A white sesame variety, ‘Haniall’ (Sesamum indicum L.), exhibiting shattering resistance and early maturity, was developed in 2021. ‘Haniall’ originated from a cross between ‘Suwon195’ and ‘Early Russian’ in 2014. ‘Haniall’ features a plant type characterized many branches and single capsule per node. Notably, the ‘Haniall’ exhibited resistance to seed shattering. The yield of Haniall was about 104 kg/10 a, which is 20% higher than that of ‘Ansan.’ ‘Haniall’ showed crude fat content of 54%, a lignan content of 6.4 mg/g. This variety is expected to contribute to the increased sesame production in Korea through large-scale mechanical cultivation (Registration No. 10320).

Developing a unique local variety that adapts well to the regional environment and consistently expresses its own characteristics provides a significant competitive advantage in the branded rice market. The aim of this study was to develop a Mid-Late Maturing Rice Cultivar with High Grain Quality adapted to the Chungnam Plain. ‘Daebang’ was developed by crossing ‘Haedamssal,’ a stable and high-yielding cultivar, with ‘Jinsumi,’ known for excellent grain appearance and eating quality, during the winter of 2013-2014. The F₁ was grown in summer 2014 to produce F₂ seeds, and promising lines were selected via the pedigree method. Under normal transplanting, ‘Daebang’ headed on August 19, about four days later than ‘Samkwang. ’ It had a culm length of 75 cm (9 cm shorter than ‘Samkwang’), indicating better lodging resistance. It had 84 spikelets per panicle, a 1,000-grain weight of 21.9 g, and a milled rice yield of 6.06 MT ha^-1, which was numerically higher but not significantly different from that of ‘Samkwang.’ The head rice ratio was 95.9%, with a protein content of 5.4%, and glossiness value 78.5, indicating a superior grain quality. ‘Daebang’ also showed similar resistance to blast and bacterial leaf blight as ‘Samkwang.’ Therefore, ‘Daebang’ is expected to serve as a promising mid-late maturing cultivar for producing premium-branded rice in the Chungnam region because of its high grain quality, lodging tolerance, and stable yield (Registration No. 9169).

‘SuperHani’ is a sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivar characterized by high lignan content and a non-shattering trait. It was developed in 2022 through a cross between ‘Suwon195’ and ‘YCS71’. This cultivar has a highly branched triple-capsule growth type, with 117 capsules per plant and a 1,000-seed weight of 2.0 g. Field evaluations revealed non-shattering traits, with seeds not falling even after the capsules were split open, indicating suitability for mechanical harvesting. Seed quality analyses demonstrated a total lignan content of 14.8 mg/g, with total polyphenol and flavonoid contents as well as antioxidant activities being significantly higher than those of the control. In regional adaptability trials, the average yield was 120 kg/10a, approximately 90% that of ‘Geonbaek’, but this difference was not statistically significant. These results suggest that ‘SuperHani’ is a mechanically harvestable cultivar that combines non-shattering traits with high levels of functional compounds. This has the potential to contribute to labor savings and the production of high-value sesame (Registration No.10316).

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is a rich natural source of vitexin and isovitexin—flavonoids known for their potential anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate, through the use of RAW 264.7 macrophages, the anti-inflammatory effects of extracts from mung bean seeds containing vitexin and isovitexin. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to quantify the levels of these compounds in various mung bean cultivars: “Jinhwang,” “Samhwang,” “Seonhwa,” and “Jangan,” as well as “Dahyeon,” and “Sanpo,” two of the most widely cultivated varieties in Korea. Cytotoxicity assays revealed no significant toxicity at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL, allowing further analysis at these levels. In nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assays, “Samhwang” (10.61 µM) and “Seonhwa” (9.7 µM) demonstrated the highest NO-suppressing activity at 50 µg/mL. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were significantly reduced by “Seonhwa” (83.6 pg/mL) and “Jangan” (72.3 pg/mL), with “Jangan” showing the strongest inhibitory effect. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) analysis revealed notable suppression in “Samhwang,” “Seonhwa,” and “Jangan” at 50 µg/mL, with “Samhwang” exhibiting the most potent effect (78.6 pg/mL). These findings suggest that the “Samhwang” cultivar, in particular, possesses significant anti-inflammatory potential and may serve as a valuable candidate for the development of natural anti-inflammatory agents.

