Gluten proteins in wheat grains are generally considered one of the most important factors in determining dough properties and bread quality. In this study, wheat protein quality characteristics were investigated in 607 varieties collected from seven countries grown in a South Korean wheat breeding field for two years. The average protein content was 12.2±1.86%, and the sodium dodecyl sulfate-sediment volume (SDSS) was 46.9±8.39 mL. HI-LINE had the highest protein content (18.3±0.35%) and SDSS (76.7±1.98 mL), while both NE 84557 and Iksan 374 showed small deviations in protein content and SDSS. Protein content and SDSS values were higher in Ax2*+By8 and By9+Dy10 combinations at Glu-A, Glu-B1, and Glu-D1 loci of high molecular weight gluten subunit (HMW-GS) than in other combinations. However, no difference in Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci in LMW-GS was observed. Furthermore, in HMW-GS, the composition of Glu-D1 Dy10 and Dy12 had a greater effect on protein quality than Glu-B1 By8 and By9 when the allele of Glu-A1 had Ax2*. Significant differences were found between Dy10 and Dy12 genes of the HMW-GS Glu-D1 and between protein content and SDSS, but not among others. These results suggest that Glu-D1 is extremely important for improving protein quality in HMW-GSs. As a result of this study, HMW-GS allele selection using functional markers, protein content, and SDSS investigation are expected to enable the development of varieties with high protein quality that are stable amid various environmental changes.

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is a perennial fruit tree with high heterozygosity, consisting of 38 chromosomes (2n=38), and it takes a long time for grape seedlings to grow into fruit-bearing trees. Therefore, it is difficult to study grape genetics and breeding strategies. However, it has recently become possible to discover many SNPs through whole genome resequencing or genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis. In this study, we aimed to develop high-resolution melting (HRM) markers from the detected SNPs and construct a genetic linkage map using HRM markers. In a previous study, 2,553 SNPs were identified using GBS analysis. In this study, 1,336 SNPs were used to design primer sets for HRM analysis. The developed HRM markers were used for construction of a genetic linkage map in an F₁ segregating population consisting of 192 individuals from a cross between ‘Tano Red’ (V. labrusca×V. vinifera) and ‘Ruby Seedless’ (V. vinifera). A total of 805 polymorphic HRM markers were developed, of which 363 were mapped onto the genetic linkage map of grape, with a total length of 1,453.5 cM consisting of 19 chromosomes. This SNP-based genetic linkage map and HRM markers can be used for QTL identification and marker development for important fruit traits of grape.

Many studies concerning breeding maize varieties are in progress in Korea and other countries. Double haploid technology is widely used for the development of commercial maize varieties worldwide, and has also been utilized in Korea since its introduction by the Maize Research Institute, Gangwondo. We performed a study to improve the efficiency of selecting haploid maize seeds using fluorescence imaging. It was verified that anthocyanin produced by the expression of R1-nj gene can be detected by fluorescence imaging, and we developed a high-throughput method for discriminating between haploid and diploid seeds. Compared with discriminating with naked eye, this method reduced the time for discriminating haploid and diploid maize by 91.7% and increased selection accuracy by 16.8% for haploid and 2.2% for diploid maize. This method enabled the acquisition of more haploid seeds and improved the efficiency of breeding research by shortening the time involved.

Pear (Pyrus spp.) is an economically important fruit tree that grows extensively worldwide. To facilitate the identification of agronomically important traits and provide new information for genetic and genomic research concerning this fruit tree, a high-density genetic linkage map of pear was constructed using 178 F₁ populations derived from a cross between ‘Manpungbae’ and ‘Oharabeni’. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) developed from pears were analyzed to construct a genetic linkage map. SSR markers were used to locate the corresponding chromosome number for each linkage group (LG). A total of 1,807 GBS-SNPs and 41 SSRs were anchored to the integrated genetic linkage map. Seventeen LGs were identified, covering a genetic distance of 1,519.4 cM with an average marker density of 0.87 cM. The lengths of the LGs ranged from 70.9 cM (LG 14) to 160.4 cM (LG 15). Each LG had SSR markers from 1 to 5, except for LGs 7, 8, and 9. Our integrated genetic map of pear could be used as a basic frame map for comparative analysis of genomic structure between different pear research groups.

