ISHS Acta Horticulturae 706: IV International Symposium on Brassicas and XIV Crucifer Genetics Workshop
GENETICAL IMPROVEMENT OF BRASSICA IN KOREA |
| Author: | H.G. Park |
| Abstract:
The vegetables have been very important in Korea as a major farmers’ income source being 29% of their total farming income, and as indispensable component of their diet for many years. In 2003 US $6.37 billion worth of vegetables were produced from the total acreage of 0.33 million hectares. Per capita consumption of vegetables in Korea increased greatly from 60 kg in 1970 to 152 kg in 2003. One of the unique characteristics of Korean vegetable industry is that diversity of vegetable crops has been considerably narrow as the ten major vegetables have occupied about 80% of the total acreage as well as the produce value, although about eighty different kinds of vegetables have been grown in Korea. The ten majors are chili pepper, watermelon, strawberry, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, garlic, Korean melon, radish, lettuce and welsh onion in order of produce value. Among the ten major vegetables, two of them are Brassica crops namely Chinese cabbage (B. campestris ssp. pekiinensis Makino) and radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Chinese cabbage was grown under 39,200 ha with US $455 million worth production and radish under 31,400 ha with US $320 million worth production. The third important Brassica in Korea is common cabbage (B. oleracea ssp. capitata) with only 3,400 ha of cultivation and $49 million worth production. There are very minor Brassica vegetables available in Korea such as turnip (B. campestris ssp. rapa), pack choi (B. campestris ssp. chinensis), broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica), cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis), leaf mustard (B. juncea) and other, of which have been grown less than hundred hectares each. Chinese cabbage and radish are known to be introduced from China and cultivated more than a thousand years. Brassica vegetables are used as major components of “kim-chi”, a traditional preserved recipe, and salad. In Korea varietal improvement of Brassica vegetables has been conducted by mainly private seed companies with the help of national research institutes. The major achievements of Brassica genetic improvement are development of varieties suitable for 1) year-round production, 2) kim-chi making, 3) late bolting, 4) diseases resistance, 5) favorable appearance, 6) abiotic stress tolerance and others. Virtually all commercial varieties of Brassica are F1’s in Korea with full utilization of either self-incompatibility or male sterility. The technical levels of breeding and seed production of Brassica crops are considered to be one of the best in the world. Korean seed market for Chinese cabbage, radish and cabbage was $12.02 million, $25.54 m. and $1.12 m. respectively in 2003. Korean seed companies exported $5.62 million worth of radish seeds, $2.27 m. of cabbage and $1.46 m. of Chinese cabbage. | |
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