A New Rose of Sharon Cultivar, “Daegoang” Developed by Mutation Breeding

“Daegoang” is a new Hibiscus variety developed by mutation breeding using gamma ray irradiation at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). One hundred seeds of original variety, “Yongkwang”, collected in Namyangju of Gyeonggi Province were irradiated 10 Krad g-ray from a ⁶⁰Co source at KAERI in 1994 (Fig. 1). The flower type and color of the variety “Yongkwang” was I-b that means single and fully open, and light purple with red eye, respectively. The irradiated seeds were sown in a field of the Atomic Experiment Farm in Namyangju, in April 1994. The survival rate of seedling at the 0 and 100 Gy dose was 50% and 35%, respectively (Table 1). Among them one tree was selected as a mutant, “Yongkwang S-10-1” (whose meaning is one mutant from 10 Krad irradiated seeds) in 1997. Propagation of the mutant by means of cuttings and characterization were done during 1998 to 2001, and then tentatively named “Weonnong 13” to the final selected-mutant. “Daegoang” selected from the 10 Krad irradiated seeds has larger leaves than the original variety, while the length of petiole was shorter (Table 2). The flower type, I-b, was similar to that of the original variety. The flower has light purple petals with large red eye and long radiate vein (Table 3). The name of the new variety, “Daegoang” reflects its large flower (Fig. 2).