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner. (milk thistle), is a member of the Asteraceae family. Silymarin has hepatoprotective effects, accumulates at high levels in the external cover of milk thistle seeds, and is composed of flavonolignan isomers. In the present study, we assembled and annotated the mitogenome of Silybum marianum. This mitogenome was found to have a length of 407,123 base pairs and an overall base composition: A, 27.41%; T, 27.33%; G, 22.72%; and C, 22.54%. Seventy-four unique genes were identified in the Silybum marianum mitogenome based on annotation results, including 27 protein-coding genes, 44 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. Common protein-coding genes of 11 Asteraceae family references and four outgroup (Campanulaceae and Solanaceae) mitogenomes were used to construct a phylogenetic tree. The phylogenetic tree of the Silybum marianum mitogenome revealed close relationships with three reference mitogenomes (Arctium tomentosum, Arctium lappa, and Saussurea costus), and the flower morphology of Silybum marianum was similar to that of the three reference mitogenomes. This report describes unique features of the Silybum marianum mitogenome relative to the three related reference mitogenomes. In addition, we could envisage a specific analysis of the phylogenetic relationship of Silybum mariaum using additional Asteraceae family mitogenomes.

This study was performed to determine the optimum transplanting dates of ‘Bbareumi’ in the Chungnam Plain area. ‘Bbareumi’ was transplanted into a rice research field of Chungnam Agricultural Research and Extension Services at intervals of approximately 15 days from April 17^th to August 1^st in 2019 and 2020. The heading dates of ‘Bbareumi’ were June 23^rd to September 2^nd depending on transplanting dates. The highest milled-rice yield was 5.61 MT/ha on May 1^st and the lowest was 3.65 MT/ha on August 1^st. As the transplanting date was delayed, protein content increased; however, the number of days from transplanting to heading decreased. Protein content and the number of days from transplanting to heading showed a highly significant correlation (R² = 0.802^**). Therefore, it was found that early transplanting was beneficial to produce lower protein content because head rice percentage was 84-87% for early (April 17^th to May 16^th), 74-80% normal (June 1^st to June 16^th), and 86-95% for the late transplanting date (July 1^st to August 1^st). The mean temperature during the ripening stage differed according to the transplanting dates, and early transplanting showed a lower temperature than the normal one (May 16^th to June 15^th) and a higher head rice percentage. Therefore, extremely early maturing rice cultivars should be transplanted between late April and early May to obtain lower protein content and higher head rice percentage. These results will be useful for rice breeding programs, as it is generally recognized that early transplanting results in poor rice quality; however, this study revealed contrasting results.

Sybeans have been grown by plant breeding for decades. As soybeans have very limited genetic variation, it is difficult for soybean breeders to find new genetic resources for abiotic stressors. Recently, soybeans have been exposed to flooding stress from intensive summer rainfall owing to climate change. Glycine soja, a wild soybean, is known to have greater genetic variation and greater resistance to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses than ordinary soybeans. In this study, high-throughput transcriptome analysis was performed using flood-treated Glycine soja. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using reads mapped to reference sequences, and gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed using selected DEGs. In addition, RT-qPCR analysis was performed to further analyze the expression of specific candidate genes. Several novel genes that could explain various mechanisms related to water stress were identified as related transcripts and adaptation mechanisms through cell wall expansion, alcoholic fermentation under anaerobic conditions, and structural changes. In addition, most of the isoflavonoid daidzein pathway genes exhibited upregulated expression under flooding stress. Interestingly, expression of the DIR (dirigent protein 1-like) gene, which is known to decrease in response to flooding stress in soybeans (Glycine max), was upregulated in Glycine soja. The expression of DIR revealed that DIR may play a key role in conferring flooding stress resistance in Glycine soja. This study provides useful information regarding the genes and comprehensive adaptation mechanisms related to flooding stress tolerance that can be utilized for cultivated soybeans through the Korean wild soybean.

