종자 건전성(seed health)은 종자 또는 식물체에 유익하지 못한 영향을 미칠 수 있는 생물체의 감염상태를 의미한다. 이들 생물체는 종자의 품질에 직접적인 피해를 줄 수 있으며,감염 종자는 식물체에 병을 유발하고 포장에서의 발병을 확산시킴으로써 대규모의 경제적 피해를 유발할 수 있다. 상업용종자의 해외증식 및 국제교역, 종자 유전자원의 해외분양 및 상호교환이 활발해짐에 따라 이러한 위험성이 더욱 커지고 있으며 더불어 종자 건전성 관리의 중요성 또한 증가하고 있다. 다양한 벼 종자 유전자원을 보존하고 연구용으로 분양하는 국제미작연구소(International Rice Research Institute, IRRI)는 유전자원의 건전성 확보를 위하여 종자건전성연구실(Seed health unit)을 두어 체계적인 관리시스템을 운영하고 있다. 필리핀 식물산업국 산하 식물검역소로부터 권한을 부여받아 필리핀 국내로 도입되거나 해외로 분양되는 유전자원에 대하여종자처리 및 건전성 모니터링, 종자 건전성 검사 및 데이터베이스 관리 업무를 수행하고 있다. 대상 병원균에 따라 육안검사, 수세현탁액 검사, 습지법 검사, 한천배지 검사 등을 적용하고 있으며, 감염종자는 온탕처리와 같은 물리적 처리와 살균제 또는 훈증제와 같은 화학적 처리를 수행한다. 국제미작연구소의 건전성 관리시스템을 우리나라 벼 종자 유전자원의보존·관리에 선별 적용하고, 더불어 종자소독방법과 저장 전관리체계를 확립함으로써 벼 유전자원의 품질을 제고할 수 있을 것이다. 또한 국제협력 및 공동연구 등 신뢰구축을 통해유용한 해외 유전자원을 확보하는 데 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

기후변화 적응과정에서 도입 작물의 국내 재배실태를 조사하고 대응과제를 도출코져 본 연구를 수행하였으며, 그 결과는 다음과 같다. 도입 열대·아열대 채소 재배현황(2015년 기준)은 18작목으로 재배농가수는 920농가, 재배면적은 321 ㏊로 조사 추정되었고, 재배면적이 많았던 작물은 울금, 여주, 아스파라거스, 삼채, 허브류 순이었다. 도입 열대·아열대 과수류 재배현황은 2015년 국내재배 농가수와 재배면적은 264농가 106.5㏊로 추정되며, 전년대비 각각 51.7%와 83.7% 증가하였다. 도입 특약용작물 재배현황(2015년 기준)은 10작물로 753농가에서 재배면적 276.3 ㏊로 조사 되었으며 재배면적이 많았던 작물은 강황, 감초, 마카, 모링가, 포포나무 순이었다. 도입 열대· 아열대 작물의 국내 재배가 안정적으로 정착되기 위해서는 국내 재배적응성 검정에 의거 재배환경면에서의 안전성과 경제성이 있어야 하며, 생산물의 이용과 유통 및 판로의 확보 문제, 외국현지 수입산과의 경쟁력 등을 고려할 필요가 있고, 국가 간 이동에 따른 생물다양성협약 등 국제협약 및 국내 종자산업법에 의하여 도입되어야 할 것이다.

The need to develop work on conservation of crop genetic diversity is emphasized in change of agricultural environment, such as climate change, turn of dietary habits, use of cereal to bioenergy production. To secure provide the germplasm and to derive improve quality, customers demands was surveyed in 2011 and the results are as follows. In the questionnaire on genetic resources necessary in the future, Korean landrace was the highest as 23.8%, followed by genetic resources of international agricultural research institutions as 21.4% and genetic resources of foreign countries of 21.4%. Followed by 42.8% for genetic resources from foreign countries, response ratio were 10.7%, 9.5% and 9.5% for wild or wild-relative species, advanced cultivar or breeders’ line from foreign countries, and advanced cultivar or breeders’ line from Korea, respectively. In addition, consumers desired different genetic resources according to their institutes. Satisfaction on seed purity, germination rate and expected characteristic expression with the genetic resources was higher than normal by 87.5%, 88.9%, 84.2% of respondents, respectively. In order to improve the quality of conserved resources, it is necessary to select the resources having useful characteristics from the time of introduction, and to facilitate the evaluation of the preserved accessions in the near future. Efforts for expansion and opening of information on genetic resources are required.

The world-wide capacity of genebanks for ex-situ conservation of crop genetic resources has increased greatly since the 1970s, improving the access of crop breeders to landraces, and wild relatives (Wright, 1997). In south Korea, systematic seed germplasm management was begun at the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in 1985 and consequently genebank system was established in 1988. The RDA genebank, National Agrobiodiversity Center (NAC) of south Korea, preserve 173,217 accessions of plant seed germplasm and 10.7% (18,509 accessions) of whole preserved germplasm is occupied by horticultral PGR by 2011. Horticultural PGR preserved in NAC is composed with 67 genera of crops including pepper (3,817 accessions), tomato (2,040 accessions), cabbages (1,690 accessions) and etc. According to horticultural plant sub-group, fruit-vegetable is the biggest group with 60% of accession share and leafy vegetable (19%), root vegetable (10%), bulb vegetable (8%), and ornamental (3%) follow subsequently. In aspect of PGR status, landrace is dominant part of conserved accession and then developed cultivar, wild relatives, cultivated material, wild, and weedy type follow subsequently. Recently characterization and evaluation of horticultural PGR have been activated for 3 years in NAC, which are useful for breeders and users focused on disease-resistance or active ingredient. It will promote utilization of horticultural PGR and development of horticultural crop breeding program for both human being and sustainable agriculture in near future.