‘Ganghan’ is a high-yielding soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) cultivar developed for improved shattering resistance and suitability for mechanized harvesting. It was bred through pedigree selection after an artificial cross between ‘Taeseon’ (female parent) and ‘Cheonga’ (male parent) in 2015. ‘Ganghan’ is a determinate type with an average main stem length of 65 cm and first pod height of 19.6 cm, which is favorable for mechanical harvesting. Compared to the control cultivar ‘Daewonkong,’ it showed stronger lodging tolerance and carried a genetic allele associated with pod shattering resistance. In disease resistance evaluations, it exhibited higher resistance than ‘Daewonkong’ to soybean mosaic virus (G6H), bacterial pustule, and black root rot. Regarding seed quality, it contained 38.8% protein, 17.6% oil, 86.1% unsaturated fatty acids, and 3,124 μg/g total isoflavones. The tofu yield was 232%, with mechanical properties and color comparable to ‘Daewonkong.’ In fermentation processing tests, ‘Ganghan’ recorded a γ-PGA content of 11.4 mg/g and amino nitrogen content of 390 mg%, indicating potential use in traditional fermented soy foods. In regional yield trials (RYT) conducted across 10 locations from 2020 to 2022, ‘Ganghan’ had an average yield of 3.58 tons/ha, 14% higher than that of ‘Daewonkong’. The adoption and expansion of ‘Ganghan’ is expected to contribute to increased domestic soybean productivity, harvest efficiency, and cultivation stability under changing climate conditions, thereby improving the domestic soybean self-sufficiency rate (Registration No. 10459).

A comprehensive evaluation of 515 Korean wheat germplasms, including cultivars, experimental lines, and landraces, was conducted over 2 years under upland field conditions to characterize major agronomic and grain traits. Allelic variation at 13 key functional loci was assessed using Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) and PCR-based markers. The winter-type vrn-A1 with a single copy (CNV=1; 40.2%) advanced heading by approximately 5 days compared to multiple-copy genotypes, and winter-type vrn-B1 (88.5%) advanced heading by 2 days compared to the spring-type. The photoperiod-insensitive alleles Ppd-B1a (5.6%) and Ppd-D1a (76.3%) advanced heading by 3 and 4 days, respectively, with a combined effect of up to 6 days. Semi-dwarfing alleles Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b showed reduced culm lengths of 2.1 cm and 4.7 cm, respectively, and the Rht-B1a/Rht-D1b genotype was 6 cm shorter than Rht-B1a/Rht-D1a. The Pina-D1a/Pinb-D1a genotype had the lowest kernel hardness value (32.2), whereas Pina-D1b/Pinb-D1a had the highest (60.5). The thousand kernel weight ranged from 36.1 mg to 42.5 mg depending on the allelic combinations of TaCwi-A1, TaGW2-6A, and TaSus2-2B. Cultivars and experimental lines were clearly distinguished from landraces based on phenotype-based clustering, with the majority of cultivars (81.6%) and experimental lines (68.3%) grouped into cluster III. In contrast, landraces were predominantly distributed in clusters I (55.1%) and II (29.2%). Random forest analysis identified four genes, Ppd-D1, Pina-D1, Pinb-D1, and WAPO-A1, as major contributors to cluster classification. Cluster III was highly enriched with alleles favorable for earliness (Ppd-D1a, 98.3%) and grain hardness (Pina-D1b and Pinb-D1b, 57.9%). WAPO-A1b, an allele associated with an increased spikelet number per spike, was more frequently observed in clusters I (94.6%) and II (79.1%) than in cluster III (58.4%).

The rice cultivar, ‘Dapum’, is a high-quality, late-maturing rice with low amylose content developed by the Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Yesan, Korea). Dapum was derived from a cross between Miho, a processed rice cultivar known for its cultivation stability and low amylose content, as the maternal parent, and Daohuaxing2, a high-quality aromatic rice cultivar, as the paternal parent. Subsequently, a pedigree breeding method was employed, and yield trials conducted from 2019-2020, followed by local adaptability tests from 2020-2021. As a result of the local adaptability test, the heading date of ‘Dapum’ was August 28^th, which is slower than the cultivars mainly cultivated in the Chungnam Province in Korea; therefore, it can be ripened at an appropriate temperature. The yield of milled ‘Dapum’ rice under standard fertilizer conditions was approximately 572 kg/10a, which was 15 kg/10a higher than that of Miho. The amylose content of ‘Dapum’ was 12.5%, similar to that of Miho, and the glossiness of cooked rice, which reflects its indirect eating quality, was 86.8, which was 7.0 points higher than that of Miho. The new rice cultivar, ‘Dapum’, is expected to be used in various ways, such as for cooked and processed rice, due to its low amylose content and good eating quality. Further, it has the potential to enhance the competitiveness of rice production in the Chungnam Province by diversifying the rice market, which has traditionally focused on mid-maturing, non-glutinous rice (Registration No. 10181).

