Beyond 'Seolhyang' to Export Varieties... Breeding Experts Aim to Secure Domestic Strawberry Seed Sovereignty

In the past, most of the strawberries cultivated by our farmers were varieties introduced from Japan. In an era where seed sovereignty is synonymous with national competitiveness, developing domestic varieties that suit our palate while also targeting overseas markets is a task directly linked to the survival of agriculture.

This video, presented by the Korea Employment Information Service (feat. Employment24), contains the story of Kim Tae-il, director of Woori Seed, a breeding expert who has paved the way for domestic strawberries through 'Maehyang' and 'Seolhyang'. Having started his public service career at the Nonsan Strawberry Research Institute in 1994, Director Kim has laid the foundation for domestic strawberries by devoting approximately 25 years to strawberry research and variety management.

The success of 'Seolhyang' and solving the seed royalty issue

Following the development of his first variety 'Maehyang' in 2001, Director Kim introduced 'Seolhyang' in 2005. In particular, 'Seolhyang' achieved unrivaled success, with more than 80% of strawberry cultivation farms nationwide choosing it due to its high yield, excellent taste, pest resistance, and ease of cultivation. The distribution of these domestic varieties naturally led to the resolution of the royalty issues previously paid for overseas varieties.

Developing a new variety is a precise process of combining the advantages of existing varieties. Director Kim selects a mother variety and a father variety to crossbreed, then undergoes the pollination process to select offspring that possess the superior traits of both parents. Subsequently, the final variety is determined by comprehensively evaluating the shape, taste, and growth status of the fruit.

'Digital Breeding' and new variety development to increase export competitiveness

Currently, the export scale of domestic strawberries reaches the level of 60 million to 70 million dollars. Director Kim cited 'shelf life' as the key to developing varieties for export. While the existing 'Seolhyang' has excellent taste, it had the disadvantage of low shelf life during long-distance transportation due to its soft flesh. To compensate for this, Director Kim is focusing on developing new varieties that dramatically increase shelf life while maintaining the taste of 'Seolhyang'.

Recently, breeding technology has been evolving into the stages of 'digital breeding' and 'molecular breeding' that utilize data and genetic information. Director Kim is making efforts to shorten development periods and increase accuracy through research such as molecular markers, which confirm at the DNA level whether specific genes possess disease resistance. This serves as a foundation to more precisely create varieties with specific tastes or characteristics desired by consumers.

Director Kim advised young breeding experts preparing for the future of the seed industry, saying, "Seed development is like creating a new patent." This is because it requires long-term effort rather than just one or two years for a single variety to be born. He emphasized that the passion to constantly learn new technologies and challenge oneself is the core quality of a breeding expert.

Source: original video (YouTube)