The F₁ hybrid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) exploits heterosis to deliver greater yield, stability, and uniformity than open-pollinated cultivars, making it suitable for large- scale cultivation. In Korea, cultivation is shifting from landscape and apiculture to expanding edible oil production and increasing the demand for paddy field-adapted hybrids. Using Mokpo-CGMS as the female and the pollen parent ‘09003-B-126-2-1-3,’ we developed the breeding line ‘Dangyo 80,’ which, after multi-environment evaluations of yield and oil quality against ‘Sunmang,’ was selected as a new cultivar ‘Areum. ’ ‘Areum’ exhibits growth habit type IV, yellow flowers, and a red seed coat. Its flowering and maturity times are comparable to ‘Sunmang. ’ Major growth indices did not differ significantly among cultivars; however, while ‘Areum’ showed slightly greater lodging susceptibility, it displayed higher resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot. Notably, in paddy fields ‘Areum’ achieved a higher plant density per square meter than ‘Sunmang’ which produced a 31% yield increase. In fatty acid composition, ‘Areum’ had higher oleic acid content (65% vs. 60%) and lower erucic acid (0.95% vs. 1.35%) than ‘Sunmang,’ indicating improved suitability for high-quality edible rapeseed oil production (Registration No. 9755).

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).

Perilla is a traditional oilseed crop cultivated in Korea. The ‘Nulsaemi’ cultivar was developed for oil use because of its large seed size and high functional compound content. It originated from a cross between ‘Daesil’ (IT274265), with high crude fat content and a soft seed coat, and ‘Milyang16’ (K015415), with large, brown seeds and a hard seed coat. The cross was created in 2008, and promising lines were selected through pedigree breeding up to the F₆ generation. Advanced yield trials were conducted in 2016 and regional yield trials were conducted at four sites (Milyang, Suwon, Cheongju, and Iksan) from 2017 to 2019. ‘Nulsaemi’ matures around October 8, which is slightly later than the standard cultivar ‘Dayu’. It also has a 1,000-seed weight of 5.2 g, which is 1.4 g heavier than ‘Dayu’. The seed hardness was low, making it suitable for processing. The average yield was 125 kg/10a, about 3% higher than that of ‘Dayu’. The seeds contained approximately 45.1% crude fat and 63.4% alpha-linolenic acid, similar to those of the standard cultivar. However, rosmarinic acid content was significantly higher at 2,130.6 μg/g, about 18% more than ‘Dayu’. In sensory evaluation, oil extracted from ‘Nulsaemi’ showed better appearance, aroma, taste, and overall preference compared to the control, in both cold-pressed and roasted oil types. ‘Nulsaemi’ is expected to be a high-quality oilseed cultivar suitable for premium perilla oil production (Registration No. 8792).

A new soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar, ‘Dadrim,’ was developed by the National Institute of Crop and Food Science (NICS). ‘Dadrim’ is characterized by its superior suitability for tofu processing and high adaptability to mechanized cultivation. This cultivar ‘Milyang374’ was developed using the pedigree method from an artificial cross made in 2012 between ‘Milyang231’ and ‘Chamol.’ Its agronomic characteristics and production stability were verified through regional adaptation trials conducted over three years (2020- 2022). ‘Dadrim’ exhibits a determinate growth habit, white flowers, and spherical seeds with a yellow seed coat and yellow hilum. It is a large-seeded variety with a 100-seed weight of 30.9 g. As a late-maturing variety, it reaches maturity around October 22. Despite a relatively short plant height, it features a high first pod height of 16 cm, making it advantageous for mechanical harvesting. ‘Dadrim’ is resistant to bacterial pustule and soybean mosaic virus and possesses excellent lodging resistance. Notably, ‘Dadrim’ demonstrates a high tofu yield of 283%, which is 67% points higher than ‘Daewonkong’. The resulting tofu has a soft texture, making it suitable for soft and silken tofu. It also received high preference scores for taste and texture in sensory evaluations. ‘Dadrim’ yielded 3.37 tons/ha, an 8% increase compared to ‘Daewonkong.’ This new variety is expected to increase farm income and advance the domestic tofu industry (Registration No. 10461).

‘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).

