188399) have a strong antibiosis effect, they showed a slight difference with respect to aphid viability. Genetic analysis of foxglove aphid resistance showed that resistance was governed by a single dominant gene in IT104704 (3:1, p=0.11). We accordingly identified two resistant resources showing antibiosis to foxglove aphid, which is reported here for the first time, and also detected differences in genetic behavior. These results could be useful not only with respect to securing materials showing resistance to the foxglove aphid but also in the breeding of new foxglove aphid-resistant soybean cultivars.

Kernel weight is a vital trait for selecting high-yielding wheat in breeding programs. We evaluated the thousand-kernel weight (TKW), test weight (TW), grain length (GL), grain width (GW), grain thickness (GT), and grain roundness (GR) of 41 Korean winter wheat cultivars over a period of 4 years. Correlation analyses revealed that TKW was positively correlated with GL (r=0.76***), GW (r=0.85***), and GT (r=0.84***), whereas TW was negatively correlated with GL (r=-0.38*) and GT (r=-0.31*). Allelic variation was analyzed for 13 kernel weight-related genes/loci (TaCwi-A1, TaCWI-4A, TaCWI-5D, TaGW2-6A, TaTGW6-A1, TaTGW-7A, TaGS1a, TaSus1-7A, TaSus1-7B, TaSus2-2B, TaCKX6-D1, TaCKX6a02-D1, and TaSnRk2.3). Significant associations between the allelic variation and kernel traits were identified in TaCWI-4A (TW, GL, and GR), TaCWI-5D (TKW), TaGW2-6A (TKW, GL, GW, and GT), TaSus2-2B (TKW, GL, GW, and GT), and TaGS1a (TW). In contrast, we detected no significant association between the allelic variation of TaCwi-A1, TaTGW6-A1, TaSus1-7A, and TaSus1-7B and variations in kernel traits. Also, TaTGW-7A, TaCKX6-D1, TaCKX6a02-D1, and TaSnRK2.3 were found to be monomorphic. The four loci TaCWI-4A, TaCWI-5D, TaGW2-6A, and TaSus2-2B showed significant phenotypic differences, a totalof 10 different haplotypes (AC1-AC10) were observed at four loci among the Korean wheat cultivars. Cultivars with the AC1 haplotype exhibited significantly higher TKW than those with the AC8 haplotype, which comprises alleles for high TKW at all four loci, indicating that additional loci controlling kernel weight might be present in the high TKW cultivars.

Marker-assisted backcrossing is a powerful method for developing new cultivars. To develop genomic-wide markers, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) can be an efficient method. However, unrefined low-quality markers and missing data between markers can contribute to hampering the marker selection process, particularly in multi-way crosses. In this study, we aimed to calculate the recovery rate of offspring individuals and minimize errors that occur among a large number of markers. Initially, missing data were imputed by comparing samples using the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm. Thereafter, low-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were corrected by applying the graphical representation method based on the k-NN algorithm in order of the SNPs in a chromosome designed for a multi-parental population. Four-way cross and double-backcrossed tomato BC₁F₁ (230 lines) and BC₂F₁ (96 lines) populations were genotyped by GBS. The genotype of samples of the BC₁F₁ and BC₂F₁ populations was determined based on the parental haplotype. Thus, the method of visualizing the genotype of offspring individuals, generated via crosses of multiple parents, not only improves estimation of the recovery rate but also facilitates easier selection in breeding programs.

The regeneration rate of plantlets cultivated via tissue culture is an important factor for wheat transformation. Similar to other monocotyledons, the most efficient tissue culture materials for wheat are immature embryos. However, stable year-round production of immature embryos is not possible in the field where various stress factors co-exist. In this study, we investigated the generation and subsequent plantlet incident rates of callus induced from immature embryos obtained from different sowing times in 2020 and compared these among wheat cultivars. We found that the rates of regeneration and plantlet incidence obtained using immature embryos of the Ariheuk cultivar were higher than those of other domestic cultivars, and that the tissue culture efficiency was similar to that of Bobwhite, which has been established as a cultivar with excellent transformation efficiency. Furthermore, the Baekkang cultivar showed high tissue culture efficiency only when sown from early to mid-March, whereas Keumkang showed higher tissue cultivation efficiency only by sowing in mid- and late February. Among the five cultivars assessed in this study, Jopum showed the lowest tissue culture efficiency. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will contribute to enhancing the transformation efficiency of domestic wheat varieties.

Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled large-scale cost-effective genotypic analyses, and consequently, obtaining reliable phenotypic data has now become a major bottleneck in data-driven plant breeding. In order to construct a phenotype database for commercial rice varieties released by the National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, we initiated a systematic phenotype evaluation project, with the aim of investigating the major agronomic traits of Korean rice varieties released during the period between 1979 and 2017. Despite the narrow genetic background, we found that the days to heading (DTH) and culm length (CL) of the 297 Korean rice varieties assessed exhibited wide phenotypic variation under different environments. Under normal planting cultivation in 2018, the DTH ranged from 48 to 104 days in Suwon, 46 to 111 days in Wanju, and 39 to 97 days in Miryang, with CL values ranging from 59 to 134 cm, 55 to 122 cm, and 57 to 106 cm, respectively. During early planting cultivation in 2019, the DTH ranged from 56 to 113 days (Suwon), 58 to 109 days (Wanju), and 58 to 100 days (Miryang), with corresponding CL values ranging from 63 to 119 cm, 55 to 93 cm, and 51 to 115 cm. Despite the difference of one month in planting dates in 2018 and 2019, DTH in the different years and regions showed highly significant positive correlations (r=0.90-0.98), whereas CL showed positive but weaker correlations (r=0.45-0.82). Furthermore, we detected a weak, although significant, correlation between DTH and CL in each environment (r=-0.18-0.35). Analyses of additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) were conducted for DTH and CL to identify rice varieties with stable phenotypes under different environments. We anticipate that the findings of this study will provide a useful rice phenotype database to facilitate genotype-phenotype association studies and data-driven rice breeding.

Phytophthora root rot attributable to infection by the soil-borne oomycete Phytophthora sojae causes serious damage to susceptible soybeans grown in poorly drained soil. Management of this disease depends primarily on Rps (resistance to P. sojae) resistance genes. The objective of this study was to map resistance to two P. sojae isolates (40412 and 2457) in a Daepung×Socheong2 recombinant inbred line population. Of these two varieties, Socheong2 is resistant to the two isolates, whereas Daepung is susceptible. Single-marker analysis of variance and linkage analyses using a high-density genetic map identified different resistance loci for each isolate. A genomic region of 36.2~37.4 Mbp on chromosome 3 was identified as being associated with resistance to isolate 40412, explaining 18% of the phenotypic variance (PV), whereas, a 2.1~2.6-Mbp region on chromosome 18 was significantly associated with resistance to isolate 2457, accounting for approximately 26% of the PV. An additional region of 53.1~53.3 Mbp on chromosome 18 was also significantly associated with resistance to isolate 2457. All three loci coincide with genomic regions where an Rps gene or partial resistance have been mapped in previous studies. The respective locus showed significance for only one or the other of the isolates, indicating an isolate-specific interaction. From this finding, it can be inferred that isolates 40412 and 2457 are characterized by different avirulence genes, and that Socheong2 has at least two Rps genes that interact with each isolate. The finding of multiple Rps loci specific to an isolate within a single soybean genotype is a unique discovery. Socheong2 will accordingly be a useful genetic source for breeding resistance to multiple P. sojae isolates.

This study was performed to evaluate the characteristics of wheat flour and sourdough bread quality of five Korean bread wheat cultivars, hard red winter wheat (HRW), and T55 (a French commercial wheat flour). Among the cultivars assessed, the protein and gluten contents and SDS-sedimentation values of Joongmo2008 were the highest, Keumkang were similar to those of HRW, and those of the Baekkang, Jokyung, and Hwanggeum were similar to those of T55. Joongmo 2008 and Keumkang had glutenin contents similar to those of HRW and T55, whereas Baekkang and Hwanggeum had higher HMW-GS (high molecular weight-glutenin subunit) and lower LMW-GS (low molecular weight-glutenin subunit) contents than HRW and T55. The α+β gliadin contents of Jungmo2008 and Keumkang were higher than those of other varieties and similar to those of HRW, whereas the γ- and ω-gliadin contents of Baekkang and Hwanggeum were similar to those of T55. Mixolab analysis revealed that Joongmo2008 and Keumkang had water absorption and kneading characteristics similar to those of HRW, and that Baekkang, Hwanngeum, and Jokyung showed characteristics similar to those of T55. Campagne and baguettes prepared using Korean wheat flour were similar in appearance to those prepared using T55 or HRW, the bread volume of campagne bread was smaller than that of T55, and the volume of baguettes were similar to that of T55. Joongmo2008 showed a higher bread volume than other Korean wheat cultivars, which was similar to that of HRW. The quality of sourdough bread prepared from Korean wheat flour was similar to that made with commercial flour, although the bread prepared using Joongmo2008 was found to be superior to that prepared using the flour of other Korean wheat cultivars.

