The present study was performed to compare the morpho-physiological characteristics of the tetraploid and diploid varieties of Platycodon grandiflorum and to obtain basic data for cultivating a tetraploid variety with high yield and content of functional substances. The plant height of the tetraploid variety (54.0 cm) was slightly higher than that of the diploid variety. The leaf length and width of the tetraploid variety were 10.2 cm and 7.3 cm, respectively. The results obtained from the present study revealed that the form of the leaf changed from lanceolate to ovate, and the chlorophyll content in the tetraploid variety (16.7) was slightly higher than that in the diploid variety. The photosynthetic rate significantly increased (24%) to 13.4 μmol CO2·m -2 ·s -1 in the tetraploid variety from that of the diploid variety. The pollen viability of the tetraploid variety was decreased by approximately 33% with respect to that of the diploid variety, but this did not have a significant adverse effect on seed production. The fresh weight of tetraploid P. grandiflorum was 49.4 g, which was approximately 44% higher than that of the diploid variety.

MATERIALS & METHODS
  Colchicine induced soaking treatment and growthinvestigation
  Investigation of number of chromosomes
  DNA content analysis by using flow cytometry
  Determination of number of chloroplasts in a guardcell
 RESULTS & DISCUSSION
 REFFREENCES

• Soo-Jeong Kwon(Dept. of Food Nutrition and Cookery, Woosong College)
• Hee-Doo Lee(Chungbuk Agricultural Research and Extension Services)
• Dong-Yeon Seo(Dept. of Hotel and Restaurant Culinary Art, Kunjang University)
• Young-Ja Moon(Dept. of Food Nutrition and Cookery, Woosong College)
• Gab-Yeon Cho(Dept. of Food Science and Biotechnology, Woosong University)
• Hee-Ock Boo(WELLPHYTO Co. Ltd., BI Center, GIST)
• Sun-Hee Woo(Dept. of Crop Science, Chungbuk National University)
• Hag-Hyun Kim(Dept. of Food Nutrition and Cookery, Woosong College) Corresponding author