This study evaluated the impact of sowing dates on the growth, yield, and nutritive quality of three corn cultivars including Gwangpyeongok, Dacheongok, and Shinhwangok. Plant height and total yield components declined with delayed sowing across all cultivars. Gwangpyeongok achieved the highest plant height (289 ± 14 cm), grain yield (9,108 ± 82 kg/ha), and total yield (18,973 ± 2,560 kg/ha) at the April 29 sowing. Dacheongok recorded the highest stover yield (17,227 ± 137 kg/ha) and total yield (22,236 ± 1,053 kg/ha) on May 13. Shinhwangok reached its maximum total yield (19,158 ± 604 kg/ha) at May 13 but showed the sharpest declines by May 16. Nutritional quality also deteriorated with later sowing. In stover, crude protein (CP) declined to 3.58% in Shinhwangok at May 16, accompanied by a rise in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) to 69.9%. In contrast, Dacheongok maintained stable CP levels (5.27–5.60%) and the lowest fiber fractions. Gwangpyeongok exhibited the highest stover CP at April 29 sowing, along with the lowest NDF and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents. Grain CP was highest in Gwangpyeongok (8.1 ± 0.4%) and Shinhwangok (9.6 ± 0.9%) at April 29, while Dacheongok showed its maximum grain CP (8.0 ± 0.3%) at the same sowing date, coupled with relatively low fiber content. Overall, the findings highlight that timely sowing is crucial for achieving both high yield and optimal nutritive quality in maize. For Gwangpyeongok and Dacheongok, sowing from late April to mid-May provided the best balance between yield and nutritional quality. In Shinhwangok, the highest stover, grain, and total biomass yields were obtained at the May 13 sowing.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of sowing dates on the growth, yield, and forage quality of two triticale cultivars, Joseong and Hanmiso-1ho. Field experiments were conducted with sowing dates ranging from September 25 to November 13, 2023. The results indicate that both cultivars and sowing date significantly influence growth characteristics, dry matter yield, and nutritional composition. The highest yields were obtained from the earliest sowing (September 25), with Joseong producing 10,979 ± 366 kg/ha and Hanmiso-1ho 12,201 ± 2,124 kg/ha. Yields remained relatively high on October 5 and 16 sowings but declined sharply after October 25, reaching the lowest levels on November 13 (Joseong 4,991 ± 458 kg/ha; Hanmiso-1ho 6,353 ± 338 kg/ha). Delayed sowing increased plant height but reduced forage biomass. Forage quality also varied with the sowing date. Crude protein (CP) ranged from 8–11%, with higher values in early sowing (10.7% for Joseong, 10.3% for Hanmiso-1ho) and lower at mid to late sowing dates. Fiber content such as NDF and ADF levels increased with the sowing dates delayed, but declined slightly with the November sowing dates. Overall, end September to early October sowings provide optimal yield and forage quality for both triticale cultivars.

This study evaluated the growth characteristics, forage productivity, and feed value of three Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cultivars ‘Earlybird’, ‘Green call’, and ‘Greenfarm2ho’ over two consecutive growing seasons. Growth traits such as cold tolerance, lodging resistance, disease resistance, and insect resistance were assessed, along with plant height. Forage yield was measured as both fresh and dry matter yields, and feed value was analyzed in terms of CP, NDF, ADF, DMI, DDM, RFV and CA content. Among the tested cultivars, ‘Earlybird’ demonstrated superior performance in several key traits. It showed the greatest lodging resistance and plant height, along with the highest fresh and dry matter yields, although differences in yield were not statistically significant. In terms of feed quality, ‘Earlybird’ had the highest CP (10.8%), lowest NDF (54.7%), and highest RFV (109), indicating excellent palatability and digestibility. ‘Greenfarm2ho’ showed intermediate values across all parameters, suggesting balanced productivity and quality. In contrast, ‘Green call’ showed relatively lower lodging resistance and feed value. Overall, ‘Earlybird’ was identified as a promising cultivar for forage production in temperate climates, combining stable yield performance with high nutritional value. These findings offer valuable guidance for cultivar selection in livestock forage systems aiming to improve both productivity and feed efficiency.

