Genetic Composition of Korean Ginseng Germplasm by Collection Area and Resource Type

Abstract

To improve crops, it is important to secure plant genetic source material and evaluate the genetic diversity. Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has long been used as a medicinal herb in Korea and China. Since ginseng originated from wild ginseng with low genetic diversity, it is also expected to have low genetic diversity. In this study, the genetic diversity of 451 ginseng accessions conserved in the National Agrobiodiversity Center (NAC) at Korea was analyzed using 33 SSR markers. Another objective was to establish a strategy for NAC to manage ginseng germplasm based on these results. The 451 accessions were collected from 22 cities in six provinces in South Korea. Among the 451 ginseng accessions, 390 (86.5%) and 61 (13.5%) were landraces and breeding lines, respectively. In the STRUCTURE results for the accessions, there was no relationship between assigned genotypes and collection areas, but there was a population genetic structure. In addition, genetic differentiation within populations of each analysis was low, indicating that the ginseng accessions conserved at NAC are extensively dispersed throughout the collection areas. The results of this study suggest that NAC should increase the genetic diversity of ginseng accessions for breeding programs, and alternatives are needed for securing ginseng genetic resources.