In this study, Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeat (EST-SSR) analyses were used to clarify the genetic polymorphisms among Korean ginseng cultivars and breeding lines and to classify them into distinct genetic groups. Polymorphic and reproducible bands were produced by 14 primers out of total 30 primers used in this study. Fourteen EST-SSR loci generated a total of 123 bands. Amplified PCR products showed the highly reproducible banding patterns at 110~920 bp. The number of amplified bands for each EST-SSR primers ranged from 2 to 19 with a mean of 8.8 bands. P26 and P35 primers showed 13 and 12 banding patterns, respectively. The number of alleles for each EST-SSR locus ranged from 1.67 to 2.00 with a mean of 1.878 alleles. P34 and P60 primers showed the highest and the lowest genetic polymorphism, respectively. Cluster analysis based on genetic similarity estimated by EST-SSR markers classified Korean cultivars and breeding lines into 4 groups. Group included Gopoong and Chunpoong and 9 breeding lines (55%), group included 2 breeding lines (10%), group included 3 breeding lines (15%), group included Gumpoong and 3 breeding lines (20%). Consequently, the EST-SSR marker developed in this study may prove useful for the evaluation of genetic diversity and differentiation of Korean ginseng cultivars and breeding lines.

These studies were conducted to provide basic information on Korean ginseng cultivars and breeding lines (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.) and to identify the variations that can be utilized in ginseng breeding programs. The agronomic characteristics was used to clarify the genetic relationships among Korean ginseng cultivars and breeding lines and to classify them into distinct genetic groups. Angle of petiole and number of fibrous root showed a wide variation from 15.0~67.8˚ and 0~5, respectively. The average plant length was 54.2cm with a range of 37.9~64.8cm and the average stem diameter was 5.6mm with a range of 4.0~7.5mm. The average stem length was 31.9cm with a range of 21.8~37.9cm and the average root weight was 38.1 g with a range of 23.0~52.0 g. The 24 Korean ginseng cultivars and breeding lines were classified into 4 groups based on agronomic characteristics using the complete linkage cluster analysis. The I, II, III and IV groups included the 60.8%, 7.4%, 13.1% and 8.7% of the cultivars and breeding lines, respectively. The breeding lines in group I could be characterized as the group with the highest growth characters and yield components, such as plant length, stem diameter and root weight. The root weight, the yield component, had highly significant positive correlations with stem diameter, plant length and stem length.

In this study, simple sequence repeat (SSR) analyses were utilized for evaluation of genetic diversity and discrimination of 17 accessions. Five cultivars, which were developed from Korea, and 12 foreign accessions, which were collected from China, Japan, Russia and USA, were evaluated by nine markers out of 22 SSR markers. A total of 39 alleles were detected, ranging from 2 to 8, with an average of 4.3 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity and PIC values were 0.627 and 0.553, with a range from 0.21 (GB-PG-078) to 0.76 (GB-PG-142) and from 0.19 (GB-PG-078) to 0.70 (GB-PG-142), respectively. Four makers out of nine SSR markers, GB-PG-026, GB-PG-043, GB-PG-142 and GB-PG-177, were selected as key factors for discrimination of Korean ginseng cultivars and foreign accessions. All of Korean ginseng cultivars and foreign accessions were individually by the combination of four SSR markers. Consequently, the SSR markers developed in this study may prove useful for the evaluation of genetic diversity and discrimination of Korean ginseng cultivars and foreign accessions.

The principal objective of this study was to develop a discrimination method using SSR markers in Korean ginseng cultivars. Five cultivars--Chunpoong, Yunpoong, Gopoong, Sunpoong, and Kumpoong--were evaluated by nine markers out of 22 SSR markers. A total of 23 alleles were detected, ranging from 1 to 4, with an average of 2.6 alleles per locus, and an averages of gene diversity (GD) of 0.480. Nine markers were tested in order to distinguish among five Korean ginseng cultivars. Two markers out of nine SSR markers, GB-PG-065 and GB-PG-142, were selected as key markers for discrimination among Korean ginseng cultivars. Two genotypes were detected in GB-PG-065. Chunpoong and Kumpoong shared the same allele type, and Yunpoong, Gopoong, and Sunpoong shared another identical allele type. In the case of GB-PG-142, a specific allele type differentiated from those of other four cultivars was observed only in Sunpoong cultivar. Consequently, the SSR markers developed in this study may prove useful for the identification of Korean ginseng cultivars and the development of ginseng seed management systems, as well as tests to guarantee the purity of ginseng seeds.