Korean Wild Soybeans (Glycine soja Sieb & Zucc.): Geographic Distribution and Germplasm Conservation

Domesticated crops suffer from major genetic bottlenecks while wild relatives retain higher genomic diversity. Wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.) is the presumed ancestor of cultivated soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), and is an important genetic resource for soybean improvement. Among the East Asian habitats of wild soybean (China, Japan, Korea, and Northeastern Russia), the Korean peninsula is of great importance based on archaeological records, domestication history, and higher diversity of wild soybeans in the region. The collection and conservation of these wild soybean germplasms should be put on high priority. Chung's Wild Legume Germplasm Collection maintains more than 10,000 legume accessions with an intensive and prioritized wild soybean germplasm collection (>6000 accessions) guided by the international code of conduct for plant germplasm collection and transfer. The center holds a library of unique wild soybean germplasms collected from East Asian wild habitats including the Korean mainland and nearby islands. The collection has revealed interesting and useful morphological, biochemical, and genetic diversity. This resource could be utilized efficiently in ongoing soybean improvement programs across the globe.