‘큰눈’은 다양한 전분 신소재를 육성할 목적으로 1991년 하계에 양질다수성 품종인 ‘일품벼’에 돌연변이처리(MNU)하여 중만생이며 배가 일반벼보다 큰 거대배아미인 ‘Ilpum MNU)36-2-GH1-2-10-1-2-3-2-1’ 계통을 선발하여 ‘수원492호’로 계통명을 부여하여, 2003년부터 2005년까지 3년간 지역적응시험 실시결과 그 우수성이 인정되어 2005년 12월 직무육성 신품종 선정위원회에서 국가목록등재 품종으로 선정됨과 동시에 ‘큰눈’으로 명명하였다. ‘큰눈’의 중부평야지의 평균 출수기는 8월 17일로 ‘화성벼’보다 6일 느리고, 남부평야지 평균 출수기는 8월 15일로 ‘남평벼’보다 1일 빠른 중생종이다. ‘큰눈’의 간장은 86 cm이며, 이삭길이는 23 cm로 ‘화성벼’와 비슷하고, 포기당 이삭수는 ‘화성벼’보다 적으나, 수당립수는 많고, 등숙비율은 낮은 편이며, 현미 천립중은 가벼운 편이다. ‘큰눈’은 도열병 저항성은 약한 반응을 보였으며, 흰잎마름병 및 바이러스병과 벼멸구 및 애멸구 저항성은 없었다. ‘큰눈’은 내냉성검정에서 ‘화성벼’에 비해 출수지연일수가 다소 길고, 냉수구 임실율이 낮아서 내냉성은 약한 편이며, 도복특성검정에서 좌절중은 낮고, 도복지수는 높은 편이나 포장 도복은 강한 편이다. ‘큰눈’은 현미장폭비가 1.62인 중단원립이고, 투명도가 다소 불량하고 심복백이 많아 외관 품위가 떨어지고, 아밀로스와 단백질 함량은 각각 17.5, 5.9%로 ‘화성벼’보다 낮은 편이며, 단당류 및 올리고당 함량은 ‘화성벼’보다 1.4배, 발아현미의 GABA 함량은 발아 2일에서 ‘일품벼’보다 2.8배 많았다. ‘큰눈’의 쌀수량은 보통기재배에서 평균 쌀수량이 4.52 MT/ha로 ‘화성벼’ 대비 89% 수준이었다. ‘큰눈’의 재배적지는 중부평야 및 남부평야지이다.

Field resistance is defined as the resistance that allows effective control of a parasite under natural field condition and is durable when exposed to new races of that parasite. To identify the genes for field resistance against rice blast, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring field resistance in japonica rice cultivars were detected and mapped using SSR markers. QTL analysis was carried out in 190 RILs population from the cross between Suweon365 (moderately resistance) and Chucheong (highly susceptible). Fourteen QTLs for nine blast races inoculated were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12. They explained from 6.4 to 39.7% of total phenotypic variation. Eight QTLs for blast nursery screening in 4 regions for three years were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 11 and 12. The phenotypic variation was explained by each QTL ranged from 5.9 to 38.0%. Three BC2F5 backcrossed progeny lines were developed to transfer the QTLs into the susceptible cultivar Chucheong as a recurrent parent. A NIL4 containing two QTLs Qbl6.2 and Qbl7 for blast races showed the reaction 6 to 7 in blast nursery in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Two lines NIL143 and NIL93 containing Qbl11.2 and Qbl12.1 for QTLs related with field resistance, respectively, were 3 to 4 reactions in blast nursery.

Brown planthopper (BPH) is a major insect pest of tropical indica and temperate japonica rice in Asia and Africa. A major BPH resistance gene, Bph18 derived from IR65482-7-216-1-2 has been fine mapped on chromosome 12 and confers strong resistance to the Korean biotype of BPH. The Bph18 gene is tightly linked to the STS marker, 7312.T4A and is non-allelic to previously reported resistance genes present on chromosome 12. The Bph18 gene has been transferred into two elite japonica cultivars (Jinbubyeo and Junambyeo) background through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MAB) strategy. Foreground selection using STS markrs linked to the Bph18 gene in advanced backcross progenies confirmed homozygous marker alleles associated with BPH resistance. Background selection of the breeding lines with 260 simple repeat (SSR) markers revealed rapid conversion toward recurrent parent genotypes with less donor chromosomal segments (5.3-16.7%). Major agronomic traits of the progenies were analyzed and some breeding lines have agronomic traits comparable to the recurrent parent. One breeding line (S.523) with multiple-resistance to BPH and major diseases, desirable agronomic traits and grain quality has been recommended for regional testing in Korea. MAB is the suitable strategy to incorporate new genes into susceptible japonica to develop elite breeding lines.