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.)).

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.

‘Olnuri’ is a new variety of early ripening sweet persimmon obtained in 2006 by crossing the mid-ripening sweet persimmons ‘Shinshu’ and ‘Taishuu’ at Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services. Line selection among the seedlings of ‘Shinshu’ and ‘Taishuu’ hybrids was carried out in 2014, and detailed characteristic investigations on fruit quality and tree growth were conducted from 2018 to 2019. ‘Olnuri’ matured around September 24, an average of 25 days earlier than ‘Uenishiwase.’ The tree is semi-upright, and only female flowers bloom. The trees bear oblate fruits with orange skin. The average weight of the fruit is 280 g, which is significantly higher than that of ‘Uenishiwase’ (190 g). The soluble solids content is higher and the firmness is lower than that of ‘Uenishiwase.’ There is almost no apex splitting or calyx end cracking. The marketable fruit rate is 80.0%, which is lower than that of ‘Uenishiwase’ (91.2%, data not shown). In the future, as a fully ripened persimmon in late September, ‘Olnuri’ is expected to play a big role in creating the sweet persimmon market during the autumn harvest period (Registration No. 8917).

The rice cultivar ‘Baekokhyang,’ a high-quality late maturing aromatic rice developed by Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, was developed to cope with rising temperatures due to global warming and the market demand for various rice cultivars. ‘Baekokhyang’ was derived from a cross between ‘Ungwang,’ a multi-disease-resistant early-maturing rice cultivar as the maternal parent, and ‘Okhyangheugchal,’ an aromatic black rice as the paternal parent. Subsequently, a pedigree breeding method was used and yield trials were conducted from 2017 to 2018, followed by local adaptability tests from 2018 to 2019. ‘Baekokhyang’ is a late-maturing rice cultivar with the heading date of August 25th, demonstrating a slower maturation tendency compared to other medium-maturing cultivars, and this trait enables it to be ripened at an appropriate temperature after the heading date. ‘Baekokhyang’ exhibited tolerance to lodging, indicating high cultivation stability and more grains per panicle than ‘Samgwang. ’ Yield of milled rice was approximately 6.42 MT/ha under normal fertilizer levels in the local adaptability tests, which was 0.38 MT/ha higher than that of ‘Samgwang’. Additionally, the weight of 1,000 brown grains was 26 g which was 4.4 g heavier than that of ‘Samgwang’. The width/length ratio was 1.97, indicating the characteristic of long grains.The new rice cultivar ‘Baekokhyang’ is expected to enhance the competitiveness of rice production in Chungnam Province by diversifying the rice market which is currently dominated by non-glutinous and short-grain rice (Registration No. 8608).

This study used perilla seeds produced in 2019, 2020, and 2021 to determine the year of production using multivariate statistical analysis of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectral data of perilla leaves. Spectral analysis based on multivariate statistical analysis of whole-cell extracts was used to distinguish the perilla leaves at the metabolic level. FT-IR spectral data of the leaves were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The FTIR spectrum identified spectral differences between the frequency regions of 1,700 to 1,500, 1,500 to 1,300, and 1,100 to 950 cm^-1. This spectral region reflects quantitative and qualitative changes in amides I, II in amino acids and proteins (1,700–1,500 cm^-1), phosphodiester groups from nucleic acids and phospholipids (1,500–1,300 cm^-1), and carbohydrate compounds (1,100–950 cm^-1). PCA revealed separate clusters corresponding to production traceability relationships. Therefore, PCA can be used to distinguish between production in 2019, 2020, and 2021 based on different metabolite contents. PLS-DA showed a similar production traceability classification for the perilla seeds. In addition, this metabolic identification system can be used to rapidly select and classify useful perilla seed varieties.