As recent advances in gene editing technologies have enabled rapid and accurate modification of target genes, new varieties are being developed through the application of gene editing technologies in various crop species. In particular, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has become a tool of choice for gene editing because it is much more economical and efficient than previous tools such as ZFN and TALEN, and is being actively used to improve various breeding traits, including biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to overcome the limitations of conventional plant breeding technologies. In this review, we retrieved 210 papers describing the utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 in rice published between 2013 and 2021 and classified them according to the field of study and traits of interest. Further case studies were conducted on 21 and 12 research papers that reported the enhancement of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, respectively. This demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing can be highly effective in improving resistance to bacterial (bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak), fungal (blast, sheath blight), and viral (rice tungro spherical virus, rice black streak virus) diseases as well as various abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, cold, and heat, in many cases, without diminishing important agronomic traits. As recent technological advances have begun to overcome the major limitations of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, such as low HDR efficiency and off-target effects, it is expected that more research on gene function and cultivar development will adopt CRISPR/Cas9 as a major gene editing tool in the future. To effectively apply such innovative technologies in crop improvement, much effort is required to establish more reasonable and detailed policies for regulating crops developed through new breeding technologies.

Breeders typically use core collections of a specific trait or core collections selected by a few genotypes to efficiently select breeding materials or to study functional genes. As a result, many accessions have been deemed redundant or duplicated and are no longer considered for use. This study aimed to investigate the agronomical characteristics and genetic diversity of 1,514 previously unused and unstudied wheat germplasms and to confirm their value as breeding materials using population structure analysis. The performance of these wheat germplasms was compared with that of 8,878 wheat breeding materials and 72 known Korean wheat cultivars. The results of agronomic trait diversity comparison showed that the germplasm populations used for breeding research did not completely encompass the unused germplasm populations. The agronomic traits of wheat germplasms varied greatly. ANOVA and PCA results revealed the greatest differences in growth habits (CV=0.339), panicle length (CV=0.330), and awn length (CV=0.296). To accurately assess the value of unused wheat germplasms as breeding materials, 106 SSR markers were extracted from the analysis of four representative Korean cultivars: Geuru, Geumgang, Uri, and Jokyoung. Among these, 24 SSR markers were chosen, and 129 wheat resources were subjected to population structure analysis, which revealed five subpopulations. Most of the 34 germplasms that originated in Korea were distributed in subpopulation 1 (18 accessions, 52.9%) and subpopulation 4 (12 accessions, 35.3%). Subgroups 2, 3, and 5 differed significantly in agronomic traits and genotypes, indicating their potential as breeding materials. The findings of this study could serve as a foundation for breeders and aid in the discovery and utilization of new wheat breeding materials.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world's three staple crops and accounts for approximately 20% of the total calories consumed by the world's population. It is known that wheat is a difficult crop to introduce foreign genes into, having a large genome (16 Gb) containing three highly related subgenomes (AABBDD). Owing to the low transformation efficiency of wheat, it is difficult to apply new technologies such as genome editing and basic research based on molecular biology, such as the discovery of useful genes and functional analysis. Recently, the completion of a wheat genome map by the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) and the development of a stable and reproducible wheat transformation system have accelerated research regarding the expression and control of useful genes. In this review, we introduce in detail the recently developed highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated wheat transformation system and its applications in plant biotechnology, such as RNA interference (RNAi), overexpression, and gene editing using this system.

