Citrus is one of the major fruits produced in Korea. There are about 20 species mainly grown in Jeju Island, Korea. Four representative species, which are quite different in the shape of leaf and the taste of fruit, were selected and were used to profile the transcriptomes. These species are ‘Miyagawa Wase’ (C. unshiu Marcov.) satsuma mandarin, ‘Kiyomi’ (C. unshiu Marcov. × C. sinensis) mandarin hybrid, ‘Dangyuja’ (C. grandis) and ‘Natsudaidai’ (C. natsudaidai). Classification of the up-regulated and down-regulated genes using the Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) database reveals that the number of genes included in each group differed significantly among the four species. Several genes that showed significant differences in expression on the microarray were selected and their expression patterns were examined by reverse transcription- ploymerase chain reaction. Metabolic genes such as tyrosine decarboxylase and β-glucosidase ligase were found to be highly expressed in Miyagawa Wase, relative to other species. On the other hand, the expression level of mannose phosphate isomerase was lower in Miyagawa Wase. An efflux pump gene was found to be up-regulated in Kiyomi, whereas cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase was down-regulated. β-carotene 15,15’-dioxygenase, which is involved in the vitamin metabolism, was up-regulated in Natsudaidai. Interspecific differentiations of gene expression are analyzed in terms of the metabolic pathways and their possible roles in citrus species.

Wild rice might have previously unidentified genes important for disease resistance and stress tolerance in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. A set of subtractive library was constructed both from leaves of wild rice plants, Oryza grandiglumis (CCDD, 2n=48), treated with fungal elicitor and from wounded leaves. A partial fragment that was homologous to PR10 genes from other plant species was identified via suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA macroarray. The obtained full-length cDNA sequence (OgPR10) contains an open reading frame of 480 bp nucleotide, encoding 160 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 16.944 kDa and an isoelectric point (pI) of 4.91. The multiple alignment analyses showed the higher sequence homology of OgPR10 with PR10 genes identified in rice plants at amino acid level. The OgPR10 mRNA was not expressed by treatment with wounding, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid, but markedly expressed in leaves treated with protein phosphatase inhibitors cantharidin and endothall, and yeast extract. In addition, the expression of OgPR10 mRNA was induced within 72 h after treatment with probenazole, one of well-known chemical elicitors, and reached the highest level at 144 h. Heterologous expression of OgPR10 caused growth inhibition and seedling lethality in E. coli and Arabidopsis, respectively. Chemically induced OgPR10 expression with glucocorticoid-mediated transcriptional induction system further reconfirmed its lethality on Arabidopsis seedling. In addition, OgPR10-expressing rice plants, Oryzae sativar were resistant against the infection of rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. These results indicate that OgPR10 is involved in probenazole- and microbe associated molecular patterns-mediated disease resistance responses in plants and is a potential gene for developing disease resistance crop plants.

A new soybean cultivar for soy-paste, “Mansu”, was developed from the cross between ‘Suwon 192’, which was tolerant to disease, late maturing and high yielding, and ‘Suwon 196’ which was early maturing and large seed by soybean breeding team in the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) to make new variety having large seed and high yielding. A promising line, SS97213-2B-3SSD-39-1-1, was selected and designated as the name of ‘Suwon 236’. It was characterized by regional yield trials (RYT) for three years from 2004 to 2006 and released as the name of “Mansu”. It has a determinate growth habit, purple flower, grey pubescence, pale green seed coat, yellow cotyledon, large spherical seed (26.5 grams per 100 seeds). Maturity date is 4 days later than the check cultivar, Taekwang. The average yield of Mansu was 2.93 ton per hectare in the regional yield trials (RYT) carried out for three years from 2004 to 2006 which was 7 percent higher than that of the check cultivar, Taekwang.

‘Seohong’ was bred within the potato breeding program of National Institute of Highland Agriculture (NIHA). It was originated from a cross made in 1997 between ‘Jashim’ as a female and 93K65-1 as a male parent. Seohong was evaluated as a seedling number 97S05-1 for tuber characteristics, growth and yielding ability from 2001 to 2002, and than this clone was renamed as Daegwan 1-82. This clone was evaluated in the regional yield trial and the disease resistance in the five locations for three years. Finally, this clone was named as ‘Seohong’ and registered a new recommended potato cultivar in 2006. This cultivar has a round, shallow eye depth, light red-skinned tuber characteristics and low to medium dry matter content. It showed high resistance to common scab (Streptomyces scabies) and potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), however it was susceptible to potato virus Y (PVY) and late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Its mean tuber yields from the regional yield trial and winter cropping trial were 12 and 49 percent higher than that of ‘Superior’, respectively.

“Haryeong” was bred through the potato breeding program at the National Institute of Highland Agriculture (NIHA). Itin1996. It has a round, smooth, light yelow-skined tuber characteristics and high dry mater content. It showed high resistance tolate bligh