‘Aram’ is a high-quality, medium-late maturing rice variety adapted to the Gyeongnam province. It was developed through a cross between, ‘Yeonghojinmi,’ a good quality cultivar, and ‘Saenuri,’ a disease-resistant cultivar, in 2016. Anther culture was used for developing ‘Aram’. Its average heading date was August 16, which is 2 days later than that of the check cultivar, ‘Nampyeong’. The culm length of ‘Aram’ was 82.3 cm, and it had 17 panicles per hill. The ratio of ripened grain was 85%, which was 3% higher than that of ‘Nampyeong’. ‘Aram’ shows resistance to bacterial blight and rice stripe virus and moderate resistance to bakanae disease. However, it is susceptible to the K3a race of bacterial blight, other viral diseases, and plant-hoppers. ‘Aram’ has strong resistance to viviparous germination (4.9%) before harvest, and it shows strong resistance against field lodging. ‘Aram’ has a milling ratio of 74.6%; in addition, it has a high head-rice ratio and Toyo value. In the sensory test of cooked rice, ‘Aram’ had better scores for grain appearance, texture, and other items, compared to that for the check cultivar, ‘Nampyeong’. Therefore, ‘Aram’ could be used as a raw material for brand rice in Gyeongnam province because of its improved production stability and high quality (Registration No. 9628).

‘Dabokchal, a glutinous rice variety (Oryza sativa L.) with a medium late maturation period was developed by the Department of Crops and Food, JARES in 2020. It was derived from a cross between the glutinous cultivar ‘Shinmyeongheugchal’ with the good glutinous properties and ‘Hwangkumnodeul’ as a high yielding source. The progenies of the cross were selected by bulk and pedigree breeding method until the F₈ generation. As a result, a promising line, JR53-28-4-10-5-3, was advanced and designated as the name of ‘Jeonbuk12’ in 2018. The ‘Jeonbuk12’ local adaptability test was carried out at four locations during 3 years from 2018 to 2020. This variety headed on August 13, which was eight days later than ‘Sinseonchal’ in Honam plane. The culm and panicle length of this variety was 70 cm and 22 cm, respectively. This variety has about 16 tillers per hill and 92 spikelets per panicle. The ratio of ripened grain is approximately 84.9% and 1000-grain weight was 24.9 g in brown rice. This variety has a higher amylose content compared to that of ‘Sinseonchal’. The yield performance of brown rice was 591 kg/10a in the local adaptability test. This cultivar is considered to be adaptable to the Honam plain area of Korea (Registration No. 9602).

‘Haedeul’ is a high-quality rice variety with early maturing that adapts to the central region of Korea. This cultivar was crossed between ‘Gopum’, which has excellent taste, and ‘Hoban’, which has a low viviparous germination rate and is moderately tolerant of cold, by the rice breeding team of the Department of Central Area Crop Science, NlCS, RDA, in 2017. In early-transplanting cultivation, the heading date of ‘Haedeul’ was July 24 in central area of Korea, which was seven days later than that of ‘Jopyeong’. ‘Haedeul’ had a culm length of 75 cm and 99 spikelets per panicle. The viviparous germination rate of ‘Haedeul’ was 7.7%. It showed resistance to blast and bacterial blight (K1, K2, K3 race), 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 exhibited a translucent and medium short grain shape. The cooked rice grains of ‘Haedeul’ had an excellent palatability index (0.61) and lower amylose content (18.0%) than that of ‘Jopyeong’. The grain milling characteristics were better than those of ‘Jopyeong’, especially the head rice milling recovery ratio and head rice ratio (94.9%). ‘Haedeul’ milled rice productivity averaged 5.32 MT/ha at five sites under ordinary cultivation (Registration No. 7681).

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).

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.

‘Bbareumi’ is an extremely early maturing rice cultivar with the fastest harvesting time in Korea. To develop ‘Bbareumi’, ‘Joami’ with good quality in Chungnam plain area and ‘Hokuto’ originating from Japan with the fastest heading date among genetic resources were used as breeding materials. After crossing them in 2010, the ‘Bbareumi’ cultivar was developed using the pedigree method. A yield trial was conducted from 2015 to 2016, and a local adaptability test was conducted from 2016 to 2018. The heading date of ‘Bbareumi’ was seven days earlier than ‘Jinbuolbyeo’, showing an average of June 23^rd, and it could be harvested from the end of July to the beginning of August when transplanted early in Chungnam plain area. ‘Bbareumi’ had a short culm length of 63.3 cm and panicle length of 19.3 cm. Milled rice yield was approximately 4.87 MT/ha and the percentage of head rice was 89.2% under normal fertilizer condition. ‘Bbareumi’ will be used as a premium rice brand with newly harvested rice before ‘Chooseok’, Korean Thanksgiving Day and is expected to contribute to the revitalization of double-cropping in the Chungnam plain area (Registration No. 8130).

