Quantitative Trait Analysis of the Kelp Undaria pinnatifida Cultivated in Goheung, Republic of Korea

The kelp, Undaria pinnatifida, is a popular traditional food in the Republic of Korea. Here, we examine the quantitative traits in three cultivars of this kelp, namely 'Kamaishi', 'Kijang', and 'Myeongecheon'. These cultivars are adapted for growth in the Goheung area, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea. Growth parameters are assessed monthly at the Myeongcheon and Gyedo aquafarms between January and May 2003. Five environmental conditions and two traits are analyzed in terms of growth patterns, relationships among traits, genotype (cultivar) × environment (aquafarm) interactions, and the principal components of these interactions. Descriptive (scatter plots) and inferential (correlation and regression) analyses reveal that the genotype × environment interaction is quantitative. Principal component analysis (PCA) reveals that the first principal component explains around 83% and 77% of total sample variance in the Myeongcheon and Gyedo aquafarms, respectively. When economically valuable traits are considered, cultivar growth rates are highest at the Gyedo aquafarm and the performance of 'Kamaishi' is superior to the other cultivars.