Crop characteristics of 136 foxtail millet (Setaria italica BEAUVOIS) resources collected in South Korea were investigated in order to establish basic informations for breeding. Spike types of 136 genetic resources were classified as 5 types (conical, clavate, fusiform, cylindrical and top diverge). Among them, conical type was showed the highest percentage(41.2%). Seed of 136 resources was showed yellow color. Spike color of 136 genetic resources were classified as 6 colors (dark brown, light brown, red brown, yellow, yellowish brown and yellowish white). Yellowish white color showed the highest percentage(33.8%) among them. Leaf color of 136 genetic resources were classified as 6 colors (brown, dark green, green, green brown, light green and light brown). Green color was showed the highest percentage(44.9%) among them. Culm length showed a wide variation from 112cm to 183cm (average is 153.8cm) and spike length from 17.7 to 41.2cm (average is 24.1cm). Days from seeding to heading date and days from seeding to physiological maturity were showed the range from 63 to 111 days (average is 90.3 days) and the range from 119 to 149 days (average is 117.7 days) respectively. Number of grains per spike and 1000 grain weight were showed the range from 2,197.0 to 16,980.0 grains (average is 5,839.1 grains) and from 0.6 to 3.1g (average is 1.79g) respectively.

Crop characteristics of 137 common millet(Panicum miliaceum L.) resources collected in Korea were investigated in order to establish basic data for the improvement of crop breeding. Spike types of 137 plant resources were classified as 4 types of oblate, spreading, oblate-compact(intermediary type between oblate and compact) and oblate-spreading(intermediary type between oblate and compact) type, of which oblate spike type was the highest percentage of 66.4%(91 plant resources) of 137 germplasm. Seed color was classified as 5 colors of dark brown, yellow, brown, yellowish brown, and yellowish white, of which yellowish white was the highest percentage of 66.4%(54 plant resources) among them. Seed type was classified as 2 types of pyramid shape and short pyramid shape, which showed 62.8% and 37.2% respectively. Days from seeding to heading date showed the range from 68 to 85 days with 73.7 days in the average and the highest frequency proportion of it was the group from 70 to 75 days, which occupied 46.7%(64 plant resources) of 137 germplasm. Days from seeding to physiological maturity showed the range from 109 to 124 days with 112.0 days in the average and the highest frequency proportion(60.6%) of it was the group from 111 to 115 days, while there were also occupied with 6.6% below 110 days and 5.1% over 120 days among 137 germplasm. Group from 181cm to 190cm of culm length showed the highest frequency proportion of 47.4%, whereas below 160cm was the lowest occupancy of 2.9%. Spike length showed the range from 181 to 190cm with 181.4cm in the average and the highest frequency distribution of it was the group from 31 to 35cm with the proportion of 54.0%. Number of grains per spike showed the range from 432 to 2,665 grains with 1,429.5 grains in the average and group from 1,200 to 1,400 grains per spike was the highest frequency distribution with the proportion of 20.4%. There were also occupied with 13.1% below 1,000 grains and 8.6% over 2,000 grains per spike among 137 germplasm. Culm length and spike length were positively significant correlation coefficient with days from seeding to heading date. Days from seeding to physiological maturity and percentage of ripened grains were highly significant positive correlation coefficient with 1000 grain weight, showing that the longer and higher the days from seeding to physiological maturity and percentage of ripened grains, the higher 1000 grain weight.

Identification of compatible parental line is of great importance in introduction of useful characters to onion breeding program, beyond the severe hybridization barrier. Phylogenic analysis of Allium section Cepa was conducted through PCR by URPs, repeated sequences of A. fistulosum, and microsatellite markers. Totally 76 accessions originated from 21 countries were clustered into five groups at a 0.84-similarity level: group I;A. cepa and its wild relatives and A. cepa ssp. ascalonicum, group II; A. cepa ssp. wakegii, A. cepa ssp. proliferum and Samcheung-pa group III; A. fistulosum and A. altaicum, group IV; A. galanthum, group V; Soeckkori-pa. Samcheung-pa and Soekkori-pa, Korean local varieties, shared band type of both Cepa group and Altaicum group, indicating that those are derived from interspecific hybridization between A. fistulosum and A. cepa.

To compare the composition of volatile flavor components of three different cultivars of rice, Hyangnambyeo (aromatic cultivar), Heugjinjubyeo (pigmented cultivar) and Dongjinbyeo (normal cultivar), the volatile flavor components of brown rice were isolated by Likens-Nickerson simultaneous steam distillation and extraction apparatus. The flavor concentrates obtained were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 65 components, including 14 aliphatic aldehydes and ketones, 7 aliphatic alcohols, 8 aromatic alcohols, 13 hydrocarbons, 9 esters, 7 aliphatic acids, and 7 miscellaneous components were identified. The aliphatic aldehydes, which are known as contributors to the overall flavor of cooked rice, were present in larger amounts in Hyangnambyeo than in Heugjinjubyeo and Dongjinbyeo, while the difference in quantity of these components between Heugjinjubyeo and Dongjinbyeo was not remarkable. Hyangnambyeo and Heugjinjubeyo contained 562 ng and 259 ng of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline per gram of brown rice based on dry weight, respectively, which is a key compound contributing to the popcorn-like aroma in aromatic rice. Dongjinbeyo contained about 6 ng.