Submergence is becoming a major problem in decreasing rice production. This study conducted a QTL analysis for submergence tolerance on germination stage using 165 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from crosses between ‘Milyang 23’ and ‘Tong 88-7’. An integrated genetic linkage map consisting of 1,313 SNPs was constructed, which covered a total length of 1,254.59 cM, with an average distance of 0.96 cM between adjacent markers. Four QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, and 7. In qSUB1 and qSUB3, the allele of ‘Tong88-7’ improved survival rates, while in qSUB4 and qSUB7 the allele of ‘Milyang 23’ improved the same. Phenotypic variance explanations for qSUB1, qSUB3, qSUB4, and qSUB7 were 9.44%, 14.62%, 9.74%, and 7.09%, respectively. The average survival rate of the lines with all four QTLs was 93.33±6.67%.

Rice blast is one of the most serious agricultural diseases in the world. Rice blast can be managed using low nitrogen fertilizers, treatment with chemical fungicides, and the most effective resistant varieties. Many genetic resources have been investigated and used along with molecular markers to breed blast-resistant rice varieties. In this study, the genetic diversity of blast resistance genes using 27 functional/linked markers and rice blast incidence over three years was investigated in 296 Korean rice varieties. Blast incidence was determined using a 0-9 scoring system (0=no lesions to 9=dead leaves) in nursery tests. The blast incidence of 296 rice varieties showed a significant correlation between years (r>0.64, p<0.001). The 261 Japonica varieties showed blast resistance compared to 114 mid-late maturing varieties or 96 medium-maturing varieties. 35 Tongil-type varieties also exhibited greater resistance than Japonica varieties. DNA marker-trait association analysis was conducted using 27 DNA markers linked to 19 blast resistance genes. Twelve DNA markers showed significant associations with the average blast incidence over 3 years. The ‘9871.T7E’ marker linked with Pi40 was strongly associated with blast disease, with a phenotypic variance of 24% over 3 years (p<0.001). Among the varieties harboring the Pi40 allele, early maturing varieties accounted for 87%. These results imply that the blast resistance of early maturing Korean varieties is associated with the Pi40 gene. These results will be beneficial for breeding blast-resistant rice in Korea.

Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world, but brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens stal) causes a significant loss of rice yield. Due to climate change, different races of rice-damaging species are evolving at an accelerated pace, thus, creating a need to breed multi-resistant rice cultivars for a stable food supply. In 2001, “Samgang” and “Nagdong” were crossed at the Plant Molecular Breeding Laboratory of the Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu Korea. “Drimi3ho” is a resistant and high-quality rice cultivar that was bred by backcrossing a line having excellent agronomic traits with “Ilmi.” The heading date of “Drimi3ho” was August 12 (104 d after sowing), and it was a medium-maturing cultivar that matured 3 d earlier than “Ilmi” (August 15, 107 d after sowing). Its culm length was 81 cm, panicle length was 18 cm, panicle number per hill was 16, spikelet number per panicle was 113, ripened grain ratio was 93.2%, and 1,000-grain weight was 24.3 g. “Drimi3ho” was highly resistant to blast disease and bacterial blight (K₁, K₂, and K₃), rice stripe virus, rice dwarf virus, rice black-streaked dwarf virus, and BPH. When “Drimi3ho” was milled, the milled grain was clear and transparent; moreover, the grains were semi-round and short-type. Moreover, “Drimi3ho” had lower protein and amylose content and tasted better than “Ilmi.” When “Drimi3ho” was grown on an ordinary plantation in the southern mountainous area, the yield was 563 kg/10a (Registration No. 5621).