‘K-Ol2’ is a high-oil, high-oleic acid peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) variety developed by the National Institute of Crop and Food Science and released in 2022. This variety was derived through pedigree selection from a single cross between the variety ‘Jaseon’ and the high-oleate elite line ‘YG377’. High-oleate lines were selected in the F₃ generation using Near-Infrared Spectrophotometry and gas chromatography. ‘K-Ol2’ exhibits a relatively short plant height with main stem and branch lengths of 29 cm and 36 cm, respectively, which are less than those of the check variety ‘Akwang’. The seeds had a brown testa and an elliptical kernel shape, with a 100-seed weight of 87 g and an average of 54 mature pods per plant. Seed composition analysis revealed an average protein content of 29.3% and a high crude fat content of 54.5%. The oleic acid (C18:1) content reached 82.8%, with an oleic to linoleic acid ratio of 28.5:1, significantly higher than that of ‘Akwang’ (2.2:1). In oxidative stability evaluations under accelerated oxidizing conditions, ‘K-Ol2’ exhibited an extended induction time to reach maximum conductivity increase, indicating improved resistance to lipid oxidation. Regional yield trials conducted from 2020 to 2022 demonstrated that ‘K-Ol2’ produced an average yield of 4.60 MT⋅ha^-1, representing a 10% increase over ‘Akwang’. Due to its high oil content and improved oxidative stability, ‘K-Ol2’ is expected to play a valuable role in the peanut processing industry (Registration No. 10358).

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).

A new adzuki bean cultivar, ‘Hongchan’ (Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi), with a bright red seed coat and large seed size was developed through a pedigree selection by crossing ‘YA0814’ and ‘Milyang9’ from 2009 to 2022. A promising line, ‘YA0912-B-B-6-1-3-3-1-2,’ was selected and designated as ‘Milyang50. ’ From 2020 to 2022, regional yield trials (RYTs) were conducted in four locations (Miryang, Iksan, Cheongju, and Chuncheon). This line demonstrated stable performance and was released under the name ‘Hongchan.’ It has a semi-determinate growth habit, green embryonic color, green stems, yellow flowers, yellow pods, and a white hilum. It is late-maturing, but flowers early; its flowering and maturing dates were August 10 and October 9, respectively, which were 10 days earlier in flowering and 5 days later in maturity than ‘Arari.’ The stem height, number of pods per plant, and number of seeds per pod were 56, 24, and 6.5, respectively. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the L^*, a^*, and b^*values of the seeds and pastes of ‘Hongchan’ and ‘Arari.’ The average 100-seed weight of ‘Hongchan’ was 21.3 g, which was 4.9 g heavier than that of ‘Arari.’ The average yield of ‘Hongchan’ was 2.11 ton/ha, which was 6% higher than that of ‘Arari’ in the 3-year regional yield trial. These results indicate that ‘Hongchan’ is an adzuki bean cultivar suitable for mechanical harvesting and paste processing (Registration No. 5573).

The decrease in seed vigor and grain quality during storage has become an increasingly critical issue due to the extended storage periods resulting from declining rice consumption and climate change in Korea. Despite its importance, few studies have investigated rice seed aging in a large number of Korean rice cultivars. In this study, 53 japonica rice cultivars were evaluated for seed germination, vigor, and grain quality-related traits under accelerated-aging conditions. Seed germination rate was evaluated 7 days after imbibition, following accelerated aging treatments at 42℃ and 95% relative humidity for 8, 12, and 16 days. The average germination rates were 72.9% in the control (0 d), 71.7% after 8 days, 59.0% after 12 days, and 5.6% after 16 days of treatment. Grain quality-related traits, including texture and pasting properties, were also evaluated in rice subjected to the accelerated aging treatment. Adhesiveness and stickiness decreased, whereas hardness and toughness increased, as seed aging progressed. Cluster analysis based on germination rates after accelerated aging identified three distinct clusters, with cultivars in Cluster 3 maintaining a high germination rate of 70.6% even after 12 days of aging, showing clear differences from the other clusters. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to investigate the relationship between germination rate and grain quality-related traits. The results showed that the germination rate and hardness tended to be negatively associated across all three clusters. These results suggested that cultivars with higher germination rates tend to maintain a softer cooked rice texture after aging. Our results provide insight into the relationship between seed aging and grain quality, highlighting elite cultivars that maintain both germination ability and grain quality during storage as valuable resources for breeding programs.