This study was conducted to reset the transplanting period to produce high-quality rice in the South regions due to the rise in air temperature caused by global warming. From May 15 to June 25, transplants were performed five times every ten days. Quantity and quality were comprehensively reviewed, including watering season, ripened grain rate, head rice rate, head rice yield, protein content, and palatability. In the southern plains, medium-late and medium maturing cultivars yielded the most when transplanted on June 15, while early maturing cultivars yielded the most when transplanted on June 25. Considering the quality and quantity of rice, the optimal transplanting window for medium-late maturing cultivars is June 10-15, for medium maturing cultivars it is June 15-20, and for early maturing cultivars it is June 25. In the middle of the southern region, the highest yield was on June 25 for medium-late maturing and June 15 for medium maturing and early maturing. However, considering the quality, the best time for transplanting is June 10 for medium-late maturing, June 5 for medium maturing, and June 15 for early maturing. As a result of the rise in average temperature, the transplantation period was delayed by at least 4 to 16 days in all varieties and regions relative to the traditional transplantation duration. In summary, it is determined that a suitable transplanting period must be established in response to the increase in average temperature to ensure the production of high-quality rice.

Plant germplasm is a part of living genetic resources, including seeds and plant materials, such as roots, leaves, and stems, and should be conserved and managed to maintain ecological biodiversity and to consistently generate the product and supply food crops. Plant germplasm can be categorized based on various genetic traits such as race, and clustering based on similar genetic traits is an efficient method for managing large numbers of germplasms. Therefore, we developed an algorithm, termed cacGMS (Clustering Analysis for Categorical genetic traits of germplasms in Genebank Management System), using categorical variables which statistically differentiate the datatype of genetic traits such as seed-coat color, seed shape, and flower color. Briefly, using Newman’s modularity method, cacGMS combines the hierarchical clustering algorithm using the Ward2 method and representative-based algorithms such as K-medoids, and it regroups all germplasms using germplasm core sets. We tested cacGMS using 2,378 pepper germplasms with 46 different categorical genetic traits, and it exhibited better performance than the hierarchical and K-medoids algorithms for the average distance among clusters (0.4534) and entropy (1.2672). Moreover, cacGMS showed better performance in terms of threshold (from 15 to 30) for genetic traits than other algorithms and provided similar results in a test run using tomato germplasm. From these results, we expect that cacGMS will be a useful tool for managing each group with numerous plant germplasms and facilitate the analysis of other studies, such as analysis of representative characteristics of clustered germplasms and of correlations among germplasms in a particular cluster.

‘Jonong’ is an early maturing whole crop silage (WCS) japonica rice cultivar characterized by a short growth duration and numerous spikelets. It was developed to enhance the adaptability of WCS rice to double-cropping systems. ‘Jonong’ is derived from a cross between ‘Binhae Col.#1’ and ‘Deuraechan’; ‘Binhae Col.#1’ is a semi-early maturing China rice germplasm with numerous spikelets on dense panicles, whereas ‘Deuraechan’ is a high-yielding japonica rice cultivar with numerous spikelets on long panicles. To diversify the genetic variation and shorten the breeding period, an anther culture method was applied to the F₁ plants. ‘Jonong’ was selected through the pedigree method, yield trials, and local adaptability tests, with a high selection pressure for short growth duration and high biomass. The average heading date of ‘Jonong’ was August 1^st, which is 11 days earlier than that of ‘Nokyang’, the standard cultivar for WCS rice. Moreover, the growth duration of ‘Jonong’ is the shortest among all Korean WCS rice cultivars. The culm length of ‘Jonong’ is 88 cm, which 4 cm longer than that of ‘Nokyang’ and the highest among all Korean early maturing rice cultivars. ‘Jonong’ has 149 spikelets per panicle, which is 30 more than that of ‘Nokyang’, and is the highest among all Korean early maturing rice cultivars. ‘Jonong’ exhibits stable premature heading and is tolerant to lodging. It is moderately resistant to leaf blast and resistant to the rice stripe virus. The feed value of ‘Jonong’ in terms of total digestible nutrients is good and comparable to that of ‘Nokyang’. Furthermore, compared with ‘Nokyang’, ‘Jonong’ shows a similar level of dry matter yield and a higher rough rice yield. Therefore, ‘Jonong’, an early maturing WCS japonica rice with short growth duration and numerous spikelets, would be suitable for cultivating in winter forage crop-rice double cropping systems (Registration No. 7274).