“JJ603Balck” is a mid-late maturing high-yielding black rice having multiple-disease resistance. It was developed to increase the yield and disease resistance of Korean black rice. “JJ603Black” was derived from a cross between “Heughyang” and BC₂F₁ plants (Hopum*3/SR30075-1-12-6-1-1-1). “Heughyang” is a mid-late black rice with a short culm, while “Hopum” is a mid-late maturing rice cultivar with high yields and premium quality, and “SR30075” is a pyramid line carrying three bacterial blight resistance genes. “JJ603Black” was selected through the pedigree method, yield trials, and local adaptability tests, with a high selection pressure for black pericarp, resistance to bacterial blight K3a race, and high yield performance. The heading date of “JJ603Black” was August 19, 8 d later than that of “Heugnam,” which is the standard cultivar for black rice. “JJ603Black” is a cultivar tolerant to lodging with erect plant architecture. It showed multiple-disease resistance against bacterial blight and rice stripe virus owing to introgression resistance genes, Xa3+Xa21+Stvb-I; moreover, its yielding performance was high. The average brown rice yield of "JJ603Black" from 2016 to 2018 was 6.02 MT/ha, which was 14% more than that of “Heugnam” (5.30 metric/ha). Further, the anthocyanin content of “JJ603Black” (58 mg/100 g) was higher than that of “Heugnam” (51 mg/100 g). Therefore, “JJ603Black,” a high-yielding black rice cultivar with multiple-disease resistance, can be utilized for enhancing the disease resistance and yield of Korean black rice (Registration No. 7274).

Early maturing rice cultivars grown in plain areas have an undesirable appearance due to high temperatures during the grain-filling stage. Therefore, developing early maturing rice cultivars with desirable appearance traits in plain areas is the primary goal of rice breeding programs. This study aimed to develop an early maturing rice cultivar adaptable to early transplanting cultivation in the Chungnam plain area. To develop “Yeoreumi,” two breeding materials were used, good-quality “Joami” from the Chungnam plain area and “Hokuto” having the fastest heading date among the genetic resources and originating from Japan. These two resources were crossed in 2010 to develop the “Yeoreumi” cultivar using the pedigree method. A yield trial was conducted in 2015-2016, and a local adaptability test was conducted in 2017-2019. The heading date of “Yeoreumi” was July 10, when it was transplanted early in the Chungnam plain area, and it could be harvested at August end, which was sufficient to produce a fresh stock of rice before “Chuseok, which is the Korean Thanksgiving Day.” The yield of milled rice was approximately 5.29 MT/ha in the local adaptability test, which was 0.47 MT/ha higher than that of “Jinbuolbyeo.” Additionally, its grain quality was good, with 89.9% head rice and 67.6 glossiness of cooked rice. Overall, the results of this study indicated that “Yeoreumi” was suitable for early transplanting cultivation in the Chungnam plain area for “Chuseok,” and could be used as a representative early maturing rice cultivar in Chungcheongnam-do (Registration No. 8597).

A soybean cultivar, “Seonyu2ho” for double cropping using soy-paste and tofu was developed in 2011 using the pedigree method by crossing “Milyang235ho” and “Jungmo3004ho.” A promising line, YS2441-B-2S-11-3, was selected and named as “Milyang334.” It demonstrated prominent early maturing, shattering resistance, and high yield in regional yield trials (RYTs) from 2017 to 2019, and was released by the name “Seonyu2ho.” The cultivar showed a determinate growth habit, white flowers, grey pubescence, yellow seed coat, yellow hilum, flat-spherical seed shape, and large seed size (27.9 g per 100 seeds). “Seonyu2ho” matured on October 5 (112-growing day cycle) in RYT and was suitable for double cropping with winter crops, such as wheat, barley, and onion. It was resistant to bacterial pustule and soybean mosaic virus and tolerant to lodging in fields. Particularly, “Seonyu2ho” showed a high yield (3.34 ton/ha) and shattering resistance, even if the previously developed early matured cultivars exhibited low yield and easy shattering. Overall, “Seonyu2ho” can contribute to stable soybean production in double cropping.

