The National Agrobiodiversity Center of the RDA, Korea, has more than 22,700 accessions of global wheat genetic resources, including Korean wheat cultivars and landraces. Despite the numerous efforts to develop high-quality, hard winter wheat, the employment of new genetic resources into Korean wheat breeding programs is still hampered by the different growing environments. To overcome this limitation, 200 germplasms that were screened using the Genebank Management System (GMS) were evaluated in three different regions in Korea. In the 2018–2019 trial, 55 lines that showed superior field performance and high protein content were selected from among the 200 germplasms. These lines were re-evaluated in the 2019–2020 trial, and 24 lines that had suitable traits for growth, grain yield, and grain protein content in three locations were finally selected. These winter wheat germplasms also showed high yield stability throughout the three different environments in Korea. Preliminary screening using GMS information, consecutive regional tests, and quality tests could be effective procedures for the development of hard winter wheat in Korea. Therefore, introduction breeding could be a favorable breeding method aiming to improve quality, where useful genetic resources are limited.

Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) exceeds about 30% of the world’s cereal production and cultivated over 220 million ha worldwide. Heat stress during the grain filling period gives detrimental effect on crop yields and has emerged as a serious problem throughout the world. Korean wheat cultivars that were released since 1960s were developed for various aims such as winter hardness, earliness, and pest resistance, etc. However, heat stress resistance is an emerging target for wheat breeding nowadays. Selected 11 Korean wheat cultivars (“Baegjoong”, “Dajung”, “Goso”, “Hanbaek”, “Jokyung”, “Joeun”, “Jopum”, “Keumgang”, “Olgeuru”, “Sinmichal”, “Uri”) were exposed to high temperature from DAF (days after flowering) 9~13. In this study, plant responses to heat stress as measured by reduction ratios of total chlorophyll contents, 100 seed weight, shoot dry weight can be translated into degree of tolerance. Therefore, these parameters can be used in wheat breeding for heat tolerance during grain filling period. The obtained results allow us to classify cultivars for heat stress tolerance. Pedigree information of Korean cultivars was shown that wheat line of either tolerant, moderate tolerant, or susceptible trait is succeeded to their descendent, which enable breeders to develop heat stress tolerant wheat by appropriate parental choice.

The wheat-rye translocations are world widely used in wheat breeding. Among the various forms of wheat-rye translocation, the 1RS (short arm of rye chromosome 1) translocations are the most widely used because of the valuable genes (e.g. biotic / abiotic resistance genes) introduced from rye. We have developed a new wheat-rye cultivar ‘TRANS’ which have freezing resistance and high yield in this study. ‘TRANS’ is a new wheat-rye translocation cultivar developed by crossing between common wheat ‘Keumkangmil’ and ‘951188-G3-G1’, a 1AL.1RS translocation derived from ‘Fleming’ with the aim of high yield and resistant genes to various unfavorable environments carried by 1RS. ‘TRNAS’ have clearly different genetic and agronomic traits to the control cultivar ‘Keumkangmil’. The heading date and maturity of ‘TRANS’ are later than that of ‘Keumkangmil’. ‘TRANS’ has 1023 spike number per square meters and grain yield of 541 kg/10a, which are higher than ‘Keumkangmil’ (904 spike number/m² and 504 kg/10a yield). ‘TRANS’ showed winter hardiness and powdery mildew resistance in artificial infection test and field evaluation. ‘TRANS’ gives lower flour yield than ‘Keumkangmil’ but ash and protein content were similar to that of ‘Keumkangmil’. The color of flour and noodle dough of ‘TRANS’ were darker than ‘Keumkangmil’. Quality parameters related to milling, flour quality, noodle dough and end-use quality of ‘TRANS’ indicates that ‘TRANS’ is soft wheat suitable for noodle making. ‘TRANS’ can be cultivated in entire part of Korea.

Registration Grant No.: 4695