We bred a new green-kerneled glutinous rice variety that can be cultivated in the whole area of Korea, because only one native green-kerneled glutinous rice cultivar, “aengdongchalbyeo” has been cultivated in the southern coastal area due to its late heading. The seeds of “aengdongchalbyeo”were irradiated with 200 Gy of gamma ray in 1995. A promising mutant variety, “ogwonchalbyeo”(“onnong 17” was selected through line selection and regional yield trials. In particular, the new variety revealed at the earlier mid of August compared to that of “aengdongchalbyeo” the early of September, and it was considerably tolerant to a field lodging due to its shortened culm length. Also, “ogwonchalbyeo”had a higher ripened grain ratio and 1,000 grain weight compared to the original variety. The brown grain yield of the new variety was about 5.40 MT/ha, which was 11.3% higher than that of the original variety, in the regional yield trials at 3 different fields during 2000∼2001. The brown and milled grains of the new rice variety contained 20 to 65% higher amount of total amino acids, respectively than that of the original and two checks. For chlorophyll -a, -b and total chlorophyll, the new variety showed nearly two-fold higher than the checks, and for the carotenoid, it had 5.3 –7.6 times higher amount. These results showed that the new variety can be cultivated as a special green-kerneled glutinous rice with high functional compounds.

Encouraging progress in the mutation breeding has been achieved since a mutation induction has become increasingly important for a cultivar development for complex reproductive or propagating modes, the creation of new genetic resources, especially for crops with a narrow genetic base, and the use of mutants for a genomics study. In Korea, more than 35 cultivars have been released by using the mutation breeding method since the mid-1960s, and the released cultivars were mostly developed (76%) by exposing to radiations (gamma and/or X-ray). Most of the released mutant cultivars (74%) in Korea were food and oil seed crops, especially for improving agronomic traits such as yield, lodging tolerance, maturity, or functional compounds. Currently a high yield potential of cultivated crop cultivars is relatively less popular than before, but the expectation of value-added crops, from the farmer’s side, is in high demand. Accordingly, the mutation breeding program in Korea has assigned more resources to other crop species, including some flowering and ornamental plants. These flowering and ornamental plants are ideal systems for a mutation breeding because their favored traits such as flower color or shape or plant architecture can be visually monitored after a mutagenic treatment. Additionally, these plant species are genetically heterozygous and often propagated vegetatively, which allows for an isolation and selection of mutants within M1 generation. In Korea, a program for the development of potential cultivars of flowering and ornamental crops was launched with financial support from the Biogreen 21 project in RDA. Thisintegrated program which will be conducted by a diverse array of experts will focus on major flowering and ornamental crops in Korea such as rose, chrysanthemum, lily, carnation, orchids, and clover. The potential outcomes from the program will be new highly valued-added cultivars which will provide greater money gains to Korean farmers and lots of valued mutants used for a gene isolation of interest and reverse genetics or functional genomics. Appropriate strategies should be implemented to complete its goals successfully, which includes a)induction of a wide mutant spectrum, b)applications of new irradiation techniques, c)unraveling the complex genetic phenomena controlling mutant traits, and d)development of a mass production and an intensive export system for the developed cultivars.

Eight vermiculite-based root media prepared with addition of complete fertilizer (2 g/L; N-P2 O5 -K2 O, 10-10-14) for potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) and a commercial root medium were evaluated in 2000 to develop the root media suitable for potato plug seedling production. The eight media consisted of various ratios of vermiculite, perlite, peatmoss, and compost. In addition, four rates (0, 1, 2, or 4 g/L) of the complex fertilizer for potato were added to a root medium (70% vermiculite, 10% perlite, 10% peat moss, and 10% compost by volume) to determine the optimum addition rate of the complex fertilizer for plug seedlings. Compost addition to the media increased plant height, the number of leaves per plant, and top and root fresh weight of 15-day old plug seedlings. The seedlings raised in root media containing compost produced significantly higher total tuber yield. Addition of the complex fertilizer to root media enhanced seedling growth and increased the number of tubers per plant and tuber yields. The results suggest that root media containing 50% vermiculite, 0 to 20% peat moss, 10% perlite, 20 to 40% compost, and 2 g/L complex fertilizer for potato appear suitable for potato plug seedling production.

