This study has evaluated the genetic characteristics and wheat processing-related properties of four Korean wheat landraces (KWLs). The KWLs were found to possess the vernalization alleles vrn-A1, vrn-B1, and Vrn-D1 and the photoperiod alleles Ppd-A1b, Ppd-B1b, and Ppd-D1a. The Korean cultivated variety Keumgang also shared these alleles with the exception of vrn-D1. With regard to grain hardness, KWL 2 was shown to possess Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1b like Keumgang, while other KWLs were classified as carrying Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1a. All KWLs were found to be non-waxy, carrying the alleles Wx-A1a, Wx-B1a, and Wx-D1a. With regard to the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) genes, all four KWLs carried low-activity alleles, in contrast to the Keumgang sample. The assessment of physicochemical properties revealed that KWL 1, 3, and 4 had a higher amylose content but a lower protein content than KWL 2 and Keumgang. In tests of solvent retention capacity KWL 1 and KWL 2 exhibited the lowest and highest values, respectively, for all four solvents used in the tests. With regard to the dough properties, the results of Mixolab analysis indicated a faster starch gelatinisation in KWL1, while in KWL 2 a high water absorption and the longest dough development and stability times were found. KWL 3 and 4 exhibited similar dough behaviours. Principal component analysis of the four KWL lines revealed distinct clustering based on their physicochemical and dough-related traits.

This study aimed to assess the phenotypic and histological characteristics of leaves, stems, and roots of sweet potato (‘Hopungmi’ and ‘Sodammi’, Korean cultivars) under the low-temperature conditions induced by early transplanting. In leaves, early transplanting (ETP) led to reductions in vascular bundle width (from −22.6% to −53.7%), xylem diameter (from −51.6% to −52.6%), palisade parenchyma thickness (from −31.3% to −31.5%), and the palisade parenchyma thickness-to-leaf thickness ratio (from −31.2% to −32.1%), while the total leaf thickness remained unchanged. Principal component 1 (PC1: 69.7%) was positively correlated with vascular characteristics and palisade parenchyma thickness, reflecting enhanced development under optimal transplanting (OTP) and greater photosynthetic capacity. These findings indicate that low temperatures hinder palisade parenchyma development. In stems, ETP reduced stem radius (from −20.3% to −42.1%) and the pith-to-stem radius ratio (from −21.0% to −25.3%) but increased the xylem-to-stem radius ratio (from +45.8% to +47.1%) and the collenchyma-to-stem radius ratio (from +61.5% to +84.7%). PC1 (45.7%) showed positive correlations with xylem and collenchyma ratios and negative correlations with stem radius and pith ratio, suggesting that these anatomical adjustments helped maintain stem rigidity under stress. In roots, ETP significantly reduced root radius (from −78.0% to −94.5%), vascular radius (from −83.9% to −96.9%), cortex thickness (from −68.9% to −80.7%), and the vascular-to-root radius ratio (from −28.6% to −44.7%), while increasing the cortex-to-root radius ratio (from +53.0% to +248.0%). PC1 (93.8%) was positively associated with vascular characteristics and cortex thickness and negatively associated with the cortex-to-root radius ratio. Overall, the low temperatures resulting from early transplanting altered the anatomical structures of leaves, stems, and roots, indicating suboptimal conditions for storage root development. In particular, the vascular bundle radius of sweet potato roots was identified as a crucial indicator for evaluating storage root development, which can be utilized in future breeding strategies.