Seed storage proteins are used as carbon and nitrogen sources for the nutritional improvement of seeds. Since the composition of proteins from the Korean cultivars of proso millet is unknown, this study was conducted to obtain a reference map of millet seed proteins and identify the functional characteristics of the identified proteins. Proteins extracted from proso millet seeds of various cultivars were investigated using proteomic techniques such as 2-D electrophoresis coupled with mass fingerprinting; 1152 (differentially expressed) protein spots were detected on the 2-D gels. Among them, 26 reproducible protein spots were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Out of the 26 proteins, 2 proteins were upregulated in all the millet cultivars, while 13 proteins were upregulated and 11 proteins were downregulated in 2 cultivars. Abundance of most of the identified protein species associated with polysaccharide and starch metabolism, transcription, and pathogenesis was significantly enhanced, while that of other protein species involved in glycolysis, stress response, and transduction was severely reduced. Taken together, the results suggest that the differential expression of the proteins from the four millet cultivars may be cultivar-specific. By conducting a proteomic investigation of millet seeds from different cultivars, we sought to better understand the functional categorization of individual proteins on the basis of their molecular functions. We believe that the identified proteins may help in investigating genetic variations in millet cultivars.

This study is focused on the evaluation of growth parameters, total polyphenol content (TPC), chlorophyll content as well as the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity of young barley seedling (YBS) affected by elicitation. Salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MJ), amino acid liquid fertilizer (ALF) and microbial metabolism activator (MMA) were used. Elicitation was conducted for two times and various concentrations were used in this study. The result revealed that, MJ 1 ml/L treated-YBS gave the longest seedling length of 1.33 cm, followed by the ones treated with SA 1.38 mg/L and ALF 2 ml/L, respectively. ALF 3 ml/L treatment gave the highest fresh weight of 10 seedlings, followed by MJ 5 ml/L and SA 13.8 mg/L treatment with 1.56 g, 1.55 g and 1.53 g respectively. SA 138.12 mg/L elicitor treated-YBS gave the highest Chl a, Chl b content of 8.57 μg/mg and 3.83 μg/mg, respectively while the highest carotenoid content was found in MJ ml/L treatment with 1.62 μg/mg. Among elicitor treated-YBS, SA showed better TPC. The highest TPC was found in SA 1.38 mg/L treatment with 18.82 mg/g TAE. Likewise, SA 1.38 mg/L showed the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity among all the treatments. However, the lowest TPC was found in ALF 1ml/L treated-YBS with 9.46 mg/g TAE, which was even lower than the control (14.31 mg/g TAE).

The potential cultivation of buckwheat species in Luang Prabang region, Lao PDR where the species has not been naturally grown and not traditionally utilized was studied to introduce buckwheat as a new agricultural material, especially for food and medicine. The growth of Tartary buckwheat species was higher than common buckwheat showing 2.3 fold of plant height compared to common buckwheat. Number of flower per plant in Tartary buckwheat (731) was three fold higher than common buckwheat (244). Dry weight per plant was respectively 1.7 g in Suwon No. 1, 2.6 g in Suwon No. 2, and 1.4 g in KW45. The rate average of seed setting was similar between common buckwheat (41 to 46 %) and Tartary buckwheat (44%). Total seed yield of Tartary buckwheat (184 kg/10 a) in 10a could be estimated to be higher than that of common buckwheat (108 kg/10 a).

This paper describes the potential use of deep sea water to stimulate seed germination in both common and Tartary buckwheat. Treatment of 10% deep sea water at 25℃ would slightly enhance germination of buckwheat seeds compared to non-DSW treatment and other temperature. In this study, the significant effects of photoperiod and temperature on seedling growth were also found in the HL treatment for the number of leaf, plant height, and plant fresh weight and LL treatment for root length and leaf size. Common buckwheat (Suwon No.1) showed higher rate (93%) of flowering plants in the HS and LL (93% of flowering rates) than those revealed in the HS and LS treatment, while the low percentage(67%) of plant flowering plants was shown in the LS treatment. All plants (100%) of a Korean landrace, Ahndong-jaerae showed flowers in the HS and LS treatment. HL and LL treatment status did not occur in the plant's flowering. Any Tartary buckwheat (KW45) plant did not yet flowered when it was 21 days-old.

