Agronomic Characteristics of Glycyrrhiza korshinskyi Grig. Newly Registered as Origin Plants in Korean Pharmacopoeia

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. In Korean Pharmacopoeia, three species of G. uralensis, G. glabra, and G. inflata are listed as licorice. Recently, G. korshinskyi has been registered in the Korean Pharmacopoeia, but there is no comprehensive monograph covering its agronomic characteristics. This research evaluated the agronomic characteristics of G. korshinskyi through growth characteristics, character correlations analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) using 50 lines. We evaluated growth characteristics of the stem, root, stolon (rhizome), the emergence rate, and glycyrrhizin content. Correlation analysis showed that plant height and root diameter strong positively correlated with root weight and glycyrrhizin content. PCA was useful for understanding the agronomic characteristics of G. korshinskyi, with plant height, root diameter, root weight, stolon diameter, glycyrrhizin content, stolon length, stolon number, and stolon weight as key factors. Cluster analysis grouped G. korshinskyi lines into three groups. Group III contained nine lines with a high plant height, leaf length, leaf width, root diameter, root weight, and glycyrrhizin content. In conclusion, this research evaluated the agronomic characteristics of G. korshinskyi resources through growth traits, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. This research establishes a foundation for future breeding programs and functional studies.