Soil Characteristics and Improvement of Reclaimable Hillside Land

산지토양(山地土壤)의 특성(特性)과 개량(改良)

Majority of reclaimable soils in hillside lands in Korea are red yellow soils, with exception in Jeju island, where most of reclaimable hillside lands are composed of volcanic ash soils. Songjeong, Yesan and Samgag series are the major soil series of red yellow soils which are available for the reclamation. When observed in the fields, they are distinguished as reddish brown clay loam, red yellow sand loam and yellowish brown sand loam. They have moderately good physical properties but their chemical properties are generally poor for crop cultivations. The chemical properties of red yellow soils, as compared to long time cultivated (matured) soils, are characterized by very low pH, high in exchangeable Al content and phosphorus fixation capacity. Also extraodinary low available phosphorus and organic matter contents are generally observed. On the other, the chemical properties of volcanic ash soils are characterized by high armophous Fe and Al hydroxides and organic matter contents, which are the causative factors for the extremely high phosphorus fixation capacity of the soils. The phosphorus fixation capacity of volcanic acid soils are as high as 5-10 times of that of red yellow soils. Poor growth of crops on newly reclaimed red yellow soils are mainly caused by very low available P and pH and high exchangeable Al. Relatively high P fixation capacity renders the failure of effective use of applied P when the amount of application is not sufficient. Applications of lime to remove the exchangeable Al and relatively large quantity of P to lower the P fixation capacity and to increase the available P are the major recommendations for the increased crop production on red yellow hillside soils. Generally recommendable amounts of lime and P to meet the aforementioned requirements, are 200-250kg/10a of lime and $30-35kg\;P_2O_5/10a$. Over doses of lime. frequently induces the K, B, arid Zn deficiencies and lowers the uptake of P. In volcanic ash soils, it is difficult to alter the exchangeable Al and the P fixation capacity by liming and P application. This may be due to the peculiarity of volcanic ash soil in chemical properties. Because of this feature, the amelioration of volcanic ash soils is not as easy as in the case of red yellow soils. Application of P as high as $100kg\;P_2O_5/10a$ is needed to bring forth the significant yield response in barley. Combined applications of appropriate levels of P, lime, and organic matter, accompanied by deep plowing, results in around doubling of the yields of various crops on newly reclaimed red yellow soils.