This study was carried out to investigate the difference of growth characteristics, yield and extract content between upland and paddy ginseng cultured with 4­year-old ginseng in 2003. Although upland ginseng showed larger variation in yield than that of paddy ginseng, the average of it was greater than that of paddy ginseng because it showed better growth of aerial part and higher survival rate than that of paddy ginseng. Moisture content of fresh root was 71.8~%~;(68.5~~73.1~%),~;and~;72.7~%~;(70.2 ~~74.9~%) on average in upland and paddy ginseng, respectively. Paddy ginseng showed higher hardness in taproot, and higher rate of rusty colored root than that of upland ginseng. The ratio of taproot dry weight in upland ginseng was smaller than that of paddy ginseng, while that of lateral root was larger in upland ginseng. Ratio of marketable root (>60g) to total harvested roots was 13.7~%~;(0.82~~8.0~%)~;and~;7.7~%~;(1.6~~12.6~%) in upland and paddy ginseng, respectively. Extract content did not show distinct difference between upland and paddy ginseng, but it showed large variation from 16.1~;to~;25.1~% in taproot, and from 24.2~;to~;32.5~% in lateral root depanding on the ginseng field examined.

Several wild plant species are known to contain biologically active substances that are allelopathic to weed species as well as antioxidant to foods. Plant extracts or residues from leaves of 4 species, Achyranthes japonica (speedwell), Cucumis sativus (Cucumber), Trifolium repens (white clover), and Vicia angustifolia (narrowleaf vetch) were bioassayed against Medicago sativa (alfalfa) or Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass) to determine their allelopathic effects, and used for measurement of antioxidant activities. The aqueous extracts applied on filter paper significantly inhibited root growth of alfalfa. Aqueous extracts or residues from V. angustifolia showed the most inhibitory effect on alfalfa or barnyard grass seedling growth and followed by A. japonica and T. repens. Oxidative stability by Rancimat method, antioxidant activity by TBA (2-thiobarbituric acid) method and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity for the ground samples or methanol extracts were the greatest in V. angustifolia, although were less than those of commonly used antioxidants, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and ascorbic acid. These results suggest that the wild plant species had potent allelopathic and antioxidant activities, and that their activities differed depending on plant species.