In order to develop more stable seedling stand method in wet direct rice seeding culture, the effect of making the drainage ditches was studied in both methods of broadcast seeding on floody paddy surface and puddled-soil drill seeding. In a broadcast seeding on floody paddy surface, the ditching after seeding using a tractor or small ditch maker improved the seedling stand, and reduced the floating seedling and herbicide injury by accelerating the drainage. Suitable ditching time was at 2 days after seeding (DAS) for the tractor and at 3 DAS for the ditch maker. In the puddled-soil drill rice seeding culture, the ditching before seeding with a ditch maker at 3 days after draining effectively improved the seedling stand due to quick draining through well formed the seeding furrows. In the puddled-soil drill seeding, seedling stand number showed higher in both ditching plots synchronized with seeding compared with both only draining treatment at 1 DAS without ditching and the flooding plot condition for 6 DAS. And the suitable ditching depth was 6 cm, as considered the ditching status and drained status. These results suggest that the ditching in wet direct rice seeding is an resonable practice for improving the seedling stand through the accelerating drainage of field.

This study was conducted to evaluate the drought tolerance of Japonica and Indica rice cultivars during germinating and seedling stages by using the polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution. Each 5 cultivars of Japonica and Indica were cultured from 14 days after seeding(DAS) to 21 DAS using the PEG solution in a moderate water potential (-0.63 MPa). The lengths of radicle and plumule during the germinating stage were inhibitied by the PEG treatment to about 50% and 85%, respectively. The application of PEG to the seedling of two rice types caused to inhibit the plant height and leaf age about 23 % and 10%, respectively. Shoot and root dry weights by PEG treatment were inhibited more severely in Japonica than those in Indica. The difference on delaying of leaf area expansion between both rice types was not found with treatment of PEG, while the leaf color was increased in both Japonica and Indica by 19.9% and 9.2%, respectively. The average photosynthetic ability was inhibited more in Japonica to 36.0% than did Indica to 27.9%. The stomatal conductance was severely affected by PEG treatment, and the degree was varied in both rice types, ranged with 80-85% in Japonica and 29.3-81.6% in Indica. These results indicate there is little relationship between seed germination and seedling growth under the stress of low water potential.

Rice seedling test was conducted to check the loging tolerance at ripening stage through evaluating the root characters. Thirteen Korean and foreign rice cultivars with direct seeding adaptable or high quality characteristics were grown in a cell pot and under submerged paddy. The root characters and pushing resistance of rice hill were determined at seedling and ripening stage, respectively. The diameter of crown root at the 7th and 8th leaf stages was thicker in lodging tolerance cultivars than those of others and showed significant-positive correlation with both pushing resistance and crown root diameter of mature plants. Also, the tensile strength of crown root at the 7th and 8th leaf stage showed highly positive correlation with the tensile strength of crown root of mature plants. The number of crown root at 7th leaf stage was significant-positively correlated with that of mature plant. The diameter of seminal root was not significantly correlated with the diameter of crown root throughout the whole growth stage. These results indicate that the diameter, tensile strength and number of crown root associated with root lodging tolerance can be detected with the seedling at about 7th or 8th leaf stage, and the seedling test using the cell pot is an useful and practical method to select lodging tolerant cultivars or lines of rice based on root characters, especially diameter of crown root.