Enhancing pod shatter resistance is essential for improving the mechanical harvesting efficiency of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). This study aimed to evaluate pod shatter resistance in domestic breeding lines and genetic resources, as well as to investigate the relationship between shatter resistance and agronomic traits thereby providing foundational data for the development of shatter-resistant cultivars. Pod shatter resistance was assessed using the Random Impact Test for 105 accessions in 2022–2023 and 159 accessions in 2023–2024, with the Silique Shatter Resistance Index (SSRI) as the evaluation criterion. Most accessions exhibited susceptibility to pod shatter, whereas IT031375 showed high shatter resistance, identifying it as a promising resource for the development of shatter-resistant cultivars. Analysis of the relationship between weather conditions and pod shatter resistance revealed that longer sunlight exposure and lower precipitation during the growing stages contributed to improved pod development and shatter resistance. Furthermore, a correlation analysis between SSRI and agronomic traits demonstrated significant positive correlations with silique length (r=0.368, p<0.001) and weight (r=0.451, p<0.001). Increased silique length and weight are associated with enhanced pod wall development and seed weight, which are critical for improving yield and shatter resistance.

In this study, we aimed to develop a method for the rapid and nondestructive prediction of wheat seed viability using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). Thirteen wheat cultivars were used to establish and validate an NIRS calibration model. The seed samples were divided into a calibration set (n=1,360) and a validation set (n=1,000), representing a wide range of germination rates created through the accelerated aging treatment (98±2% relative humidity, 40°C, 0-10 days). Spectral data were collected within the wavelength range of 400-2,500 nm. Among the three regression models tested, the Modified Partial Least Squares (MPLS) model exhibited the best performance for predicting seed viability, achieving the highest coefficient of determination (R²=0.936) and lowest standard error of calibration (SEC=7.514). The results of this study highlight the utility of NIRS-based models for the rapid, nondestructive assessment of seed viability in wheat. Additionally, this is the first study to apply NIRS for the nondestructive evaluation of wheat seed viability, providing a substantial advancement in seed quality assessment.

‘Gowon1’ is a large-sized and high-yielding peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. ssp. hypogaea var. hypogaea), which was developed at the Department of Southern Area Crop Science, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), Miryang, and approved for release in 2019. For the harvest of vegetable peanuts, a large-sized pod and comparatively early maturation with high fresh-pod yield are required. ‘Gowon1’ was developed through pedigree selection from a single cross between the large-grain, short-stem variety ‘Pungsan’ and ‘Miryang47’, the early-maturing elite line. ‘Gowon1’ has 11 branches with the main stem and branch lengths of 43 cm and 49 cm, respectively. Each pod contains two seeds with a brown testa and a long ellipse-shape. ‘Gowon1’ exhibits 42 pods per plant, a 100-seed weight of 98 g and 80% mature pod ratio. Seed composition includes 30.2% protein, 47.0% crude fat, and 45% oleic acid, among other fatty acids. In regional yield trials conducted at four locations (2016-2018), ‘Gowon1’ demonstrated enhanced productivity, with an average fresh pod yield of 12.25 MT per hectare, which was 28% higher than the reference variety, ‘Palkwang’. It also exhibited higher resistance to early and late leaf spot and lodging compared to the reference variety in trials (Registration No. 9196).

‘Saebonghwang’ was developed as a mid-late ripening rice variety with good cultivation stability and yield in transplanting and under direct seeding cultivation. It was bred by backcrossing ‘Hopum’, which has excellent cultivation stability and adaptability to direct seeding, as a repeat parent, and ‘Hitomebore,’ a Japanese rice variety with excellent taste, as a donor. The heading date of ‘Saebonghwang’ was August 11 under ordinary planting, which is two days earlier than that of ‘Nampyeong’, and August 13 under wet-direct seeding cultivation, which is the same as that of ‘Dongan’. ‘Saebonghwang’ had a culm length of 74 cm under wet-direct seeding cultivation, which is larger than that of ‘Dongan’ (69 cm), and had good cultivation stability, including lodging resistance. ‘Saebonghwang’ is resistant to bacterial leaf blight and rice stripe virus and shows moderate resistance to rice blast. Furthermore, ‘Saebonghwang’ has better grain appearance, superior taste and better milling characteristics than ‘Nampyeong’. The yield of ‘Saebonghwang’ when cultivated under ordinary planting, wet-direct seeding, and double cropping was 5.65, 5.37, and 5.37 MT/ha, respectively. Under wet direct sowing by drone cultivation, ‘Saebonghwang’ showed good initial survival rate and cultivation stability. The yield was 4.49 MT/ha, slightly lower than that obtained under transplanted cultivation (5.03 MT/ha), but was not statistically different; therefore, ‘Saebonghwang’ was adjudged to be adaptable to drone wet-direct seeding. ‘Saebonghwang’ can be used in various ways to suit the working conditions of farms, increase farm work efficiency, and expand the area of wet direct-seeding cultivation (Registration No. 9171).