Rice is a staple food in most countries, and thus, diversifying its value is necessary. Recently, the focus on good health has increased, and rice cultivars with improved properties should be bred based on consumer demands. At the Plant Molecular Breeding Laboratory of Kyungpook National University, “Hwayeong” was tissue-cultured to derive mutant populations. In the mutant lines, “P35” with high protein content and excellent agricultural traits, was backcrossed with “Ilmi” three times, and the final selected line was called “Drimi5ho.” The heading date of “Drimi5ho” was August 11 (107 d after sowing), which was 5 d later than that of “Ilmi” (August 5, 101 d after sowing). The culm length of “Drimi5ho” was 71 cm, the panicle length was 18 cm, the number of panicles per hill was 13, the number of spikelets per panicle was 113, the ratio of ripened grain was 90.5%, and the 1,000-grain weight was 22.6 g. When "Drimi5ho" was planted ordinary plantation, the yield in the southern mountainous area was 526 kg/10a. Lodging was not observed when “Drimi5ho” was grown in the field with standard fertilization (N-P₂O₅-K₂O = 9-4.5-5.7 kg/10a). This rice cultivar was resistant to leaf/neck blast, bacterial blight (K₁, K₂, and K₃), rice stripe virus, rice black-streaked dwarf virus, and rice dwarf virus. The milled grain of “Drimi5ho” was clear and transparent without any chalkiness; moreover, the grain shape was round and short. Although it is a specialty rice with increased protein content, the taste of the rice and the grain quality were excellent (Registration No. 6829).

“Baromi2” is an improved resistant early maturing rice variety with floury endosperm, and is suitable for dry milling. This variety was developed in 2019 by crossing “Suweon542,” which is ideal for dry milling, and “Jopyeong” by the rice breeding team at the National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration. The heading date of “Baromi2” was July 27 in the Honam Plains, 17 d earlier than that of “Seolgaeng.” The culm length of “Baromi2” was 76 cm, which was almost the same as its check variety “Seolgaeng”; additionally, its panicle length, panicle number, and 1,000 grain-weight of brown rice were 23 cm, 11, and 18.4 g, respectively. “Baromi2” showed strong resistance against rice blast, bacterial blight, and stripe virus disease, but was susceptible to dwarf and brown and small brown planthoppers. The milled rice yield of “Baromi2” was approximately 475 kg/10a in the local adaptability test for 3 years in the late planting culture. The grain hardness of “Baromi2” with a floury endosperm was 2 and 3 times lower than that of “Seolgaeng” with opaque endosperm and “Jopyeong” with transparent endosperm, respectively. The rice flour of “Baromi2” exhibited superior physicochemical characteristics with respect to granule size and damaged starch content compared with any other check varieties. These results inferred that “Baromi2” was suitable for dry milling and for the processed rice industry, owing to its lower milling costs and eco-friendly milling methods (Registration No. 9052).

With the aim of developing an adzukibean variety to manufacture white bean pasta, an adzukibean (Vigna angularis) cultivar, “Huinnarae” was developed in 2014. “Huinnarae” was developed in 2003 by crossing Gyeongwon and Sodubanggei 3. It was a late-maturing variety, having a bright yellow seed coat. Moreover, “Huinnarae” showed more white lightness than “Chungju.” Its plant height was 79 cm, and its yield components showed 6.7 pods per plant and 16.6 g of 100-seed weight in the regional yield trial(RYT). Further, in the RYT conducted for the three years, the average yield potential of “Huinnarae” was 1.86 MT/ha, which was 4% lower than that of “Chungju.” Moreover, it is suitable to make white bean pasta. “Huinnarae” is expected to increase diversity, create new demand surges, and improve the value and consumption of adzukibean (Registration 6050).

“CenSall” is a cultivar that can be easily consumed due to its thin fruit skin and small core. “Whangkeumbae” and “Minibae” were crossed in 1999 to breed this pear cultivar. After the first selection in 2010, regional adaptation tests were conducted in five regions (Suwon, Chuncheon, Jinju, Yecheon, and Naju) from 2011 to 2017. The selected tree exhibited a vigorous spreading form and white flowers. “CenSall” contains 165 mg of pollen per 100 flowers; therefore, it can be used as a pollinator. However, it is sensitive to scabs, and thus, cultivation management to control scab is necessary. “CenSall,” harvested in early August, had a fruit weight of 336.3 g and soluble solid contents of 10.2 °Brix, hardness of 2.4 kg⋅8 mmØ^-1, and the fruit skin color was yellowish green. The fruit has many edible portions, accounting for 94.5% of the entire flesh. Notably, only 22.7% of the seeds developed normally but fruited stably. The thickness of the hypodermis was 62.57 μm, which was half the thickness of the main cultivar “Niitaka” (113.49 μm). The cuticle developed without a cork layer, fruit skin was smooth, and it could be eaten with the peel (Registration No. 8046).

