Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), a non-destructive and rapid analytical method, was used to examine the possibility of replacing a method for the large-scale screening of tomato seed viability. A total of 368 tomato seed samples were used for development and validation of an NIRS calibration model. The accelerating aging method (98 ± 2% R.H., 40 • C) was employed for preparation of a calibration set (n = 268) and a validation set (n = 100) with wider seed viability. Among the tomato NIRS calibration models tested, the modified partial least square (MPLS) regression produced the best equation model. Specifically, this model produced a higher RSQ (0.9446) and lower SEC (6.5012) during calibration and a higher 1-VR (0.9194) and lower SECV (7.8264) upon cross-validation compared to the other regression methods (PLS, PCR) tested in this study. Additionally, the SD/SECV was 3.53, which was greater than the criterion point of 3. External validation of this NIRS equation revealed a significant correlation between reference values and NIRS-estimated values based on the coefficient of determination (R2), the standard error of prediction (SEP (C)), and the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD = SD/SEP (C)), which were 0.94, 6.57, and 3.96, respectively. The external validation demonstrated that this model had predictive accuracy in tomato, indicating that it has the potential to replace the germination test.

This study was conducted to compare seed viability among 42 species after ten years of storage in the midterm storage complex (4℃, 30-40% RH) at the National Agrobiodiversity Center (NAC) Korean genebank maintained by the Rural Development Administration (RDA), Republic of Korea and to suggest the relative seed longevity and suitable monitoring intervals. The germination data from initial tests and after ten years of storage were compared to measure changes in viability during storage. The decline in seed viability varied greatly among seeds from -11.5% for Triticum sp. to 80% for melon. Coriander, crowndaisy, safflower, cosmos, Chinesebellflower, waxgourd, melon, castorbean, Welch-onion, hollyhock, wild barley, and tallfescue showed significant decreases in viability of 34.2%, 73.4%, 36.5%, 30.0%, 40.2%, 71.3%, 80.0%, 65.9%, 45.5%, 51.4%, 53.0%, and 33.5%, respectively. Gardenpea, soybean, perilla, onion, wild rice, Italian-ryegrass, and pepper showed a 15-30% decline in viability, while the viability of morningglory, adzukibean, maize, and Capsicum sp. decreased by 15% to 5%. Chicory, radish, Chinese-cabbage, bottlegourd, watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, Cucurbita sp., groundnut, kidneybean, clubwheat, sesame, wheat, Triticum sp., rice, barley, orchardgrass, buckwheat, and wild tomato showed changes in viability of <5%. The changes in storage viability also varied within families. The wild types of rice and barley showed rapid viability loss and presented different aspects from cultivars. Since seed viability of species, classified as index 1 or 2, showed germination losses >15% after ten years of storage, a viability test should be conducted with five year intervals, while species with germination loss of <15% (in index 3 or 4) can be retested at ten year intervals.

No abstract

-Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years. Garlic cultivars are completely sterile and propagated through vegetative method. Collection of a large number of fertile accessions of these genus is needed to explore genetic variability. In order to investigate genetic variation among Allium species and its possibilities for direct cultivation in Korea, we characterized 12 accessions of A. longicuspis, flowering wild garlic which had collected from Central Asia, the main center of garlic diversity. Most of A. longicuspis accessions showed higher over-wintering and bolting rate, longer scape length and more number of bulbils than Korean landraces cultivar, Danyang and Euiseong, but A. longicuspis accessions exhibited smaller size of bulbs and bulbils. Most accessions of A. longicuspis had more number of cloves per bulb, except K229596 and K248824 than Korean landraces. All the accessions of A. longicuspis from Central Asia had complete bolters having many flowers and topsets in umbel. Further studies of A. longicuspis should focus on securing true seeds through removal of topsets and crosses among accessions to create the genetic variability.

We investigated the effect of pre and post-cryopreservation treatment on the dehisced Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) seeds germination rate. All seeds covered with endocarp and 96.3% of them were opened, initial moisture content (IMC) and germination rate were 55.9% and 84.0%, respectively. According to the pre and post-cryopreservation methods, highest seeds germination rate (GR) was observed in non-precooled seeds which recovered at 40°C, in which MC was 8-12% and desiccated at 15℃. However, by prolonged drying the seeds GR comparatively decreased under MC of below 2.2%, reaching below rate 4% regardless of pre and post-cryo treatments, whereas the seeds dried at 25℃ airflow cabinet saved significantly high rate. The effects of desiccation and of cryopreservation on the survival and developmental pattern of roots and stems showed that the earliest appearance of the root in control seeds was detected after 10 days of bedding in GA medium, and the stem started to develop later on the third week of germination test. And, on the 30th day of the investigation stem growth rate significantly increased and showed equivalent data with root rate. Almost the same pattern showed the seeds after cryopreservation, but it significantly delayed in the development compared to control, where term of the investigation continued till 40 day than control 30 day. Additionally, non-precooling seeds in both desiccation and recovery methods were showed high root and stem growth compared to precooled treatments.