To stably produce domestic wheat under water-scarce environmental conditions due to climate change, root characteristics with excellent water utilization rates are crucial. In this study, we analyzed the root and grain phenotypes of 37 domestic wheat varieties over a two-year period by combining the results of genetic mutations related to semi-dwarfing and grain size. Root length was positively correlated with maximum root depth (r=0.76**) and total seminal root length (r=0.54**), whereas it was negatively correlated with the number of roots (r=-0.33**) and root angles (r=-0.51**). The thousand-kernel weight was positively correlated with embryo width (r=0.34**) and embryo area (r=0.33**) but was not correlated with other root traits. Embryo length was positively correlated with the number of roots (r=0.34**) and coleoptile length (r=0.42**). Phenotypic analyses of roots and grains, along with genotypic analyses of semi-dwarfing (Rht-B1 and Rht-D1) and grain size (TaCWI-4A, TaCWI-5D, TaGW2-6A, TaSus2-2B) genes, revealed that the Rht-D1b genotype led to reduced root depth, increased root angles, and reduced coleoptile length. TaCwi-A1, TaCWI-5D, TaSus2-2B, and TaGW2-6A, possessing the alleles TaCwi-A1a, Hap-5D-C, Hap-L, and Hap-6A-G associated with a larger grain size, resulted in an increased number of roots and root depth. Domestic wheat varieties were categorized into three clusters based on root, grain, and coleoptile trait characteristics, with 15 varieties in Cluster I, 9 in Cluster II, and 13 in Cluster III. The results of this study can be utilized in basic research to develop varieties that can produce stable domestic wheat by selecting resources with excellent root growth and seed characteristics.

‘Yuryeo’ is a rapeseed cultivar suitable for rapeseed oil production which was developed by the Bioenergy Crop Research Institute, NICS, RDA, in 2018. ‘Yuryeo,’ characterized by its high oleic acid content and resistance to sclerotinia stem rot and lodging, was developed through gamma-ray irradiation of ‘Hallayuchae’ seeds followed by pedigree breeding. Regional yield trials for ‘Yuryeo’ were conducted in three regions from 2016 to 2019. As a result, the flowering period of ‘Yuryeo’ was observed to be two days later than that of ‘Hallayuchae,’ but both had a similar maturation period. In terms of yield, there was no significant difference between ‘Yuryeo’ and ‘Hallayuchae,’ but ‘Yuryeo’ showed higher resistance to sclerotinia stem rot and lodge. Notably, the oleic acid in ‘Yuryeo’ was 74.2%, marking a 10% increase over ‘Hallayuchae.’ With its enriched oleic acid content and reliable cultivation characteristics, ‘Yuryeo’ can enhance both rapeseed cultivation and the rapeseed oil industry (Registration No. 8753).

The global seed distribution market is rapidly transforming into a high-value-added seed market, with the production and distribution of processed seeds expanding, led by multinational seed companies. However, domestic seed companies still lack investment in seed processing, and the level of technology for processing distributed seeds is relatively low. The proportion of seeds processed and produced by seed companies must be increased to transform the domestic seed industry into an internationally competitive export industry. According to the results of a survey of 2,679 domestic companies by the National Seed and Variety Service (2021), the main business field of seed companies is seed production (1,192 companies), followed by seed sales (1,041 companies), nurseries (328 companies), and seed processing (35 companies). In conclusion, few companies conduct business in the field of seed processing. Accordingly, the government plans to build seed-processing facilities for joint utilization by seed companies to expand the supply of high-quality seeds from domestic seed companies. To this end, we investigated the seed- processing status of major seed companies and conducted a demand survey for facilities and equipment in the seed-processing field. Details and operational plans for the establishment of a tentatively named ‘Seed Enterprise Joint Utilization Seed Processing Center,’ based on domestic companies' processing status and demands, are presented in this paper.