‘Joan’, a rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) F₁ hybrid cultivar suitable for producing cooking oil developed by the National Institute of Crop Science, is early maturing with characteristically high yield and oleic acid content. It was bred in 2009 by crossing the male sterile line ‘Mokpo-CGMS’ as the female parent with the restorer line ‘8630-B-6-5-3-6’ as the male parent. The average flowering and maturation dates of ‘Joan’ were April 10^th and June 1^st, respectively, 3 and 4 days earlier, respectively, than that of the control cultivar ‘Sunmang’. The yield of ‘Joan’ obtained in regional adaptation trials was 279 kg/10 a, which is 6% higher than that obtained for ‘Sunmang’. ‘Joan’ is resistant to stem rot disease and more tolerant to lodging than ‘Sunmang’. Moreover, the total oil content of ‘Joan’ is 44.5%, whereas the oleic acid content is 69.5%, which is 2.3% higher than that of ‘Sunmang’. However, erucic acid has not been detected. ‘Joan’ can be grown in paddy fields located in Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Jeju-do in Korea (Registration No. 6896).

To better understand the morphological variation in the 189 accessions of cultivated var. frutescens of Perilla crop preserved at the RDA-Genebank in South Korea, morphological characteristics were investigated using seven traits related to leaf quality. In the principal component analysis (PCA), the first and second principal components accounted for 28.9% and 19.7% of the total variance, respectively. In the first component, leaf color (QL1) and stem color (QL3) contributed positively, whereas the flowering period (QL5) and degree of pubescence (QL6) contributed in a negative manner. In the second component, QL5 and QL6 contributed positively, whereas the fragrance of plants (QL7) contributed negatively. The results of PCA showed that the 189 Perilla accessions were clearly divided into three groups based on the 1st axis (X-axis), except for some accessions. However, the Perilla accessions collected in South Korea and abroad did not show a clear geographical distribution between the collection areas. Correlation analysis among the seven traits of 189 Perilla accessions showed a positive correlation coefficient for the combination of QL1 and QL3, and QL5 and QL6, and a negative correlation for the combination of color of the reverse side of the leaf and QL6, and QL5 and QL7. Therefore, the results of this study will provide useful information for the selection of useful resources for the development of leafy vegetable varieties of the Perilla crop and the preservation and management of genetic resources of the Perilla crop preserved at the RDA-Genebank in South Korea.

To develop early ripening sweet persimmon varieties with high fruit qualities, ‘Danyeon 104’ was crossed with ‘Taishuu’ at the Sweet Persimmon Research Institute, Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services in 2010. In 2015, ‘10-1-60’ was selected and investigated from among the seedlings of this cross, and in 2018, it was confirmed as a superior variety for the production of large-sized sweet persimmon with good fruit qualities and was named ‘Dannuri’. The ‘Dannuri’ trees grew vigorously in the early stage and exhibited a spreading shape as they aged. The flowers possessed both the female and male organs. The full blooming date of ‘Dannuri’ was May 22, which was close to that of ‘Taishuu’ (May 19). The average harvest time of ‘Dannuri’ was 143 days after the full bloom, and it matured approximately one week earlier than ‘Taishuu’. The fruits of ‘Dannuri’ were characterized by beautiful orange skin color with round flat shape with an average weight of 320 g—which was 1.2-fold higher than that of ‘Taishuu’ (265 g)—and soluble solids content of 18.4 °Brix, which was also higher than that of ‘Taishuu’ (17.2 °Brix). Additionally, the marketable fruit rate of ‘Dannuri’ was 90.0%, which was also higher than that of ‘Taishuu’ (70.2%), and this could be attributed to less skin blackening. For the stable production of ‘Dannuri’, it is necessary to maintain proper tree vigor by paying extra attention to the use of organic compost (Registration No. 8504).

