신선 토마토 인사이트

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Shin Seon-mi = It has been predicted that the prices of major fruits and vegetables such as watermelons, peaches, and tomatoes will be higher than usual this month. The average price of the past three years, excluding the highest and lowest prices from 2020 to last year, is considered the usual price. The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREA) predicted through its 'August Agricultural Observation' report on the 6th that the wholesale price of watermelons this month will be 3,100 won per kg, 17.4% higher than usual, and 1.5% higher than a year ago. This is due to the sustained high temperatures in summer and the increase in watermelon consumption as the prices of alternative fruits such as peaches and grapes rise. KREA cited the distribution of livelihood recovery support funds as one of the factors for the increase in watermelon consumption. The wholesale price of tomatoes, which are popular among consumers in summer, is expected to rise by 33.2% compared to usual and 18.1% compared to a year ago to 20,000 won per 5 kg due to a decrease in production caused by the heat wave. The wholesale price of peaches (Cheonjungdobaekdo) is expected to rise by 35.2% compared to usual and 21.3% compared to a year ago to 30,000 won per 4 kg due to a decrease in production and delayed shipment. The price of apples (Tsugaru) is expected to rise by 83.0% compared to usual and 20.6% compared to a year ago to 60,000 won per 10 kg due to a decrease in production. KREA also predicted that the wholesale price of cabbage will be 17,000 won per 10 kg, the same as last year, but 14.9% higher than usual. In addition, the wholesale price of chicken in producing areas is expected to be 1,800 won per kg this month, 8.2% higher than usual and 3.5% higher than a year ago. The price increase may be further expanded if productivity decreases due to heat waves and heavy rains. sun@yna.co.kr

Jeonnam Rural Development Administration (Director Kim Haeng-ran) recently announced that it held a "Cherry Tomato Shoulder-to-Shoulder Consulting" attended by around 40 local cherry tomato farmers and experts on the 4th. The "Shoulder-to-Shoulder Consulting" is a comprehensive agricultural consulting initiative unique to Jeonnam, where farmers growing the same crops and experts from various fields gather to analyze issues such as cultivation methods, pest and disease control, and environmental management based on the management records submitted by the farmers, and propose solutions. This consulting session not only involved detailed analysis of management records but also direct visits to leading farms to observe facilities and cultivation environments.

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Ju-young = A study has revealed that potatoes, a globally important food crop, evolved from a natural hybridization between a wild tomato plant and a potato-like plant in South America about 9 million years ago. An international research team led by Dr. Sanyuan Huang of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) announced on the 1st in the scientific journal Cell that they analyzed the genomes of 450 cultivated potatoes and 56 wild potatoes, and discovered that a natural hybridization between the tuber-less potato-like plant Etuberosum and a tomato occurred in South America about 9 million years ago, leading to the emergence of the potato plant. Dr. Huang said, "We have finally solved the mystery of where the potato came from," and added, "This research result shows how hybridization between different species can trigger the evolution of new traits and lead to the emergence of more species." Although the potato is one of the most important crops in the world, its origin has not been clearly identified. The appearance of modern potato plants is almost identical to that of potato-like species called Etuberosum found in Chile, but Etuberosum species do not have underground tubers and are more closely related to tomatoes phylogenetically than to potatoes. To uncover the evolutionary secrets between modern potatoes, Etuberosum, and tomatoes, the research team analyzed and compared the genomes of 450 cultivated potatoes and 56 wild potatoes. The results showed that both cultivated and wild potatoes contain a stable mixture of genetic material derived from both Etuberosum and tomatoes within their genomes, suggesting that potatoes originated from an ancient hybridization between the two species. Using a molecular clock model to estimate the evolutionary timing of each plant, the results showed that Etuberosum and tomatoes, although different species, had a common ancestor about 14 million years ago. The research team found that Etuberosum and tomatoes were able to interbreed for about 5 million years even after they evolved separately, and during this breeding process, potatoes with underground tubers emerged about 9 million years ago.