With both common and Tartary buckwheat species, this study was aimed at producing new commercially useful bio-materials with higher nutritional and medicinal value due to higher components for health promotion and diseases care. In common buckwheat sprouts, it was found that root length at 20℃ was longer (5.93 cm) than at 25 and 30℃, whereas the hypocotyls length, fresh weight of each sprout, and whole fresh weight showed the highest value at 30℃. For Tartary buckwheat, the root length, hypocotyl length and fresh weight of each sprout and whole fresh weight were also the highest at 30℃. Common buckwheat (Suwon No.1) and Tartary buckwheat (KW45) sprouts cultured at 20℃ showed that hypocotyl length, fresh weight of each sprout, and whole fresh weight in the control were higher than those sprouts treated with 5% and 10% deep sea water (DSW), while the sprouts cultured at 30℃ showed were significantly longer hypocotyls than the control or 5% DSW treatment.

Buckwheat sprouts are a vegetable which provides health benefit with their nutritionally important substances. Buckwheat has been considered as preventive medicine in the last decade. The present study was focused on the reference maps common (Fagopyrum esculentum Möench.) and tatary(Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) buckwheat leaf and stem cultured in light and dark condition. Proteins were extracted from 7-day germinated buckwheat sprout sand separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis(2-DE) with isoelectro focusing gel over pH3 to 10. A total of more than 1520 protein spots were revealed on 2-DE gel, in which 165 proteins were identified in the basis of peptide mass fingerprinting. Functional category analysis indicated that these differentially expressed proteins mainly involved in cellular process, defense responsive, energy production, metabolism, photosynthesis, DNA recombination, DNA replication, seed storage, signal transduction, stress responsive, transcription, translation, and energy transport proteins. The pattern at protein level suggested the important roles for energy and protein metabolism-related proteins in growing sprouts under dark and light condition, accompanied by the activated of the stress responsive and growth condition. The proteomic profiling of common and tatary buckwheat will give insight for understanding buckwheat physiology and application to buckwheat industry.

The aim of this study was to develop the tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) sprouts and to clarify the biological and chemical characteristics of the sprouts. At 7 days after seeding, hypocotyls length and thickness, and root length of tartary buckwheat sprouts were 137 cm, 1.4 mm, and 12.6 cm, respectively. Fresh weight, dry weight, and moisture contents of an individual sprout at 7 days after seeding were 202 mg, 5.4 mg, and 95.3%, respectively. Protein content in tartary buckwheat sprouts was 23.0% which relatively higher than that of seeds, while lipid and ash contents were 3.5% and 5.3%. Among 7 minerals, the content of phosphorus showed the highest level (1,383.5 mg/100 g), while the contents of sodium and potassium were 1,197.5 mg/100 g and 1,106 mg/100 g, respectively. The contents of other minerals were Mg (795.5 mg/100 g), Ca (149 mg/100 g), Zn (16.4 mg/ 100 g), and Fe (14.7 mg/100 g). The rutin content of tatary buckwheat sprouts including root parts was the highest (5644.9 mg/100 g) at 7 days after seeding. The concentration of catechin derivatives in tartary buckwheat sprouts was high in order of catechin (59 mg/100 g), epicatechin gallate (47 mg/100 g), and epicatechin (14 mg/100 g).

Korean cultivars of buckwheat(Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) was crossed with Canadian cultivars in order to improve seed yield as well as leaf production of buckwheat for using as food and medicine. The agronomic characteristics and rutin contents of F2 hybrids are investigated for further selection of superior lines. Dry weight per plant was the highest in a line 1110(6.71g) and leaf weight per plant was the highest in a line 1110(1.91g). Hybrid seeds were 0.55 - 0.70cm long and 0.37 - 0.47cm wide on average. 100 seeds weight ranged from 2.57g to 3.58g. Line 1076 produced the longest seeds(0.70cm) and line 1186 was the longest in seed width. Line 1196 showed the highest 100 seeds weight(3.58g). The highest frequency of the LWR(length/width rate) was 0.66~0.70, indicating that seed shape of the hybrids was mostly oval. Line 1087 showed the highest contents of rutin(77.26ppm). Lines 1090 and 1181 contained respectively rutin of 54.76ppm and 54.35ppm in the seeds. From the yield and rutin point of view, the most superior lines was line 1087 among the lines used for this study.