In this study, 14 agricultural and phenotypic traits were used to analyze morphological variations among 10 near-isogenic lines (NILs) of colored waxy maize and 2 parental lines (HW3 and HW9) of the hybrid cultivar “Mibaek 2.” The results of principal component analysis indicated that on the first principal component axis, seed coat color, R value, V value, days of tasseling, L* value, and days of silking greatly contributed to the positive direction, whereas anthesis–silking interval and leaf width greatly contributed to the negative direction. On the second principal component axis, kernel row number and tassel color contributed to the positive direction, whereas setted ear length, ear length, and 100-kernel weight contributed to the negative direction. Thus, the morphological characteristics that greatly contributed to the first and second principal components might be useful for discrimination among the 10 NILs and 2 parental lines of “Mibaek 2.” Of the 10 NILs analyzed, 16CLP26 and 16CLP16 were considered useful breeding material for the development of colored waxy maize varieties with relatively high amounts of yield and anthocyanin. Collectively, these results are expected to provide useful information for the development and selection of lines for breeding colored waxy corn varieties at the Maize Research Institute, Gangwon-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services.

‘Taecheong’ is a black soybean cultivar developed from crossing ‘YS1593(Milyang136×Tanbaguro)’ and ‘Cheongja2’ in 2005. 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 2012 to 2013, and a regional yield trial (RYT) in seven regions was conducted from 2014 to 2016. ‘Taecheong’ is determinate, with purple flower, green cotyledon, and black spherical seed. Flowering date and maturing date were August 3 and October 20, respectively. Regarding quantitative characteristics, ‘Taecheong’ has a larger seed size (44.5 g/100-seed weight) than that of ‘Cheongja3’ (35.8 g/100-seed weight). ‘Taecheong’ was tolerant to pod shattering and lodging at the RYT field and indoor test. In addition, ‘Taecheong’ was resistant to bacterial pustule during the field test, and to soybean mosaic virus (G6H strain) during the inoculation test. Although its seed quality-related characteristics were similar to those of ‘Cheongja3’, it contained more anthocyanin in its seed-coat, which is a primary functional component of black soybean. The mean yield of ‘Taecheong’ in RYT was 240 kg/10a, which was 94% of the yield of ‘Cheongja3’. ‘Taecheong’ is expected to be used as raw material for soy products, such as for preparing soybean chocolates, because of its large seed size (Registration number: 7104).

We developed a malting barley, ‘Dapum’, with stable yield and enhanced quality for brewing. ‘Dapum’ was developed in 2015, by crossing Hopum, which has high brewing quality, and ‘GobDH96’, which has steady yield. The regional yield trials were conducted for ‘Dapum’ as a breeding line ‘Iksan173’ in four different regions from 2013 to 2015. It has a type I growth habit, and the average heading and maturing date in paddy fields were April 20 and May 26, respectively, which were 1 day earlier than those of ‘Hopum’. The yield potential of ‘Dapum’ was 411 kg/ha, which is approximately 10% higher than those of ‘Hopum’ under paddy field condition. ‘Dapum’ possesses the rym5 gene and is resistant to barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV), although susceptible to powdery mildew and lodging tolerance. It is similar to ‘Hopum’ in terms of enhanced brewing quality. ‘Dapum’ had a higher 1,000-grain weight (46.1 g) and assortment ratio (92%) than those of ‘Hopum,’ at 43.8 g and 90%, respectively. Analysis of grain quality for malting showed that ‘Dapum’ has high quality protein content, β-glucan content, and water sensitivity. Malt quality analysis revealed that ‘Dapum’ has 73.3% extraction rate, 3.7% soluble protein content, 32.6% Kolbach index, 244 WK (Windisch-Kolbach) diastatic power, and 80.2% friability, which were similar to those of ‘Hopum’. It would be suitable for cultivation in the zones of Korea that have a daily minimum temperature of -4℃ in January (Registration No. 7512).