Seedlessness is the most important characteristic of citrus and one of its breeding purposes. Triploids are the most reliable way to secure seedlessness and can be developed through crosses between tetraploids and diploids or between diploids and diploids. We evaluated the characteristics of seed formation and recovery frequency of triploids in interploid crosses in this study. Normal seed formation was the highest (85.0%) in crosses of 2x×2x, followed by crosses 4x×2x and 2x×4x. Partially developed seeds were obtained at the highest rate (35.3%) from crosses of 4x×2x with 0.7 seeds per fruit, followed by 2x×2x and 2x×4x with 0.2 and 0.1 seeds per fruit, respectively. The number of undeveloped seeds per fruit was 1.1, 1.0, and 0.3 from the 4x×2x, 2x×4x, and 2x×2x crosses, respectively, and the lowest frequency was recorded in the 2x×2x cross. Diploid plants were mostly obtained in the 2x×2x cross (98.8%), while 73.0% triploids and 27.0% tetraploids were obtained with 4x×2x, and 14.3% diploids, 57.1% triploids, and 28.6% tetraploids were achieved with the 2x×4x cross. Diploid plants were mostly obtained from normal seeds, while ad triploid and tetraploid plants were mostly obtained from partially developed and undeveloped seeds. The results indicated that crosses of 4x×2x were the most efficient and that in vitro culture should be applied to rescue plants from partially developed and undeveloped seeds in triploid breeding programs.

In this study, we investigated the variety-dependent survival of citrus seedlings and analyzed the pomological characteristics of fruits and thorn lengths following irradiation with gamma rays. Scions from the seedlings of the following citrus varieties, ‘Yuzu’, ‘Noeulhyang’, ‘Sarahyang’, ‘Namgam’ (nucellar), and ‘Meiwakumquat’ irradiated with gamma rays at 0, 60, 80, and 100 Gy were grafted onto trifoliate orange. At 6 months after grafting, the survival rates of ‘Yuzu’ and ‘Noeulhyang’ exposed to 100 Gy were 49.5% and 34.8%, and that of ‘Sarahyang’ and ‘Namgam’ (nucellar) exposed to 80 Gy were 51.6% and 46.8%, respectively. ‘Meiwakumquat’ exhibited the lowest survival among the varieties used in this study. Therefore, we classified ‘Meiwakumquat’ as highly susceptible to gamma radiation; ‘Noeulhyang’, ‘Sarahyang’, and ‘Namgam’ (nucellar) as intermediately susceptible; and ‘Yuzu’ as the least susceptible. We assessed the effects of gamma radiation on the pomological traits in irradiated ‘Tambit1ho’ and ‘Yuzu’. Among the 72 irradiated ‘Tambit1ho’ seedlings, the average seed number (number of seeds per fruit) varied between 0 and 18.6, whereas that in the unirradiated seedlings was between 8 and 18. Among the irradiated seedlings, the average seed number was less than 1.0 in eight seedlings. In addition, we observed variations in weight, rind and segment hardness, and sugar and acid contents. The thorn length of the flush in unirradiated ‘Yuzu’ was between 1.3 and 6.0 cm, whereas that of flush in gamma-irradiated seedlings was between 0.1 and 6.1 cm. Among the irradiated ‘Yuzu’ seedlings, the thorn length was less than 0.1 cm in two seedlings.

This study aimed to delineate the seed transfer zone of Pinus densiflora. After generating transfer functions based on growth characteristic data from 10 pine test sites for 36 seed sources and six bioclimatic variables, the critical seed transfer distance for each climate variable was calculated. Based on our results, seed transfer zones were delineated by overlaying maps for all climate variables. In the pine provenance test, seeds from eastern Korea generally showed superior growth at each test site. Temperature-related variables accounted for a higher proportion of the selected bioclimatic variables than precipitation-related variables. Additionally, warm-to-cold seed transfer in eastern Korea and cold-to-warm seed transfer in central and southern Korea were overestimated, widening the seed-transfer zone. Examining the long-term growth of the trees, introducing additional variables, and applying a model with a higher level of rationality to the transfer function are necessary for delineating the optimal seed-transfer zone.