A black soybean cultivar, “Saebaram” with green cotyledons, was developed and released by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (GBARS) in 2019. It was developed from a single cross between “Seonheuk” and “RCS640” in 2011. The preliminary yield trial and advanced yield trial were conducted at GBARS from 2015 to 2016. The regional yield trial (RYT) was conducted in seven locations from 2017 to 2019 in Korea. “Saebaram” had purple flowers, grey pubescence, light brown pods, a black seed coat, an ellipse seed shape, and a large seed size (42.8 g/100 seeds). The seed size was significantly larger than that of the check cultivar “Cheongja 3” (36.2 g/100 seeds). Moreover, it was moderately resistant to bacterial pustule (caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines) and soybean mosaic virus (strain G6H). “Saebaram” had dark green cotyledons, whereas “Cheongja 3” had light green cotyledons. The total chlorophyll contents (chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b) in the green cotyledons of “Saebaram” and “Cheongja 3” were 76.1 μg/g and 30.1 μg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the RYT showed that “Saebaram” had 287 kg/10a, which was 10% higher than that of “Cheongja 3” (261 kg/10a). This black soybean cultivar with improved yield, large-size seeds, and dark green cotyledons is expected to have a high commercial value for Korean farmers (Registration No. 9155).

A black soybean cultivar ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was developed by Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was selected from a cross between ‘RCS640’ and ‘Geomjeongsaeol’ in 2011. The cultivar was evaluated in multiple performance and yield trials in seven locations from 2017 to 2019. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ has a gray pubescence, light brown pod, and dark green cotyledon, whereas ‘Cheongja 3’ has a brown pubescence, brown pod, and light green cotyledon. The seed weight and maturity of ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was similar to that of ‘Chungja 3’. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was resistant to soybean mosaic virus (strain G6H), moderately resistant to bacterial pustule (caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines), and resistant to root rot. Total chlorophyll content (sum of chlorophyll a and b) in the green cotyledon of ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ was 48.0 μg/g, which was higher than that of ‘Cheongja 3’ (30.1 μg/g). The regional yield trial showed that ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ had a similar or significantly higher average yield than ‘Chungja 3’ in locations with single (similar) and double (19% higher) cropping systems, respectively. ‘Gyeongheukcheong’ represents a consumer-friendly black soybean with dark green cotyledons and high yield potential (Registration No. 9065).

‘Cheongja5’ is a black seed coat soybean cultivar developed from crossing ‘Milyang181’ and ‘YS1886 (Cheongdu1/Tanbaguro)’ in 2007. Promising lines were selected using the pedigree method from F₃ to F₅. The preliminary and advanced yield trials were conducted in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Regional yield trials (RYT) were conducted in seven regions from 2015 to 2017. ‘Cheongja5’ has a determinate growth habit, oval leaflet shape, brown pubescence, and white flowers. The seed of ‘Cheongja5’ has a black seed coat color with green cotyledon. Flowering and maturing dates were Aug. 3 and Oct. 24, respectively. Regarding the quantitative characteristics, ‘Cheongja5’ has large seed size (37.0 g/100-seed weight) and more pods than ‘Cheongja3’. ‘Cheongja5’ was tolerant to pod shattering in field and indoor RYT tests. ‘Cheongja5’ was resistant to bacterial pustule in the field and soybean mosaic virus (strains G6H and G7H) in the inoculation test. Although its seed quality-related characteristics were almost similar to those of ‘Cheongja3’, it contained more anthocyanin which is a main functional component of black soybean. The mean yield of ‘Cheongja5’ in the RYTs was 343 kg/10 a which was 30% higher than that of ‘Cheongja3’. ‘Cheongja5’ is expected to be widely cultivated as a material for making soy-food that uses black soybean because of its large seed size and high yield potential (Registration No. 7687).