‘Sangbo’ is a japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety with high head rice grain ratio and good ripened grain color, as well as resistance to rice dwarf virus (RDV) and bacterial blight disease (BB). It was developed by the rice breeding team of the Yeongdeok Branch of the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Korea, in 2015. This variety was derived in the 2002 summer season from a cross between ‘Yeongdeog32’, with high eating quality, and ‘Nampyeong’, with a high milling ratio. In 2012, a promising line, YR24256-142-5-3-1-1-2, selected by the pedigree breeding method, was designated the name, ‘Yeongdeog59’. After performing a local adaptability test at nine locations from 2013 to 2015, ‘Yeongdeog59’ was released with the name ‘Sangbo’ in 2015. ‘Sangbo’ has a culm length of 77 cm and a medium-late growth duration. This variety was resistant to K1, K2, and K3 races of bacterial blight, along with the dwarf virus, and was moderately resistant to leaf blast disease. Based on the results of a panel test, ‘Sangbo’ has translucent and clear milled rice kernel without white core and belly rice, and good eating quality. The yield potential of ‘Sangbo’ in milled rice was approximately 6.21 MT/ha at the ordinary fertilizer level of the local adaptability test (LAT). This cultivar would be adaptable to the middle plain, south plain, Yeongnam plain, east coastal area, and south mid-mountainous areas of Korea (Registration No. 7284, 2018.06.25).

A new six-rowed covered barley cultivar ‘Hohyang’ with spring sowing adaptability, lodging tolerance, and high yield was developed from the cross between ‘Saegangbori’ and ‘Durubori’ by the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Korea, in 2016. It has a compact spike and long awn, and its growth habit (vernalization requirement) was classified as group II. The averaged heading date was April 21, which was 1 day earlier than that of the control varietal, ‘Olbori’. The culm length was 78 cm, which was similar to that of ‘Olbori’; however, ‘Hohyang’ has a stronger lodging tolerance. Its spike length was 4.7 cm, 655 spikes/m², 55 grains/spike, and 31.9 g for 1,000 grains. It also showed similar winter hardiness and a superior resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) compared to that of ‘Olbori’. ‘Hohyang’ was well adapted to spring sowing conditions from March 6 to April 3. Regarding quality, ‘Hohyang’ had the same protein and β-glucan content as ‘Olbori’, but higher polyphenol content than the control cultivar. The yield of ‘Hohyang’ in the regional yield trial was 6.68 ton/ha in upland zones, and 5.06 ton/ha in paddy fields, which were 6% and 15% higher than those of the control cultivar, respectively. If there is rain during the fall planting season, ‘Hohyang’ is suitable for sowing and cultivation in spring (Registration No. 7374).

A new interspecific hybrid cultivar, Wongam, was developed as a high-yield licorice from a Glycyrrhiza glabra×G. uralensis (G. korshinski Grig.) cross by the herbal crop team at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea. The plant type is erect, and the leaf shape is oval. It has well-developed vascular bundles compared to G. uralensis as a control species. The dried root weight of ‘Wongam’ was 54.6 g per plant, and 22.7 g per plant in the control species G. uralensis. In addition, the average yield of ‘Wongam’ was 359 kg/10a, which was 127% higher than that of G. uralensis. It exhibits resistance to brown spot disease, as well as a to lodging. The glycyrrhizin and liquiritigenin content of ‘Wongam’ are 3.96% and 0.8%, respectively, which meets the Korean Pharmacopoeia Standards. This cultivar can widely adapt to most cultivation zones found in Korea, except for the Gangwon-do Province region (Registration No. 196).