The germplasm of 246 rice cultivars was analysed 　for iron and zinc contents using a Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma (ICP) at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Philippines. Iron contents ranged from 2.0 to 12.0, and zinc ranged from 10.0 to 33.0 (mg/kg), showing with the mean values of 4.3 and 22.8 (mg/kg), respectively. In genotypes tested, there was approximately a two-fold difference in iron and zinc concentrations, suggesting a genetic potential to increase these micronutrients in rice grain. A highly significant positive correlation (r2=0.503) was found between iron and zinc contents. Iron contents decreased drastically as polishing time increased, whereas zinc decreased only slightly. In the interaction between genotype and environment on iron contents, genotype (G), environment (E), and the G × E interactions accounted for 69%, 5% and 26% of the sums of squares, respectively. Indicating that genotype is would be the most significant factor for the to improve iron contents of rice in rice breeding, suggesting that therefore identifying genotypes with relatively stable performance across various environments is important as staple food crops.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the agronomic stability of North Korean rice varieties using the statistical model developed by Grafius, Finlay, and Ever hart. The lowest yearly variation based on coefficients of variation was found in Hannam 29 for number of panicles per hill, in Sijoong 9 for number of grains per panicle, in Pyeongyang 3 for ripened grain ratio, in Sijoong 16 for 1,000 grain weight, and in Yeomju 1 for grain yield. By Grafius's model, Pyeongbook 3, Weonsan 66 in early maturing groups and Seohaechalbyeo in medium maturing groups show stable for 3 years. Weonsan 66 in early maturing groups and Seohaechalbyeo in medium maturing groups were found to be highly stable as analyzed by both Finlay and Wilkinson's model and Everhart & Russell's model. With reference to three models, Weonsan 66 was highly stable for 3 years with showing more yield than Odaebyeo in early maturing groups while Seohaechalbyeo was highly stable for 3 years with showing high yield than Hwaseongbyeo in medium maturing groups above 5~;t~;ha-1 of milled rice respectively.

Frequent occurrence of off-type plants in a given cultivar has been a serious problem in both breeder's and farmer's fields. An experiment was designed to examine the differences in rate of occurrence of off-type plants among Tongil-type cultivars (high yielding cultivars derived from indica/japonica hybridization) from which the possible cause of higher occurrence of off-type plant in a specific cultivar was deduced. Among five Tongil-type cultivars examined for morphological variant in the field, only one cultivar, Dasanbyeo, had off-type plants. When analyzed with SSR markers, off-type plants showed different band patterns from original cultivar, having several extra bands in addition to cultivar-specific band, suggesting that off-type plants were originated from Dasanbyeo, rather than originated from mixing or mishandling of seed materials with other cultivars. The possible cause of off-type occurrence seems to be natural pollination with other cuItivars adjacent to the original cultivar during seed multiplication. This was supported from the observation that self-crossed progeny of the off type plants showed a wide range of variation of agronomic traits which could not be observed when there was a smaller introduction of genes to the fixed germplasm as happened in the case of cultivar mutation. Another evidence supported this idea that Dasanbyeo showed much of difference in floral organ and behavior to other cultivar to be subjected to higher out-crossing than other cultivars examined.

If a quantitative trait loci (QTL) marker identified in a population is applicable to different populations (marker universality), this will not only reduce the labor and cost in marker assisted selection (MAS), but accelerate the application of molecular markers to real breeding programs. Present study aims to evaluate the defined QTL related markers from a population to a different breeding population for the MAS. Four rice breeding populations were subjected to seventy-five simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers which were already identified for their polymorphism information content (PIC) in the parents of the crossings. Among them, eight markers were evaluated for their correlation between presence of marker alleles and phenotypic expression in breeding populations. A reasonable level of polymorphism for the mapped markers originated from any sources of rice accessions was observed between crosses of any sources (marker repeatability). However, correlation between presence of markers and expression of the traits in rice breeding populations was not significant except for minor portion of traits and markers examined (failure of marker universality). In the present study, various strategies were discussed to develop new markers with universality of breeding application.