‘Jowoo’, an early maturing, high biomass yielding rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar with high feed value and multiple disease-insect resistance, was developed for winter forage crop-whole crop silage (WCS) rice double cropping. It was derived from a cross between a high biomass and multiple disease resistant line ‘Suweon519’ and an early flowering, high yielding Tong-il type variety ‘Gaya’ that harbored Bph3 and BPH26, conferring brown planthopper (Bph) broad resistance. This cultivar had a growth period of approximately 106 days from seeding to heading, 97 cm culm length, 24 cm panicle length, 12 panicles per hill, 120 spikelets per panicle, and 1,000-grain weight of 22.1 g as brown rice in the central plain region of Suwon. This early flowering rice variety was tolerant to premature germination and cold stresses, especially showed higher grain fertility than ‘Nokyang’ at a cold-water (17℃) irrigated screening nursery. Further, ‘Jowoo’ exhibited high lodging resistance in the yellowing ripening stage, an optimal period for harvest. In addition, ‘Jowoo’ was resistant to leaf and neck blast, bacterial blight (race K1, K2, K3, K3a), rice stripe virus, and small Bph and was also moderately resistant to Bph. Its average dry matter yield for three years reached 18.2 MT/ha, the highest among early flowering rice varieties and 19% higher than that of ‘Nokyang’. This cultivar had 72.2% total digestible nutrients, which is also higher than that of ‘Nokyang’. In the Korean peninsula, ‘Jowoo’ grows well in the central and southern plains and can be harvested 30 days after heading. This helps improve its feeding value and digestion rate in livestock (Grant No. 8133).

The rice variety ‘Youngjin’ is a japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) with good eating quality, lodging tolerance, and resistance to the rice stripe virus (RSV) and bacterial blight disease (BB). It was developed by the rice breeding team of the Department of Southern Crop, NICS, RDA, in 2016. This variety was derived from a three-way cross between ‘Iksan486’, ‘YR22722-B-B-B-25-1’, and ‘Chengmu,’ with good eating quality, in the summer of 2007. The pedigree of ‘Youngjin’ was YR27874Acp46-1, and was designated as ‘Miyang283’ in 2012. After local adaptability tests at five different locations from 2014 to 2016, it was released under the name ‘Youngjin’ in 2016. ‘Youngjin’ is a mid-late maturing ecotype with a short culm length of 67 cm. This variety was found to be resistant to the K1, K2, and K3 races of BB, and RSV, and moderately resistant to leaf blast disease. The milled rice kernels of ‘Youngjin’ were translucent and clear, without white core and belly, and had good eating quality, according to a panel test. This variety showed a lower percentage of cracked kernels compared to other susceptible cultivars. The milled rice yield of ‘Youngjin’ was 568 kg/10a, under normal levels of fertilization, determined by the local adaptability tests. This cultivar is adaptable to the Yeongnam plain area (Registration No. 7653).

Early maturing rice is widely utilized to diversify cropping systems in the Honam Plain, Korea. It is based on the principle of a short growth duration. There is concern regarding quality deterioration of early maturing rice owing to the high temperature during the ripening stage as compared to that for mid and mid-late maturing rice. This study was conducted to analyze six pasting property-related and eight quality traits of six early maturing rice varieties (Jopyeong, Odae, Unkwang, Haedamssal, Jinkwang, and Haedeul) on early, ordinary, and late cultivations, and to interpret the relationships between genotypes and environments. As the cultivation time increased, the ratio of head rice (HR) and glossiness of cooked rice (Toyo value, TY) increased. The cumulative mean temperature of the ripening stage showed a strong negative correlation with HR and TY at all cultivation times. Pasting temperature, peak viscosity (PV), trough viscosity, final viscosity, and breakdown (BD) decreased, whereas setback (SB) increased as the cultivation time was delayed. Pasting properties were affected more by climate conditions in the ripening stage than during the growth stage. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis revealed that pasting property-related and quality traits were affected more by environment than genotype. Jinkwang and Haedamssal in early and ordinary cultivation and Jinkwang and Haedeul in late cultivation exhibited higher HR and TY and a lower protein content. They also showed higher PV and BD and lower SB, which are characteristics of good eating quality japonica rice. Jinkwang, Haedamssal, and Haedeul are premium-quality, early maturing rice varieties that were recently developed. The cultivation of these varieties could improve the grain quality of early maturing rice at high temperatures during the ripening stage in the Honam Plain.

‘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).

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.