South Korea Bolsters Plant Virus Research with Expanded โGenetic Resource Access
The Rural Development Governance (RDA) is โincreasing the availability of plant virus genetic resources to support research and industry needs amid rising concernsโข over plant virus diseases linked to climate change and increased trade. As of October, the RDA has registered 1,114 points representing 196 species of plant viruses as national resources, building on the 971 points of 175 species registered in 2022.
Details on 719 of these resources (161 species) is nowโฃ publicly accessible through the RDA’s seedโข bank (genebank.rda.go.kr). To date, 477 resources spanning 78 species have been distributed to research institutes, industries, and universities. Usageโค breakdown shows 42% are utilized for precise diagnosis, 26% โfor developing resistant varieties, 15% for diagnostic tool creation, and 13% for controlโ agent development. National agencies and local governments have receivedโ the largest share, at 188 points.
The RDA plans to further expand online โคaccessibility andโค resource selection to meet field demands. “We will continue โto strengthen standard strain โคselection, โฃlong-term preservation, and online distribution โsystems to stably provide plant โvirus genetic resources to the field,” stated Lee Se-won, head of the plantโข Disease Controlโฃ Department atโข the RDA. “These โefforts will contribute to preventingโค damage to farms, strengthening the agricultural research base, โand further improving the competitiveness of the agricultural industry, including the development of resistant โฃvarieties, diagnostic tools, and pest control agents.”
The moveโฃ reflects growing recognition of theโ importance of securing and managingโ viral genetic โresources, particularly as climate change drives increased incidence of viral diseases in key crops like watermelon and pepper, and as challenges emerge from mutant strains overcoming existing resistanceโข – such as thoseโ neutralizing Tomato Spotted Wig Virus (TSWV)-resistant varieties.