In this study, domestic soybean cultivars were extracted using water, 70% ethanol, and 100% ethanol. The contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of these extracts were measured. For the water extracts, the polyphenol content was significantly higher in the Daewon cultivar compared to the others. Ethanol extracts contained lower levels than the water extracts, and, unlike the water extracts, there was no significant difference between the cultivars. The flavonoid content in the Jinpung cultivar was the highest among the water extracts, and this content was greater in the water extract than in the ethanol extract. In terms of ABTS radical scavenging activity, Daewon and Taekwang exhibited significantly higher activity in the water extracts. The Jinpung cultivar showed the highest activity in the 70% ethanol extract, which was slightly lower than that of the water extract. DPPH radical scavenging activity was found to be higher in Taekwang than in the other cultivars. In the 70% ethanol extract, Taekwang demonstrated high antioxidant activity, similar to that of the water extract. A correlation analysis of antioxidant components and antioxidant activity in soybean cultivars revealed the highest r value of 0.9326 between the contents of flavonoid compounds and polyphenol compounds.

This study assessed the processing suitability and functional potential of sweet potato paste by comparing quality characteristics across different cultivars and heat treatment methods (steaming and baking). Generally, moisture content was higher after steaming, with the ‘Bodami’ and ‘Pungwonmi’ cultivars retaining more moisture, while ‘Jinyulmi’ and ‘Danjami’ had lower moisture levels. Purple-fleshed cultivars displayed negative a* and b* values, indicating bluish hues, whereas yellow-fleshed cultivars maintained stable b* values after heating. Both °Brix and free sugar levels increased after treatment, with baking significantly elevating maltose levels and enhancing sweetness. Apparent viscosity was higher in ‘Danjami’, ‘Jinyulmi’, and ‘Bodami’, while ‘Hogammi’, ‘Hopungmi’, and ‘Sodammi’ exhibited lower viscosity. Additionally, ‘Bodami’ and ‘Danjami’ demonstrated the highest levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities, confirming their potential as valuable functional ingredients. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate cultivars and heat treatments to optimize the physicochemical and functional qualities of sweet potato paste.

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) poses a considerable threat to a diverse array of crops in global agriculture. CMV impacts commercially important cut lilies by diminishing both yield and flower quality. We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the changes in gene expression in the leaves and bulbs of four distinct cultivars of cut lily, ‘Cancun,’ ‘Brunello,’ ‘Connecticut King,’ and ‘Casa Blanca’ following CMV infection. Notably, CMV affected photosynthetic processes by significantly downregulating genes associated with photosynthesis. In addition, CMV infection was detrimental to chloroplast function and energy production. We observed differential expression of genes associated with both dominant and recessive resistance pathways that are crucial for preventing virus entry, replication, and systemic spread within the plant. Based on functional annotation and differential gene expression analysis, we identified the regulatory genes involved in triggering immune responses, modulating signal transduction, and specific host factors during CMV infection. To validate the RNA-seq findings, we selected four genes involved in resistance, virus multiplication, and virus spread and analyzed them using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) with specific primers. The qRT-PCR results aligned closely with those from RNA-seq, showing consistent fold-change responses for the genes that were differentially expressed, indicating that the RNA-seq results were reliable. These results deepen our understanding of the complex genetics behind plant-virus interactions while also providing information for breeding programs that aim to develop CMV-resistant lily cultivars.

This study aimed to investigate the changes in nutritional components of six domestically bred soybean cultivars before and after fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus. Analysis of five vitamins and minerals showed that levels of vitamin B2, vitamin B3, phosphorus, and calcium increased in all cultivars following fermentation, with notable variations among the cultivars. Specifically, the vitamin B2 content in Daepung and Daewonkong increase significantly, by 6.8-fold and 6.7-fold, respectively, compared to pre-fermentation levels. Additionally, Danbaekkong exhibited the highest calcium content after fermentation, at 3.90 mg/g. Before fermentation, soybean oligosaccharides contained 3.4 to 9.0 times more stachyose than raffinose; however, these levels decreased by over 80% across all cultivars after fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus. The total dietary fiber content rose from 9.28%~11.32% before fermentation to 12.57%~14.86% afterward, though no significant differences were observed among the cultivars. This study confirms that fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus enhances the nutritional value of domestically bred soybeans, particularly regarding vitamin B2, vitamin B3, calcium, phosphorus, oligosaccharides, and total dietary fiber.

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the most important food crops in Korea and a crucial source of protein. However, soybean production is significantly impacted by various plant pathogens, including insect pests, plant-parasitic fungi, bacteria, and nematodes. The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is a major plant-parasitic nematode that causes an estimated annual loss of US$29 million in Korean soybean industry. Cultivating SCN-resistant soybean cultivars is considered the most effective method for managing this nematode. To identify such cultivars, we conducted resistance screening tests for 32 soybean cultivars. No resistant cultivar was found. Daewang cultivar exhibited moderate resistance to SCN, while the other 31 were susceptible. These findings suggest that Daewang is currently the best choice for fields infested with SCN. There is a critical need for developing SCN-resistant soybean cultivars in Korea.