The concerns on the crop damage by ultraviolet (UV) radiations is increasing owing to the decrease of their absorbing stratospheric ozone in the tropospheric. Cultivar differences on early growth of UV radiation among five Korean rice cultivars, four japonica types and one Tongil type (indica-japonica cross hybrid), were studied. Pot-seeded rice plants were grown under four different radiation conditions, i.e., visible radiation only, visible radiation with supplemented with high or low dose of UV-B (280~320 nm in wavelength) and UV-C (less than 280 nm in wavelength). The inhibitory degree on plant height, shoot and root weight and length of leaf blade and leaf sheath were determined at 40 days after seeding. UV-C showed the most severe inhibitory effect on the degree of biomass gain and leaf growth in most cultivars examined, followed by high UV-B and low UV-B. Among the cultivars used, the Kuemobyeo was the most sensitive cultivar and had not repair or showed resistance ability to continued irradiation of UV radiation. However, Janganbyeo and Jaekeon showed different responses that the elongation of leaf blades was promoted on 2nd and 3rd leaves and inhibited on 4th and 5th leaves but this inhibitory degree was reduced on 6 th and 7th leaves. Such tendency on leaf growth means that both cultivars had low sensitivity and most resistant ability to continued irradiation of UV radiation. While Tongil showed different response to enhanced UV radiation, ie., low UV-B promoted leaf growth but the inhibitory was severely increased by continued irradiation of high UV-B and UV-C, which means that Tongil had high threshold of UV radiation for response as an inhibitory light of plant growth. The results of this study indicate that the differences on sensitivity or resistant to the effects of UV radiation were existed among Korean rice cultivars

Soil moisture condition is an important limiting factor in growth and yield in rice culture. The purpose of this study was to compare the influence on the growth, yield and Quality of rice subjected to soil moisture stress (SMS) at different growth stages. Ajaponica rice cultivar, Dongjinbyeo, was cultured under flooded conditions in a plastic container filled with silty loam soil. The container was subjected to SMS until the initial wilting point (IWP) coincided with about 10% in soil moisture content and about-200 kPa in soil matric potential, and was then irrigated again, at 6 and 5 of main growth stage in 1996 and 1997, respectively. At maturity, the plant height, tiller number, leaf area and top dry weight were decreased more in SMS treatments at the early stage than the late stage. The averaged yield index of SMS to control in both years was lowest at meiosis (62.5%), which primarily resulted from lower percent ripened grain and 1,000 grain weight, and second＇ reduced the spikelet number per panicle and panicle number per hill, and followed at tillering stage (68.5%) which resulted from the lower production in tiller number and top dry matter during and after SMS treatment. The percent-age of read rice in SMS plants varied with the treatment stage as order of lower at meiosis (44.0%), heading (53.9%), panicle initiation (70.1%), tillering (72.1%), ripening (75.8%) and 5 days after transplanting (DAT) (79.0%). Protein content in brown rice was slightly larger in SMS at late growth stage than the control, while the contents of fat and ash differed very little between SMS and control. Contents of Mg and K and Mg/K in brown rice with SMS were lower at some treatment stages such as at ripening or panicle initiation.

Spikelet and vascular bundle development in rice panicles is considered to be the important elements in determining the genotype's yield capacity and translocation ability of assimilates into grains, respectively. This study was conducted to clarify the varietal differences of the spikelet and vascular bundle formations among three rice cultivars; Iksan 435 (japonica), Dongjinbyeo (japonica) and Namcheonbyeo (Tongl-type). Iksan 435 had more primary rachis branches (PRBs), secondary rachis branches (SRBs) and spikelets per panicle than Dongjinbyeo, but less than Namcheonbyeo. Among three cultivars, Namcheonbyeo showed the highest spikelet number per panicle which were differentiated SRBs mainly on PRBs of lower rachis nodes. And Namchenbyeo showed the highest number of large vascular bundle (LVB) as well as small vascular bundle (SVB) and it displayed the largest diameter of LVB. Between the two japonica cultivars, the numbers of LVBs end SVBs were significantly higher in Iksan 435 than those in Dongjinbyeo. The PRBs to LVBs ratio of Namcheonbyeo was twice as large as those of Dongjinbyeo and Iksan 435. These results indicate that the newly bred cultivar, Iksan 435, has improved yield capacity by increasing the number of especially rachis branches and spikelets formation as well as 1,000 grain weight, compared to other former japonicas

