The triploid seedless grape cultivar ‘Heukarong’ was developed in 2002 through artificial hybridization between ‘Black Olympia’ and ‘Campbell Early’ From 2003 to 2013, field trials were conducted under conventional cultivation practices in Chuncheon, Gangwon State, confirming that ‘Heukarong’ possesses strong resistance to both diseases and frost without the need for special protective measures, thereby demonstrating high tolerance to both environmental and biotic stresses. Based on these findings, an intensive three-year comparative evaluation of growth and fruit characteristics between ‘Heukarong’ and the triploid cultivar ‘Sweet Dream’ was conducted beginning in 2014. The results showed that ‘Heukarong’ consistently produced fruit with commercially valuable traits, leading to its final selection in late 2016 for varietal registration. Under standard cultivation, ‘Heukarong’ can produce high-quality fruits averaging 436 g in weight with a soluble solid content of 19.4 °Brix through a single application of gibberellin at full bloom, making it highly competitive in the market. Furthermore, ‘Heukarong’ exhibits strong resistance to frost damage and berry cracking, indicating excellent adaptability and stable productivity even under suboptimal growing conditions (Cultivar Registration No. 7766).

Wheat, in conjunction with rice and maize, constitutes one of the three most significant staple crops worldwide, sustaining over 40% of the global population. In Korea, the annual per capita wheat consumption exceeds 30 kg, totaling approximately 4 million tons nationwide. However, more than 95% of this demand is met through imports, resulting in a meager self-sufficiency rate of approximately 0.7%, raising concerns regarding supply stability and price fluctuations. Enhancing wheat self-sufficiency in Korea requires addressing yield reductions caused by abiotic stressors, including elevated temperatures, drought, cold damage and pre-harvest sprouting induced by climate change, as well as biotic stressors such as Fusarium head blight. The development of high-quality wheat varieties with superior processing characteristics that satisfy consumer demands is crucial. This study provides critical insights for future research on the development of novel wheat cultivars in Korea. It reviews the current state of wheat cultivation and production, environmental and biological factors affecting growth, compositional elements influencing quality, domestic cultivars developed through conventional crossbreeding currently in commercial distribution, and contemporary breeding trends, with particular emphasis on novel breeding technologies, such as biotechnology.

The breeding objective for crops changes constantly due to environmental changes, customer requirements, and farming convenience, among other factors. As breeding takes a long time, suitable mating candidates must be obtained from the beginning. In this study, we propose a breeder-friendly system and datasets. We investigated 11 traits that affect adaptation to the cultivation environment in Jeju Island using 27 buckwheat germplasms and selected good germplasms for breeding new cultivars. Data on the various traits of the target crop could assist breeders or researchers in identifying the traits of each genetic resource that will facilitate the development of new cultivars that suit the requirements of customers. Therefore, this study suggests establishing a breeder-friendly system and datasets in GenBank.