‘Sinhwangok2’ is a single cross maize F₁ hybrid (Zea mays L.) that was developed by the maize breeding team at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, in 2018. This yellow high-yielding intermediate maize hybrid was obtained by crossing between two inbred lines― KS214 and KS215. After advanced yield trials over two years in Suwon, a regional yield trial for ‘Sinhwangok2’ was conducted to evaluate its growth and yield at three different locations, from 2016 to 2018. ‘Sinhwangok2’ requires 72 days for silking and its plant height is 243 cm, similar to that of ‘Jangdaok’; its ear height ratio is 49%, like that of ‘Jangdaok’, and the hybrid shows resistance to lodging. The number of ears per 100 plants was found to be 100 and the ear length of ‘Sinhwangok2’ is 19.5 cm, which is shorter than that of ‘Jangdaok’. The weight of 100 seeds of ‘Sinhwangok2’ is 30.8 g, similar to that of ‘Jangdaok’. This hybrid shows moderate resistance to southern leaf blight (Bipolaris maydis). It has moderate resistance to European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). The grain yield (i.e., 9.41 ton/ha) of ‘Sinhwangok2’ was found to be 13%, which is higher than that of ‘Jangdaok’. Seed production of ‘Sinhwangok2’ was 2.36 ton/ha and was considered acceptable due to a good synchronization of flowering period during crossing between the seed parent, KS214, and the pollen parent, i.e., KS215, in Yeongwol and F₁ seed yield. ‘Sinhwangok2’ can thus be a suitable cultivar for all plain areas in Korea and can possibly be cultivated via double cropping with winter forage crop because of their early maturity. (Registration No. 8963).

To determine whether Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral analysis based on multivariate analysis for whole-cell extracts can be used to discriminate different countries of Perilla seeds at the metabolic level, leaves of Perilla seeds were subjected to FT-IR spectroscopy. FT-IR spectral data of leaves were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). FT-IR spectra confirmed typical spectral differences between frequency regions of 1,700-1,500, 1,500-1,300, and 1,100-950 cm^-1. These spectral regions reflect the quantitative and qualitative variations of amide I, II in amino acids and proteins (1,700-1,500 cm^-1), phosphodiester groups in nucleic acids and phospholipids (1,500-1,300 cm^-1), and carbohydrates (1,100-950 cm^-1). PCA revealed separate clusters corresponding to their country relationship. Thus, PCA could be used to distinguish between countries of origin with different metabolite contents. And PLS-DA showed a similar country classification of Perilla seeds. Furthermore, these metabolic discrimination systems could be used for the rapid selection and classification of useful field crop cultivars.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is an excellent source of protein, oil, carbohydrates, and many other bioactive ingredients. However, its raw mature seeds also contain several antinutritional components. The newly developed soybean cultivar ‘Hayoung’ has large yellow seeds and a low stachyose content, and is free of lipoxygenase, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), and 7S α’-subunit proteins. ‘Hayoung’ was selected from the population derived from a cross between the intermediate parent (F4-4) and the breeding line (15G1). It has purple flowers, tawny pubescence, a determinate growth habit, and light-yellow pods at maturity. The seed of the cultivar has a yellow hilum and yellow seed coat color. The dry weight seed protein and oil content were 37.9 and 16.0%, respectively. The stachyose content was 3.1 g/kg, which was much lower than 12.7 g/kg of the check cultivar, ‘Daewon’. ‘Hayoung’ has shown resistance to soybean necrosis, soybean mosaic virus, Cercospora leaf spot and blight, black root rot, pod and stem blight, and bacterial pustule. ‘Hayoung’ matured on 22 October with a plant height of 56 cm and a 100-seed weight of 32.3 g. The average yield of the cultivar was 3.12 (Ton/ha), based on regional yield trials in 2018 at four locations. ‘Hayoung’ has been registered as a soybean cultivar (registration number: 8625, registration date: June 08, 2021) by the Korea Seed & Variety Service, Republic of Korea.