A new double cropping potato variety, ‘Gangseon’, was bred by the Highland Agriculture Research Institute, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, Korea, in 2016. ‘Gangseon’ was obtained from the cross between ‘Daegwan1-83’ and ‘Chubaek’ in 2006. Seedling and line selection was performed from 2008 to 2009, and preliminary and advanced yield trials were carried out with ‘Gangseon’ from 2010 to 2013 in Gangneung city. The regional yield trials were conducted in Gangneung, Muan, and Jeju from 2014 to 2016. ‘Gangseon’ has light purple flowers, green narrow leaflets and petioles with medium anthocyanin coloration, round tubers with yellow russet skin, and yellow flesh. The dormancy of ‘Gangseon’ stored in 20 ℃ was 60-70 days after harvesting, which is longer than those of ‘Dejima’ and ‘Chubaek’, but shorter than that of ‘Superior’. The average yields of tubers in the spring and fall seasons were 36.6 and 21.2 ton⋅ha^-1, respectively, in the regional yield trials. It is susceptible to common scab and potato virus Y, but has high resistance to potato leaf roll virus, potato virus X, early blight, and late blight. The dry matter contents were 22.1% in spring and 19.8% in autumn. The adaptation area of ‘Gangseon’ is the southern coastal area, including Jeju Island, Korea. The plant variety protection right of ‘Gangseon’ was registered in April 2020, and its grant number is 8081.

‘Hwanggeummatchal’, a yellow waxy corn hybrid obtained by crossing inbred ‘KY37’ and ‘KY29’, was developed by the maize breeding team at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, Korea, in 2017. The number of days to silking of ‘Hwanggeummatchal’ was 69 days after planting, 2 days earlier than ‘Ilmichal’ (a control variety). Plant height of ‘Hwanggeummatchal’ was 205 cm, lower than that of the control, and ear height ratio was 49%, which was lower than that of ‘Ilmichal’. Lodging resistance of ‘Hwanggeummatchal’ was similar to ‘Ilmichal’. The fresh ear yields were 6,389 ears in 10 a. The carotenoid content of ‘Hwanggeummatchal’ was 16.4 μg 100 g^-1 fresh weight, which was much higher than that of ‘Ilmichal’. The pericarp thickness was 41 μm. The sensory evaluation value was 5.7, and the flavor was excellent. The flowering period of its parental lines was well matched, and seed production was best at a planting ratio of maternal and paternal lines, 3:1. ‘Hwanggeummatchal’ is suitable to the whole country, except for Jeju-do. Seeds of ‘Hwanggeummatchal’ must be renewed annually because it is a single cross hybrid. If this hybrid is cultivated under high-density conditions, the ear size and the ratio of kernel set length to ear length will be lower than that of standard cultivation. Pest control should be performed for this hybrid because it is susceptible to corn borer (Registration No. 8136).

The cultivation of early maturing rice in the plain areas in Korea is increasingly diversifying its cropping systems. Early maturing rice cultivars are usually vulnerable to bacterial blight (BB) and rice stripe virus (RSV) compared to mid- and mid-late maturing rice cultivars. To enhance the resistance of early maturing rice against BB and RSV, ‘IS592BB’ was developed by introgression of resistance genes, Xa3, Xa21, and Stvb-i into the genetic background of ‘Unkwang’, an early maturing rice cultivar with excellent agronomic characteristics. ‘IS592BB’ was derived from a backcross between ‘Unkwang’ and the F1 cross between ‘Unkwang’ and ‘SR31206-12’ (‘Unkwang’/‘SR30075’) and selected through the pedigree method, yield trials, and local adaptability tests. Using bioassay and marker-assisted selection to BB and RSV, Xa3, Xa21, and Stvb-i were pyramided in ‘IS592BB’. ‘IS592BB’ exhibited high-level and broad-spectrum resistance against BB, including the K3a race, the most virulent race in Korea, and also showed a resistance reaction to RSV. ‘IS592BB’ was found to be an early maturing rice cultivar with similar agronomic characteristics to ‘Unkwang’ such as early maturing, lodging tolerance with short culm, erect plant architecture, blast resistance, and high-yielding performance. In the genetic background analysis using 771 KASP (Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR) markers, ‘IS592BB’ was confirmed to be the near-isogenic line (NIL) of ‘Unkwang’ with a 93.6% recovery rate. ‘IS592BB’ was successfully introgressed with the Xa3+Xa21+Stvb-i genes into ‘Unkwang’ without linkage drag negatively affecting its agronomic characteristics. ‘IS592BB’ would enhance the adaptability of early maturing rice in the plain area through its multiple disease resistance (Registration No. 7648).

