Test of Regional Adaptation for the High Quality Selection Line
Background : For cultivation of varieties of ginseng, the pure line selection method, which is to select the best among those cultivated in farms for pedigree breeding, replicated yield trials and regional adaptation trials before registering as a new variety, is widely used. Although there are 25 registered varieties of ginseng in Korea, the quality of ginseng is declining together with the amount of harvest being decreased by 15 - 20% due to the heat injuries and diseases from the warming & abnormal climate. Thus, the needs for development of disaster-resistant varieties with better chances of surviving through high temperature, salts and disease are increasing. Therefore, this study is to cultivate disaster-resistant varieties among those selected for their disaster tolerance and salt tolerance through regional adaptation trials. Methods and Results : As a result of examining the growth characteristics of the selected 2 - 5 year old varieties used in the study, among the 5-year old crops, Goryeo 4 and Eumseong 5 showed superior growth in both above and below aerial parts, and among the 4-year old crops, Eumseong 11 and Cheonryang showed superior growth while the growth in the below aerial parts were satisfactory in the order of Cheonryang > Eumseong 10 > Eumseong 11 > Eumseong 9. Among the 3-year old crops, the most superior growth in both above and below aerial parts was observed in Eumseong 14 with the weight of the below aerial part, root diameter and taproot length at 13.8 g, 11.8 ㎝ and 6.2 ㎝ respectively. Among the 2-year old crops, Eumseong 10 showed the most superior growth in both above and below aerial parts. Conclusion : Based on the above results, Goryeo 4 and Eumseong 5 among the 5-year old crops, Eumseong 11 among the 4-year old crops, Eumseong 14 among the 3-year old crops and Eumseon 10 among the 2-year old crops showed the most superior growth among the selected varieties. The growth characteristics of both above and below aerial parts in each year will continuously be monitored.