In Korea, CMV (cucumber mosaic virus) is the most frequently occurring virus with a single infection rate of 45%. However, a total occurrence of CMV by co-infection, either couple or multiple, with BBWV (broad bean wilt virus), PepMoV (pepper mottle virus) and PMMoV (pepper mild mottle virus) covers over 90% in the field cultivation of pepper. The PepMoV is transmitted by several aphid species, and it has been considered the most frequently detected potyvirus when it co-infects with CMV or PMMoV. Since F1 hybrid that resistant to PepMoV has not been developed, we have developed transgenic peppers using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with a Hc-Pro gene of the PepMoV. A large number of T1 peppers were tested for resistance to the PepMoV, and T1 peppers tolerant of PepMoV were selected. After consequent self-crossing up to T4 generation, highly tolerant peppers to PepMoV were selected. So far, BC3F1 lines have been selected by back-crossing with 4 elite lines through a breeding program. The horticultural differences of the GM line comparing to inbred lines were investigated and no statistical significance between GM and non-GM lines was found. Based on molecular analysis, One of GM lines, 10-2, contained the transgene in the non-coding region indicating that this line would be a GM event.

Bt gene derived from the B. thuringiensis has been used for developing GM crops and those crops are already on the market. The aim of this study is to construct a genetic transformation with peppers using CryIAc1 gene and consequently to develop GM peppers resistant to the oriental tobacco budworm. We have developed transgenic peppers using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and obtained 5 T0 peppers. T0 peppers were self-crossed and T1 pepper fruits were exposed to larvae to test the survival rate. The survival rate of larvae that were fed with GM fruits decreased dramatically while with non-GM fruits the rate was not changed much. In order to establish the selection and the culturing of bug through a year, an incubating system for tobacco budworm in chamber was manufactured and a selection system under the media that are mixed with GM green pepper was obtained. Using those system, T3 peppers tolerant to tobacco budworm were selected.