Hampyeong-gun Obtains Plant Variety Protection Rights for New Variety 'Nabi Yeonokhwang'

Jeonnam Hampyeong-gun's Agricultural Technology Center has developed a new chrysanthemum bonsai variety called Nabi Yeonok Hwang. Photo by Jeonnam Hampyeong-gun

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Lee Sang-ik) announced on the 28th that a new chrysanthemum bonsai variety developed by the county's Agricultural Technology Center has obtained plant variety protection rights from the National Seed Management Office.

According to Hampyeong-gun, the newly registered variety is 'Nabi Yeonyokhwang,' which possesses the most excellent traits among yellow chrysanthemum bonsai varieties.

Unlike previous new varieties developed only through hybrid breeding methods, this variety was cultivated using a flower color mutation breeding method, which is expected to enable the development of chrysanthemum bonsai varieties in various colors in the future.

Previously, since 2009, the county has actively registered chrysanthemum variety protection rights to successfully hold the local chrysanthemum festival, Gukhyang Daejeon, and to increase farmers' income.

Starting with 'Gukhyang Manheung,' developed in 2010, the county has obtained plant variety protection rights for a total of 21 chrysanthemum varieties, including 11 chrysanthemum bonsai varieties, 6 Hyeonaeguk varieties, and 4 Hwadanguk varieties up to this year.

In particular, Nabi Yeonyokhwang has attracted more attention as it is known to be the first case nationwide of a domestic chrysanthemum bonsai new variety using the radiation mutation breeding method to obtain plant variety protection rights.

In 2015, the county succeeded in selecting a chrysanthemum with only the flower color changed from the white chrysanthemum Nabi Yeonyok developed independently.

They used a method of irradiating low-level gamma rays at a dose of 50 Gy/hr for 24 hours, commissioned by the Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.

Afterward, from 2018 for two years, through cultivation experiments and characteristic evaluations at the National Seed Management Office, the plant variety protection registration was finally confirmed earlier this month.

Accordingly, under the relevant agreement of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), the county will have exclusive and exclusive rights to the variety for the next 20 years.

A Hampyeong-gun official said, “Nabi Yeonyokhwang is planned to be unveiled for the first time at the Korea Chrysanthemum Festival scheduled for October,” adding, “We hope the COVID-19 situation will end early so that more tourists can directly view it on-site.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.