Assessing Soil Fertility Status of Edible Wild Plants Fields in Ulleung Island

The perennial edible wild plants such as Aster glehnii, Solidago virgaurea subsp. gigantean, Allium ochotense, Athyrium acutipinnulum, Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus and Codonopsis lanceolata have cultivated as the main income crops introduced into the fields about 30 years ago in Ulleung island. Soil samples were collected from 190 fields and assessed the effects of management practices on soil chemical properties at wild edible plant fields under no-till system. The strong acidic soils of pH 5.4 or less were detected in 45% of the soil samples. The level of soil organic matter was being held at mean $63{\pm}28g\;kg^{-1}$, 2.7 times higher than upland soils in Korea. Available phosphate and exchangeable potassium showed more than recommended levels of upland crops as $680{\pm}489mg\;kg^{-1}$ and $1.94{\pm}1.7cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. The fields of Solidago and Aster showing strong soil acidity and high level of available phosphate and water soluble $NO_3{^-}$ were distinguished from other crops in analysis of variance and principal component analysis of soil chemicals. These results suggested that high frequency of acidic soil and high levels of available $P_2O_5$, exchangeable $K_2O$ and water soluble $NO_3{^-}$ were accompanied with the use of urea and NPK-fertilizer based on nitrogen in the field. However, further research is needed to understand the appropriate management of fertilization and the prevention of soil acidification for wild edible plants.