Over 2,000 ha of rice fields in the western and southern coastal region of Korea were flooded with sea water during the spring tide, on August 19-21, 1997, and the rice plant at heading stage was injured. The field surveys were undertaken at the sea water flooded paddy fields in Chonbuk Province, to identify the injury symptoms and rice yield damage subjected to different flooding condition and desalinization methods. Five days after sea water flooding at heading stage, the flag leaves of rice plants flooded with 30 ㎝ deep sea water withered from the tip, the withering progressed to the lower leaves in deeper flooding. The spikelets were spotted black and discolored from the tip at 50 ㎝ deep flooded rice, and some panicles changed to white at 80 ㎝ deep flooded rice. Most of the rice leaves submerged completely for an hour were withered and most of panicles changed to white. The milled rice yield, percentage of ripened grain, and 1000 grain weight of flooded rice decreased with deeper flooding water, higher water salinity and longer flooding time. Even under the same flooding conditions, the damage of rice yield varied with the growth stage: heading stage>dough stage>booting stage. Rice yield damage was less in the fields on the upper riverside than those of the fields on the estuary and seaside, because of lower water salinity. In a flooded field, the rice yield damages were reduced as the distance increased from the levees where the sea water inflowed and increased as the distance increased from the fresh water irrigation gate. The desalinization treatments consisting of frequent exchange of irrigation water and spraying with fresh water soon after flooding effectively reduced the rice yield damage.

Root and shoot development of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars with different genetic backgrounds was studied with reference to their relative growth. Tongil type (indica-japonica hybrid) cultivar 'Kuemkangbyeo' and japonica cultivar 'Koshihikari' were grown in 5000-1 a Wagnar pots under flooded condition. Three plants with roots of both cultivars were taken in every phyllochron through the heading stage to record morphological characteristics of shoot and root system. Compared to Koshihikari, Kuemkangbyeo produced more tillers and had greater shoot weight and leaf area per hill. Length and weight of the root system in both cultivars increased exponentially with time. At the same time, root system development was significantly faster in Kuemkangbyeo than in Koshihikari after the panicle initiation stage. As a result, Kuemkangbyeo has a vigorous root system which consists of larger number of nodal roots compared to Koshihikari. Also, the root length and weight per unit leaf area of Kuemkangbyeo were larger than those of Koshihikari in the later half of growing period, which suggests possible higher physiological activity of the root system of Kuemkangbyeo which is known as a high-yielding cultivar. The relationship between root traits (crown root number, total root length, and root dry weight) and shoot traits (leaf area and leaf+culm dry weight) in both cultivars closely showed allometry until the flag leaf stage.

Aerenchyma development in rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots is quite important for adaptation to waterlogged or reduced soil conditions. Anatomical observations were carried out to clarify the development of schizogenous and lysigenous aerenchyma in elongating crown roots of rice. The crown roots of 3rd and 4th phytomer were taken from rice plants of the 8th leaf stage grown by hydroponic culture. The schizogenous intercellular spaces in the cortex of crown root tip were observed using a light microscope with semi ultra-thin sections and the lysigenous aerenchyma in mature tissue of crown root were observed using a cryo scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) with freezing fracture method. The schizogenous intercellular spaces in the root tip exist obviously in the middle portion of cortical cell layers close to the root-root cap junction, but not in root cap, stele and outer cell layers of cortex. The air spaces were formed at the junction of four neighbouring cells of inner cortex in the transverse sections, and between longitudinal cell layer connected along the root axis. Although many of those spaces were filled with liquid, some spaces seem to exist as air spaces. The lysigenous aerenchyma in the cortex, which hardly filled with liquid, emerged at 3-4 cm segment from the root tip and increased toward the basal region of root axis. The developing process of lysigenous aerenchyma was primarily separation of a radial row of cells caused by the shrinking and collapsing of cortical cells and then formation of septa along the radial cell rows by the fusion of cell wall with each other. These results suggest that the schizogenous and lysigenous aerenchyma playa role as a passage for the movement of oxygen into the root tip region where oxygen is required for respiration.