A new persimmon (Diospyros kaki L. Thunb.) cultivar, ‘Gampung’, a progeny derived from the cross between ‘Daeandangam’ and ‘Taishu’ in 2004, was finally selected in 2013. Fruits of ‘Gampung’ were available for harvest on October 24 in the Yeong-am area. It had a very large fruit size of 413 g on average, and high soluble solids of approximately 14.7 °Bx. Its flesh taste was good, and it had a crispy texture and rich juice. The shape of the fruit was round oblate from the side view, and it had orange skin. Physiological disorders such as fruit cracking or skin fine cracking rarely occurred in this cultivar (Registration No. 8030).

A small red bean cultivar, ‘Haeorom’, was developed by artificial cross breeding between ‘Milyang 7 (SA9709-2B-8-2-4-4-1)’ and ‘Toyomidainagon (K204656)’ at the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Korea in 2008, and selected for further yield trials under the name ‘Miryang 27’. It was prevalent and showed desirable agronomic traits such as lodging tolerance, high yields, and strong antioxidant activity during the regional yield trials (RYT) from 2014 to 2016. ‘Haeorom’ was released as a new cultivar in 2016. It has some distinct phenotypic traits, including a semi-determinate growth habit, yellow flower, green embryonic axis, bright red seed, white hilum, and small spherical seeds (18.6 g per 100 seeds). The average yield of ‘Haeorom’ was 2.04 MT/ha in the RYT, which was slightly higher than that of the check cultivar (1.87 MT/ha), ‘Chungju’ (Registration No. 7508).

‘Jangsuheukchal’ waxy corn was developed through single-cross by Gyeonggido Agricultural Research and Extension Services in 2012. The seed parent inbred ‘GMB0016’ was crossed with the pollen parent inbred ‘GMB0017’ in 2010. ‘Jangsuheukchal’ took 72 days to silking, which was 4 days sooner than ‘Miheukchal’, and ‘Jangsuheukchal’ was 195 cm in height, which was 12 cm less than that of ‘Miheukchal’; the occurrence of lodging was low in the new species. Among the ear characteristics, the kernel setting rate was very high (99%), and the grain pericarp thickness was slightly more than that of ‘Miheukchal’, but the sensory evaluation was positive because of the high amylopectin content and the fine ear appearance. The regional yield trials were conducted in four areas for two years in 2011-2012, and the density of fresh ears for ‘Jangsuheukchal’ was determined as 62,280 ears/ha, which was 6% higher than that of ‘Miheukchal’, but the weight of the fresh ears was 9,178 kg/ha, which was 17% lighter than its counterpart. In order to diversify the use of fresh waxy corn, the cooking properties of milled waxy corns were investigated and compared to ‘Mibaek2’, which was the main cultivar in Gyeonggido province in 2018. The grain yield per ha of ‘Jangsuheukchal’ was 5,600 kg, which was 12% less than that of ‘Mibaek2’, but after harvesting fresh ears, the grain yield per ha was 1,060 kg, which was 10.6 times more than the known cultivar. In addition, compared to ‘Mibaek2’, ‘Jangsuheukchal’ showed excellent processing characteristics in the cooking properties for milled kernels because of its light 100-seed weight, low protein content, and high starch content. Therefore, we report ‘Jangsuheukchal’ as a new variety, suitable for use as a fresh corn and possessing the cooking properties of milled kernels (Registration No. 6065).

‘Shingil’ was developed as a processing rice for specialization as a rice flour by means of mutation breeding from ‘Hanareum’ MNU (N-methyl N-nitrosourea) treatment. The bulk population was displayed from M₁ to M₆, followed by pedigree methods from M₇, where line selection was carried out based on the amylose content, with opacity in the endosperm. The result was that ‘Milyang317’, which has a somewhat high amylose content as well as a high ratio of starch opacity, was selected and named as ‘Shingil’ in 2017. ‘Shingil’ is a mid-maturing ecotype with a heading date of August 10, showing resistance to both leaf/panicle blast and rice stripe virus (RSV), but susceptibility to Bph. ‘Shingil’ showed a low viviparous germination rate of 5.2%. The yield capacity of ‘Shingil’ was 745kg/10a over two years based on a regional yield test. The amylose content of ‘Shingil’ is 23.4% with the grain showing opacity in most parts of the endosperm, which is caused by the round particle shape, unlike the polygonal shape of ordinary grains. Thus, ‘Shingil’ could be used as a rice flour source in various processing field and dry milling industries where milling costs could be saved (Registration No. 8019).