Growth and yield of licorice were investigated under the different conditions of photoperiod and shading in order to establish its cultural practice for the domestic production with the aim to substitute the import. The photoperiod was adjusted to 8,10, and 12 h by shielding plants from the light with blackout curtain. Large seedlings(11-20g) appeared to be affected by photoperiod since around 65 days. Most of growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaf, fresh and dry weight of plant and root, were the highest in 12 h photoperiod among all the photoperiod levels, excepting stem diameter which was the highest in 10 h photoperiod(4.5mm). Each photoperiod was similar to each other in root length and diameter. Small seedlings(4-l0g) showed a similar trend to large seedlings. The results from field photoperiod experiment demonstrated that 12 h photoperiod was also the best among three photoperiod treatments in plant height, stem diameter, number of leaf, root length, fresh and dry weight of plant and root. The effect of shading was tested under the three levels of control (0%), half-shading (55%), and full shading (90%). Shading remarkably suppressed the growth and yield, compared to no-shading. Although plant height and root length were little affected by the shading, stem and root diameters were heavily reduced.

Growth and yield of licorice were investigated under the different conditions of ridge height, planting density, and irrigation in order to establish its cultural practices for the domestic production with the aim to substitute the import. Seedlings were grown under low ridge(20cm) and high ridge(40cm) in low density plot(60×30cm) and high density plot(40×30cm), respectively. The low ridge cultivation of large seedlings increased plant height and root length under low density, and stem and root diameter under high density compared to the high ridge cultivation. In the high ridge cultivation, high density plot was 1.1 to 1.3 times in plant height, root length, stem and root diameter as high as low density one. Fresh and dry weight of plant and root in high ridge were 1.3 to 1.5 times as high as those in low one. The growth of small seedlings(4~10g) were generally poor compared to that of large seedlings. High density plot in low ridge showed the good growth characteristics including plant height, root length, stem and root diameter, and number of branch. High density plot was 1.4 to 1.6 times in fresh and dry weight of plant and root as high as low density plot. In the seasonal changes of growth under various irrigation regimes, the twice irrigation a day produced the more number of leaf than the other regimes since around 46 days after transplanting. The former irrigation resulted in 1.2 to 1.4 times in plant height as long as the other irrigations around 26 days after transplanting and then the difference was increased to 1.6 to 2.0 times around 64 days after transplanting. Under the twice irrigation a day, plant height, root length, stem diameter, root diameter, number of leaf, fresh plant weight, dry plant weight, fresh root weight, dry root weight were 1.6 to 2.0, 1.1, 1.2 to 1.6, 1.3 to 1.8, 1.9 to 2.7, 1.7 to 8.0, 1.6 to 2.8,2.0 to 3.0, 1.6 to 2.7 times as high as those under the other irrigation regimes, respectively.

This study was carried out to investigate the morphological characteristics of the plants and seeds of Ainsliaea acerifolia and to determine the optimum condition for producing sprouts from the seeds. Plant height, flower stalk length, and pod number were higher in natural habitat than in campus farm. Average 1.2 seeds per pod was set but only 0 to 2 seeds per plant was set in plants with the enveloped flower stalks, indicating that this is an outcrossing species. Most of seeds were 9-11mm long and 1.1-1.4mm wide. Fresh weight of seeds was ranged from 10mg to 17mg. Seeds germinated well at 15℃ and 20℃. Mean germination period was 11.5 day at 15 to 25℃. Sprouts grown at 15℃ was longest(5.4cm) and heaviest(738mg/10 sprouts). Chlorophyll content was 333mg per fresh weight 110g. Protein, Fe, vitamin Bl, vitamin B2, and vitamin C were respectively 23.7mg, 6.4mg, 1.82mg, 0.49mg, and 10..7mg.