Perilla frutescens is a traditionally cultivated crop in East Asia that exhibits significant morphological variation between its two main variants: var. frutescens and var. crispa. To investigate the genetic basis of trait variation and segregation, we developed an F₂ population from a cross between weedy accessions of the two variants of Perilla and analyzed 107 individuals. Four qualitative and nine quantitative traits were evaluated, including leaf color, stem color, flower color, days to flowering, plant height, and leaf area. The F₂ population showed wide phenotypic variation. In the chi-square test for four qualitative traits, two traits (color of leaf reverse side, color of flower) followed a Mendelian segregation ratio of 1:2:1. Heritability analysis revealed high values for days to flowering and leaf width. In contrast, traits such as number of florets and leaf length exhibited lower heritability, indicating a more substantial influence of environmental factors. Hierarchical clustering analysis grouped the parental lines into distinct clusters, revealing a diverse distribution of F₂ individuals across multiple groups. Some individuals closely resembled one of the parents, while others formed novel clusters, reflecting recombination and the emergence of new trait combinations. These findings underscore the genetic complexity underlying morphological traits in Perilla and highlight the potential of weedy accessions as valuable resources for breeding. The foundation established by this study will aid in developing new cultivars with desirable traits.

Morphological variation was investigated among 31 maize landrace accessions collected from the fields of various farmers in South Sudan by examining 7 quantitative agronomic characteristics. A significant positive correlation was found between days to tasseling (DT) and days to silking (DS), between plant height (PH) and ear height (EH) and stem width (SW), and between EH and SW and leaf length (LL). First and second principal components accounted for 69% of the total variance (40.9% and 28.6%, respectively). PH, EH, SW, LL, and leaf width (LW) were clearly characterized in a positive direction on the first axis. DT and DS were clearly characterized in a positive direction on the second axis. A scatter plot based on phenotypic data revealed the existence of 3 groups based on the most discriminating characteristics: Group I included 5 maize landrace accessions, Group II comprised 14 maize landrace accessions, and Group III included 10 maize landrace accessions. In principal component analysis, generally the investigated genotypes were not clearly grouped into their geographical origins owing to a weak geographic relationship among the accessions. In conclusion, even though the morphological characterization studies were conducted in the South Korean climate, this study revealed significant phenotypic variation among the explored maize landrace accessions collected from South Sudan. Therefore, this information about phenotypic divergence may be very useful for future breeding research programs as well as for genetic improvement of South Sudan maize accessions.

Citations

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• Phylogenetic analysis of Perilla crop (Perilla frutescens L.) based on morphological characteristics and volatile substances
  Jungeun Cho, Hyeon Park, Tae Hyeon Heo, Kyu Jin Sa, Ju Kyong Lee
  Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution.2025; 72(3): 2959.     CrossRef
• Uncovering microsatellite markers associated with agronomic traits of South Sudan landrace maize
  Emmanuel Andrea Mathiang, Hyeon Park, So Jung Jang, Jungeun Cho, Tae Hyeon Heo, Ju Kyong Lee
  Genes & Genomics.2023; 45(12): 1587.     CrossRef