‘Amimyeon’ (Milyang355) is a new Tongil-type rice cultivar developed by NICS, RDA, in 2022, to improve processing suitability and cost competitiveness in the rice noodle industry. Derived from a cross between ‘Milyang288’ and ‘Bukkyeong2012-2,’ it is medium-late maturing ecotype with an average heading date of August 13. It has a culm length of 81 cm, 122 spikelets per panicle, a ripening ratio of 85.2%, and distinct medium-long grains (length-to-width ratio of 2.77). ‘Amimyeon’ exhibits strong resistance to leaf blast and rice stripe virus, with a very low viviparous germination rate (0.2%). Physicochemical analyses revealed high amylose content (26.7%), 8.1% protein content, and a Jasmine85-like aromatic profile. Cooked pasta and noodles made from ‘Amimyeon’ exhibited superior springiness, cohesiveness, and tensile strength compared with commercial products. Its average milled rice yield was 7.24 MT/ha (724 kg/10a), revealing a 4% increase over ‘Dasan’. Thus, ‘Amimyeon’ is highly recommended for plain regions in South Korea as a premium processing material (Registration No. 10644).
‘Geumgang 1’ (Milyang307) is a high-yielding Tongil-type rice cultivar developed by the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, in 2017 for the rice processing and baking industries. It was derived from a cross between ‘Dasan1’ and ‘Geumgangbyeo’. The cultivar heading date is on August 14 in the southern plain region of Korea and is classified as medium-late maturing. It has a culm length of 74 cm, 13 panicles per hill, 142 spikelets per panicle, a ripened grain ratio of 78.6%, and a 1,000-grain weight of 23.1 g. ‘Geumgang 1’ is resistant to leaf blast, bacterial blight (K1-K3a), and rice stripe virus but susceptible to brown planthopper. In regional adaptability tests (2015-2017) at three locations, it produced an average milled rice yield of 8.17 MT/ha, the highest recorded among Korean rice cultivars and was 23% higher than the yield of ‘Dasan’. With 19.0% amylose and flour properties similar to those of japonica rice, it is well suited as a wheat flour substitute for bakery products and is recommended for single-cropping plains in southern Korea (Registration No. 7686).
‘Betahealth,’ a new high β-glucan covered barley cultivar, was developed from a cross between ‘Betaone’ and ‘Dahyang’ at the National Institute of Crop and Food Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea, in 2023. ‘Betahealth’ was bred to enhance the cultivation stability of the high β-glucan cultivar ‘Betaone’ while maintaining its functional properties. Regional yield trials were conducted at five locations between 2021 and 2023. ‘Betahealth’ is a six-rowed winter barley cultivar with a vernalization type IV growth habit. In the adapted regions, the average heading and maturity dates were April 22 and May 28, respectively. The culm length was 79 cm and the 1,000-grain weight was 32.3 g. ‘Betahealth’ exhibited resistance to Barley yellow mosaic virus and strong lodging tolerance. However, it was susceptible to powdery mildew and cold. Grain quality demonstrated that ‘Betahealth’ had a waxy endosperm with a low amylose content (3.2%) and a high β-glucan content (14.2%), which was higher than those of ‘Hyeyang’ (5.2%) and ‘Betaone’ (12.4%). Additionally, it revealed superior cooking quality with higher water absorption and expansion rates than those of the other cultivars. The estimated glycemic index values of 100% barley and a 20% barley-rice mixture were 41.90 and 42.92, respectively, which were the lowest among the tested cultivars. The average grain yield in the adapted region was 511 kg/10a, which was not significantly different from that of ‘Hyeyang’. Thus, ‘Betahealth’ is expected to be a useful functional barley cultivar due to its high β-glucan content, favorable cooking quality, and stable agronomic performance (Registration No. 10754).
Root biomass is an important determinant of seedling vigor that contributes to water and nutrient acquisition in rice (Oryza sativa L.). In this study, we evaluated the total root weight (TRW) of 127 Korean rice cultivars, comprising 110 temperate japonica (TEJ) and 17 Tongil-type cultivars, under hydroponic conditions. Population structure analysis separated the accessions into two major groups corresponding primarily to the TEJ and Tongil-type cultivars. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using the FarmCPU, BLINK, and MLM approaches, all three of which detected a common association signal for TRW on chromosome 7. Further GWAS analysis using only the 110 TEJ cultivars revealed an association signal in the same genomic region, thereby providing evidence of a possible relationship between this region and the variation in TRW within the TEJ cultivars. Additionally, by performing linkage disequilibrium block analysis, we identified a candidate region spanning approximately 369 kb, containing 43 genes. On the basis of gene expression and haplotype analyses, Os07g0517000, Os07g0520400, and Os07g0520900 were selected as putative candidate genes. However, given that the observed haplotype differences were partially associated with the varietal-group composition, their effects should be interpreted with caution. These results will provide genomic information for gaining a better understanding of variations in seedling root biomass and contribute to further validation of genes associated with root development in rice.
An important objective in wheat breeding is the development of cultivars with reduced allergenicity and enhanced bread-making quality. In this study, we conducted molecular marker analysis using 1,780 F10 recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between the hypo-allergenic cultivar Ofree and the Korean bread wheat cultivar Keumgang, and assessed the genotypes associated with ω-5 gliadin, α-gliadin epitopes, bread-making quality, grain hardness, total gliadin content, and the glutenin/gliadin ratio. A Gli-B1 deletion-based ω-5 gliadin-deficient genotype was detected in 18% of the population, whereas no lines lacking Gli-D1-derived ω-5 gliadin or α-gliadin epitopes were identified. The AX-108761918 marker was found to have segregated into TT and GG genotypes at frequencies of 48% and 52%, respectively. Eleven lines carrying favorable combinations of Glu-D1d, Pinb-D1b, and TaIAA10-6D Hap II were selected as promising bread wheat candidates, and a further nine lines combining the Gli-B1 deletion with Glu-D1d and Pinb-D1b were identified as candidates with both reduced-allergenicity and enhanced bread-making quality genotypes. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed patterns of storage proteins consistent with the results obtained for marker genotyping. These selected lines may provide valuable breeding material for the development hypo-allergenic wheat cultivars with enhanced bread-making quality in Korea.