Multi-stem Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora f. multicaulis Uyeki) is known as the forma of Korean red pine and is distributed in both Korea and Japan. Unlike Korean red pine having one or two main stems, it grows with many stems which are branched from the lower part of the tree trunk. Owing to its unique stem shape and ornamental value, it has been used as a precious ornamental tree. A total of 14 individuals with distinct characteristics were collected between 1998 and 2000 to develop new cultivars in Pinus spp. with high added value. After asexual propagation through grafting, at least 20 seedlings per tree were planted in a test field and the phenotypic characteristics were investigated. Based on the results, three individuals were re-selected and tested for uniformity and stability for 3 years. Finally, one individual with evident conical crown form was renamed as ‘Yedasol’ and was registered as a new cultivar in 2021. In addition, ‘Yedasol’ has high ornamental value derived from its thinly cracked gray-brown bark, soft needle leaf, reddish-purple male strobilus, and dense cone arrangement (Registration No. 255).

‘Heukchan’ (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a medium-sized grain and black-skin peanut variety that was developed at the Department of Southern Area Crop Science, National Institute of Crop Science in 2019. ‘Heukchan’ was developed from a single cross between black-skin accession ‘Heukhwasaeng’ and Virginia-type elite line ‘HP825’. ‘Heukchan’ has short ellipse-shaped grains and a dark-purple seed coat. It also has a shorter main stem and branch length (39 cm and 44 cm, respectively) than those of ‘Daekwang’ (50 cm and 61 cm, respectively) which resulted in higher tolerance to lodging. On average, the number of matured pods per plant of ‘Heukchan’ was 61 and its shelling ratio was 74%. The 100-seed weight of ‘Heukchan’ was 64 g which was lower than that of ‘Daekwang’ (85 g). In the regional adaptation test (from 2017 to 2019), the average grain yield of ‘Heukchan’ was 4.56 tons⋅ha^-1 showing a 5% higher yield than ‘Daekwang’. The seed coat of ‘Heukchan’ contains two types of anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-sophoroside and cyanidin 3-sambubioside, which are not found in ‘Daekwang’. We analyzed the chemical properties of cooked rice containing ‘Heukchan’ with an increasing substitution ratio (5, 10, 20, and 40%); minerals and antioxidative activity as well as protein and unsaturated fatty acids were found to be significantly increased in the rice mixed with ‘Heukchan’. This new variety highlights the novel use of black-skin peanuts for mixing with rice to enhance nutrition and functionality (Registration No. 9195).

‘Heugho’, a new cultivar developed in 2014, is a two-rowed hulled barley with black grains that was selected among doubled haploid lines produced by anther culture from a backcross between two cultivars. Black barley, which has black grains, was used as the donor parent and ‘Hopum’, which has an elite genotype, was used as the recurrent parent. Agricultural characteristics of the new cultivar such as heading date, lodging and disease resistance were similar to those of ‘Hopum’. The yield was approximately 3.8 ton/ha, which was also comparable to that of ‘Hopum’. In terms of grain quality, the thousand grain weights of ‘Heugho’ and ‘Hopum’ were similar at 44.9 g and 41.4 g, respectively. The malt quality of both cultivars, which was mainly determined by extract, diastatic power, Kolbach index, and soluble protein content, were also similar. The total polyphenol contents of ‘Heugho’ and ‘Hopum’ malts were 0.274% and 0.244%, and the anthocyanin contents were 37.1 µg/g and 16.5 µg/g, respectively. After malting, ‘Heugho’ had high antioxidant capacity, making it a functional food source for beer as well as tea. We expect that ‘Heugho’ will contribute to farmer’s income and regional economic activation associated with the barley processing industry(Registration No. 8239).