‘Cheongmiin’ is a green seed-coated soybean cultivar developed from a cross between ‘Cheongjakong’ and ‘Daemang’ in 2002. The F₁ and F₂ populations were grown for 2 years, and promising lines were selected based on the pedigree method from generations F₃ to F₅. Preliminary and advanced yield trials were conducted from 2009 to 2010, and regional yield trials (RYTs) were conducted in eight regions from 2011 to 2013. ‘Cheongmiin’ is a determinate soybean with white flowers, green cotyledons, and spherical green seeds. The average flowering and maturing dates of ‘Cheongmiin’ were August 1^st and October 22^nd, respectively. In terms of quantitative characteristics, ‘Cheongmiin’ has a larger seed size (34.3 g/100-seed weight) than that of ‘Cheongdu1ho’ (24.5 g/100-seed weight), and has also been shown to be tolerant to lodging and pod shattering in the field in RYTs and oven drying tests, respectively. Furthermore, ‘Cheongmiin’ has been found to be resistant to bacterial pustules in the field and soybean mosaic viruses (G5H and G6H strains) in inoculation tests. The mean yield of ‘Cheongmiin’ in the RYTs was 272 kg/10 a, which was 4% higher than that of ‘Cheongdu1ho’. Given its large seed size and seed coat color, ‘Cheongmiin’ is expected to be highly useful for cooking with rice and for the preparation of rice cakes (Registration No. 7688).

‘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).

Consumer demand for Triticale cultivars as a winter forage crop in Korea has been increasing because of its ability for high and stable yield. However, more than 10 years are required to develop new varieties with conventional breeding programs. A speed breeding system using long-day photoperiodic treatment has recently been suggested and applied in wheat and barley, but not in the triticale breeding program in Korea. To evaluate the availability of the established speed breeding system for triticale breeding programs in Korea, we used nine domestic triticale cultivars to investigate their growth characteristics under a 22 h photoperiod. The average days to heading (DTH) of the nine cultivars was 38 days, and Gwangyoung and Minpung showed the most delayed DTH at 42 days. Therefore, all nine triticale cultivars were able to shorten the growth duration under the tested photoperiod condition. One productive tiller and more than 10 seeds were obtained from each cultivar. The germination percentage was over 82% when the spikes were harvested 20 days after heading, dried, and chilled for a week to break dormancy. These results suggest that in Korea, the rapid generation advancement system with simple long-day photoperiodic treatment can be applied to triticale breeding programs to reduce the breeding time.

‘Haewon’ is a soybean cultivar for soy-sprouts. ‘Bosug’ and ‘Somyeong’ were crossed in 2003, and promising lines were selected from F3 to F6 using the pedigree method (Pedigree: HS1450-2B-3-1-1-2-2-1). Preliminary yield (PYT) and advanced yield trials (AYT) were conducted from 2010 to 2011, and regional yield trials (RYT) were conducted in five regions (Suwon, Naju, Miryang, Dalseong, and Jeju) from 2012 to 2014. In the RYTs, ‘Haewon’ had a smaller seed weight and higher yield than the standard cultivar ‘Pungsannamulkong’, which are desirable characteristics for the soy-sprout process. The morphological characteristics of ‘Haewon’ are as follows: determinate plant type, purple flowers, gray pubescence, yellow pods, small, yellow spherical seeds (8.1 g/100-seeds), and light brown hilum. The flowering and maturity dates were July 29th and October 6th, respectively. Plant height and first pod height were 55 cm and 12 cm, respectively. The lodging tolerance was also strong compared to that of ‘Pungsannamulkong’. The germination rate, total length, hypocotyl length, thickness, and sprout yield of soybean sprouts were 97%, 19.1 cm, 8.8 cm, 2.1 mm, and 513%, respectively. The yield in adaptable regions was 337 kg/10 a, 16% higher than that of ‘Pungsannamulkong’. ‘Haewon’ can be used for soy-sprout with favorable seed size and soy-sprout characteristics, such as germination and sprout-yield. (Registration No. 6637).

A new mung bean cultivar, Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek ‘Samhwang’, was derived from a cross between ‘Samgang’ and ‘KM9901-3B-15-2-4’ obtained in 2006 and developed at the Jeollanamdo Agricultural Research and Extension Services (JARES) in 2014. ‘Samhwang’ has an erect growth habit, lobed leaflets, green hypocotyls, light yellow corolla, and a dull yellow seed surface. Its stem length was 64 cm, 5 cm shorter than that of the control cultivar ‘Owool’. The 1000-seed weight was 53 g, i.e., 4 g heavier than that of ‘Owool’. ‘Samhwang’ exhibited similar field resistance to mung bean mottle virus, cercospora leaf spot, powdery mildew, and lodging when compared with that of the control cultivar. The sprout yield ratio and hard seed rate were the same as those of ‘Owool’. The average seed yield of ‘Samhwang’ was 1.76 ton/ha, which was 14% greater than that of ‘Owool’ (Registration No. 5877).

