Bamboo forests are fast-growing, renewable resources, and their carbon sequestration potential has attracted increasing attention. Although bamboo can be used for many purposes, bamboo forests in Korea represent a generally underutilized resource. The main objective here was to perform an assessment of the physical and mechanical characteristics of different species of bamboo found in Korea. The main species of domestic bamboo are Phyllostachys bambusoides, P. pubescens, and P. nigra; we measured the air-dried density for each of the species, with obtained values of 0.89 g/cm2, 0.79 g/cm2, and 0.83 g/cm2, respectively, giving the density order of P. bambusoides > P. pubescens > P. nigra, with P. bambusoides having the highest density. We then measured the compressive strength of each species, which were 802.84 kgf/cm2, 624.69 kgf/cm2, and 743.77 kgf/cm2, respectively, in the order of P. bambusoides > P. pubescens > P. nigra, with P. bambusoides having the highest compressive strength. Volume and maximum load decreased with increasing node height in the three bamboo species, whereas air-dried density and compressive strength increased. Our results thus add to the pool of essential knowledge about Korean bamboo species, and consequently to the development of a potentially valuable domestic resource in Korea.

‘Zasoojeongchal’ is a new colored naked barley cultivar developed from the cross between HB83072〔Tapgolbori / HB 78100-B-17-3-2〕, a disease resistant and good quality line and ‘Dokusima mochi hadaka’, colored naked cultivar with waxy endosperm by the Honam Agricultural Research Institute (HARI), NICS, RDA in 2006. An elite line CNB7-13-37-2-5-3, was selected in 2002 and designated as ‘Iksan 81’. It showed good agronomic performance in the regional yield trials (RYT) from 2005 to 2006 and was released with the name of ‘Zasoojeongchal’ possessing purple colored waxy endosperm. The average heading and maturing dates of ‘Zasoojeongchal’ were May 2 and Jun. 7, which were two and five days later than those of the check cultivar ‘Saechalssalbori’ respectively. The new cultivar, ‘Zasoojeongchal’, had 75cm of culm length that was 4cm shorter than that of ‘Saechalssalbori’, and 5.4 cm of spike length. It showed 607 spikes per m2, 63 grains per spike, 27.2 g of 1,000-grain weight, and 771 g of test weight. ‘Zasoojeongchal’ showed weaker winter hardiness, but better resistance to powdery mildew and BaYMV (Barley yellow mosaic virus) than those of the check cultivar, ‘Saechalssalbori’. It showed higher ß-glucan content, anthocyanin content, water absorption rate and expansion rate than those of the check cultivar, ‘Saechalssalbori’. Its average yield of the pearled grain in the regional yield trial was 2.67 MT/ha in upland, and 3.49 MT/ha in paddy field, which were 26% and 6% lower than those of the check cultivar, respectively. This cultivar would be suitable for the area above the daily minimum temperature of -6℃ in January in Korean peninsula.

A new mungbean cultivar Soseon (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) was derived from the cross between KM9003-2B-783 and V2939 at the Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services (JARES) in 2003. “Soseon” has erect growth habit, heart leaf, green hypoc

A new mungbean variety Samgang (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) was improved from the cross between Keumseongnogdu and V2939 at the Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services (JARES) in 2002. Samgang has erect growth habit, lobed leaflet, green h

Korean sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas, varieties were examined for the cross-compatibility and -incompatibility through inter-crosses among them to obtain the fundamental genetic informations for enhancing the heterosis breeding efficiency. The pollen germi

Borami' is a new sweetpotato cultivar with light purple flesh developed at the Mokpo Experiment Station, The National Honam Agricultural Experiment Station, RDA. This cultivar was selected from the cross between 'Yamakawamurasaki' and 'Shinmi' in 1994, Se

This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of shattering habit and germination of offtype rice plants collected in Korea which were classified into seven groups based on grain characteristics. In the long-grain red rice group, the short-grain red rice group, the long-grain normal rice group, and the long-grain waxy rice group, the tensile strength of grain and primary rachis branch was relatively low and the fiber cell of the primary rachis branch was short. Characteristics of shattering-related traits and germination in relation to grain and esterase isozyme zymogram type of off-type rice plants. In most lines of the extremely late and sterile rice group, the tensile strength of grain was low, while that of primary rachis branch was high, and the fiber cell was long. However, in the type 1 esterase isozyme zymogram(EIZ) lines among the long-grain normal rice group and the type 6 and 5+6 EIZ plants among the extremely late and sterile rice group, the tensile strength of grain was relatively higher. The long-grain waxy rice group and the type 3 EIZ lines among the long-grain red rice group, showed higher germinability than did cultivars which are known to germinate well even in low-temperature. The other off-type rice group, except for the short-grain waxy rice group and type 1 and 7 EIZ lines among the long-grain normal rice group, had higher germination speed than that of the cultivars.