Broadening the genetic base of Platycodon grandiflorum DC. cultivar to sustain improvement requires assessment of genetic diversity available in P. grandiflorum DC.. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic variation, genetic relationship among 48 samples collected from East-Asian Area by means of RAPD-PCR (random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction) markers. From the 18 primers tested, produced total 211 bands with an average of 11.7 bands per primer and obtained 103 polymorphic band with an average of 5.7 bands per primer,s revealed relatively high percentage of polymorphic bands (48.8%). The genetic similarities calculated from RAPD data varied from 0.688 to 0.994 and were clustered to six major groups on a criterion of 0.78 similarity coefficient. The present study has revealed the significant genetic similarity among the samples tested. The analysis of genetic relationships in P. grandiflorum using RAPD-PCR banding data can be useful for the breed improvement.

Kalopanax pictus is a long-lived woody species mostly distributed in East Asia. K. pictus has been regarded as medically and ecologically important species in Korea. Thornless castor aralia variant, local name 'Cheongsong' is an endemic to Cheongsong province in Korea. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to investigate the genetic variation and structure of Korean populations of two species. A high level of genetic variation was found in six K. pictus populations. Twelve primers revealed 49 loci, of which 29 were polymorphic (59.2%). Nei's gene diversity for K.pictus and K. pictus variant were 0.119 and 0.098, respectively. Mean of genetic diversity in K. pictus was higher than average values for species with similar life history traits. The asexual and sexual reproduction, perennial habitat, and longevity are proposed as possible factors contributing to high genetic diversity. An indirect estimate of the number of migrants per generation (Nm=0.857) indicated that gene flow was not extensive among Korean populations of K.pictus. It is suggested that the isolation of geographical distance and reproductive isolation between K.pictus and K.pictus variant populations may have played roles in shaping the population structure of this species.

Pod shape of twenty soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) genotypes was evaluated quantitatively by image analysis using elliptic Fourier descriptors and their principal components. The closed contour of each pod projection was extracted, and 80 elliptic Fourier coefficients were calculated for each contour. The Fourier coefficients were standardized so that they were invariant of size, rotation, shift, and chain code starting point. Then, the principal components on the standardized Fourier coefficients were evaluated. The cumulative contribution at the fifth principal component was higher than 95~% , indicating that the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth principal components represented the aspect ratio of the pod, the location of the pod centroid, the sharpness of the two pod tips and the roundness of the base in the pod contour, respectively. Analysis of variance revealed significant genotypic differences in these principal components and seed number per pod. As the principal components for pod shape varied continuously, pod shape might be controlled by polygenes. It was concluded that principal component scores based on elliptic Fourier descriptors yield seemed to be useful in quantitative parameters not only for evaluating soybean pod shape in a soybean breeding program but also for describing pod shape for evaluating soybean germplasm.