Perilla has a long history of cultivation and consumption in Korea. Its cultivar ‘Sodam’, which is used for its oil and powder, was developed from a cross between two parents ‘K015926’ and ‘Miryang27’. The parents were crossed in 2004, and their progenies were selected from F₃ to F₅ generations through pedigree method. Regional yield trials (RYTs) were conducted in four regions from 2012 to 2014. ‘Sodam’ is a light gray and small spherical-seeded cultivar. It matures earlier (October 2) than ‘Saeyeopsildeulkkae’, a standard cultivar, and the number of flower clusters per plant as well as the number of ears per cluster is higher in ‘Sodam’ than in the standard cultivar. Its seeds contain approximately 46.4% crude fat, and the oil is rich (about 65.0%) in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. ‘Sodam’ is characterized by upright plant growth with narrow branch angles. The average yield of this cultivar was 1.23 ton/ha in adaptable regions. ‘Sodam’ is expected to be a potential cultivar source for production of good quality perilla oil (Registration No. 6729).

The government-led system for seed production and distribution of major crops was developed by enforcement of the Major Crops Seed Law in 1962. The Korea Variety and Seed Service has played a key role in operating the system, in cooperation with breeding institutes under the Rural Development Administration and provincial Basic Seed Centers. In the case of rice, the most important crop in the country, the quality of certified seed has continuously improved from the simply cleaned seed in the 1960s to graded, disinfected, coated seed of the present. Its coverage of the total planted area increased from 14% in 1985 to 60% in 2015. Since its inception in 2010, the Foundation of Agricultural Technology Commercialization and Transfer has been involved in the production/distribution of certified seed of minor crops/varieties, which had not been properly cared for by the mainstream system previously mentioned. Vegetable seed has been produced and marketed by the private sector. In the latter half of 1950s, seed self-sufficiency was attained in major vegetables. Vegetable seed market became totally open by 1991, and since then Korean seed companies have explored overseas production sites to meet the needs of local and export markets. The acquisition of major local seed companies by multinational major companies in the late 1990s has led to opportunities for Korean vegetable seed firms to upgrade their operational plant production and quality assurance practices to global standards. The quality of vegetable seed offered by Korean companies today is at the top level in the world market. The small and ever-decreasing size of the local seed market has been and will be a serious factor limiting the seed business in Korea. It is necessary to develop technologies to overcome the meteorological disasters that are becoming more violent and more frequent due to climate change. Labor-saving technologies are in urgent need in the area of field production. Phytosanitary border control systems need to evolve to more science-based reasonable ones. Seed enhancement technology, such as biological treatment, is becoming an essential part of holistic farm solutions, where seed is not only a carrier of the genetic constitution of a plant variety, but also plays a complementary role in making up for limitations of varieties and/or cultural managements practices. It is necessary to be adaptive and incorporate new sciences and technologies such as artificial intelligence, new breeding technologies, and epigenetics, among others.

The history of development of seed management in Korea can be broadly divided into the periods of pre-enlightenment (Joseon Dynasty), enlightenment, Japanese colonial occupation, after liberation, installation of the National Seed Supply Office, and the Seed Industry Act. During the Joseon Dynasty, quite a few agricultural books had been published. With the signing of the Korea-U.S. Trade Treaty in the late 19th century, the Agriculture and Livestock Experimental Station was established, and subsequently many varieties were introduced from the U.S. and tested in the station. The Agricultural Exemplary Testing Station, founded in Suwon by the Japanese Resident General in 1906 as a national agricultural research facility, was a hub in colonial agricultural research and food production. In order to expand agricultural productivity, the "Regulations on Subsidization of Rice Seed Production" was enacted in 1922. This carried out nation-wide seed production and supply projects, and established a seed multiplication system. After liberation, the seed management system of food crops was enacted under the Major Crop Seed Act (1962). The Agricultural Seeds and Seedlings Act (1962) was enacted for vegetables and other crops, and then the Seedlings Management Act (1973) replaced it. In 1974, the National Seed Supply Office was established as an institution that supplies high quality seeds for food self-sufficiency with support of the FAO and IBRD. Then, by introducing the variety protection system under the Seed Industry Act (1997), Korea was able to reform the national seed management system and prepare an opportunity to join the ranks of developed countries.