A disease, supposedly caused by a virus, was observed from Insam (Panax ginseng) fields of Punggi in year 2006. It has long believed to be a physiological disorder. However, the incidence of the disease has increased every year. When several samples were observed under electron microscope, filamentous virus-like particles were observed. The nucleotide sequences of the virus were analyzed by RT-PCR with specific primer sets derived from the results of DNA chip. The results indicated that the disease was caused by Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV). It revealed that the result of the biological assay by the virus was different from that of WMV previously found in other crops. Therefore, this is the first report that WMV causes the disease in P. ginseng and the virus is named to be WMV-Insam.

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Three type of Lime Bordeaux mixture (LBM) that has been used since 1800's for control plant disease are used for eco-friendly ginseng (Panax ginseng) disease control. But it was restricted the use in the crops cultivation in some countries of Europe recently, because there is a possibility that the copper component is concentrated in the soil and plants with using LBM containing copper. According to the concentration and number of LBM spraying treatment, it was investigated copper and other components in soil and ginseng root. In case of LBM sprayed 33 times for three years, copper concentration was increased up to 75.9 ppm in the soil. However copper concentration of ginseng root was increased with 9.9~23.0 mg/kg in comparison with 8.38~11.39 mg/kg at LBM non-treatment. It has shown that the copper components can be concentrated to in the soil if used continuously in the long term.

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) is the most popular herb for medical purpose in Korea. Recently, viral diseases from Korean ginseng showing various degrees of severe mottling, variegation and mosaic symptoms have caused quantity losses of Korean ginseng in a large number of farms. Watermelon mosaic virus (named WMVgin) was identified as a causal agent for the disease of Korean ginseng. Interestingly, WMV-gin failed to infect both Korean ginseng plant and susceptible host species including cucurbitaceous plants by mechanical inoculation. However, WMV-gin could successfully infect Korean ginseng by transmission of two aphid species (Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii). It is likely that transmission of WMV-gin was done by both the aphid species during feeding behavior of the two aphid species on Korean ginseng, though the aphids dislike feeding in Korea ginseng. Similarly, a strain of WMV (WMV-wm) isolated from watermelon was transmitted successfully to Korean ginseng plant by the two aphid species, but not by mechanical inoculations. Transmission assays using M. persicae and A. gossypii clearly showed both WMV-gin and WMV-wm were not transmitted from infected Korean ginseng plant to cucurbit species that are good host species for WMV. These results suggest WMV disease occurring in Korean ginseng plant can be controlled by ecological approaches.