• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.966-975
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• 2017

Excessive salt disrupts intracellular ion homeostasis and inhibits plant growth, which poses a serious threat to global food security. Plants have adapted various strategies to survive in unfavorable saline soil conditions. Here, we show that humic acid (HA) is a good soil amendment that can be used to help overcome salinity stress because it markedly reduces the adverse effects of salinity on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. To identify the molecular mechanisms of HA-induced salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis, we examined possible roles of a sodium influx transporter HIGH-AFFINITY $K^+$ TRANSPORTER 1 (HKT1). Salt-induced root growth inhibition in HKT1 overexpressor transgenic plants (HKT1-OX) was rescued by application of HA, but not in wild-type and other plants. Moreover, salt-induced degradation of HKT1 protein was blocked by HA treatment. In addition, the application of HA to HKT1-OX seedlings led to increased distribution of $Na^+$ in roots up to the elongation zone and caused the reabsorption of $Na^+$ by xylem and parenchyma cells. Both the influx of the secondary messenger calcium and its cytosolic release appear to function in the destabilization of HKT1 protein under salt stress. Taken together, these results suggest that HA could be applied to the field to enhance plant growth and salt stress tolerance via post-transcriptional control of the HKT1 transporter gene under saline conditions.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.274-280
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• 2005

Enormous amount of oyster-shell waste has been illegally disposed at oyster farm sites along the southern coast of Korea and then made a serious problem in environmental side. To increase the consumption of oyster shell meal as a soil amendment, the effects of oyster shell meal on soil properties and spring Chinese cabbage productivity were evaluated in silt loam soil to which 0, 4, 8, 12 and $16Mg\;ha^{-1}$ of oyster-shell meal fertilizer were added. Hydrated lime treatment ($2Mg\;ha^{-1}$) was selected as a control. Oyster-shell meal fertilizer, which made by a simple crushing and has high alkalinity as a calcium materials, had significant effects on neutralizing acid soil and on supplying calcium element. Spring Chinese cabbage yields increased with shell meal application. Plant uptakes of macro-nutrients such as P and C, and micro-nutrient such as B were significantly increased by oyster-shell meal application and then contributed to promote Chinese cabbage growth. The highest yield was achieved following the addition of $8Mg\;ha^{-1}$ shell meal application, and the same yield with that in lime treatment was at the $4Mg\;ha^{-1}$. Oyster-shell meal had more substantial effect on suppling calcium and on improving soil pH than that of lime. In conclusion, oyster shell meal fertilizer could be a good supplement to other inorganic soil amendments to improve nutrient balances in upland soils.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.22-37
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• 2006

The applicability of biobarrier or in situ microbial filter technology for the remediation of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvent was investigated through batch microcosm study. The efficiency and rates of reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are known to be highly dependent on hydrogen concentration. In this study, the effect of electron donors on the reductive dechlorination of PCE was investigated using vermicompost (or worm casting) and peat as a biobarrier medium. The effect of organic acids (lactate, butyrate and benzoate), yeast extract and vitamin $B_{12}$ on the reductive dechlorination was investigated. In the absence of biobarrier medium (adsorbent), addition of electron donors stimulated the dechlorination rate of PCE compared to the control experiment (i.e., no electron donor added). Among the treatments, addition of lactate or lactate/benzoate as hydrogen donor exhibited the highest dechlorination rate ($k_1=0.0260{\sim}0.0266\;day^{-1}$). In case of using vermicompost as a biobarrier medium, amendment of lactate/benzoate exhibited the highest dechlorination rate following with a pseudo-first-order degradation rate constant of $k_1=0.0849\;day^{-1}$. In contrast, when Pahokee peat was used as a biobarrier medium, either butyrate or lactate addition exhibited the highest dechlorination rate with $k_1$ values of 0.1092 and $0.1067\;day^{-1}$, respectively. The results of this study showed the potential applicability of in situ biobarrier technology using vermicompost or peat as a barrier material for the remediation of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvent.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of Multi Process of Aerobic Digestion (MPAD) for recycling of swine manure slurry as fertilizer. MPAD consisted of three kinds of difference process which are thermophilic aerobic oxidation (TAO) system, lime solidification system, and reverse osmosis (R/O) membrane system. TAO system was studied well previously for decade. The chemical composition of the lime-treated solid fertilizer was as like that organic matter 17.4%, moisture 34.1%, N 0.9%, P 1.7%, K 0.3%, Ca 12.7%, and which was expected to be useful as acid soil amendment material. The concentrated liquid material produced by R/O membrane system was also expected as a good fertilizer for crops production and soil fertility improvement.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 1972

The characteristic and efficiency of natural shell sand in the coast of Cheju-Do and Jin-Do were studied to apply as agricultural lime for the soil acid adjustment. 1. The alkalinity of shell sand from Cheju coast was higher than that of Jindo and more weathered into fine particles. The particle size distributions of Cheju shell sand were condensed finer particles than 32 mesh in Cheju shell sands and in more coarser particles than 32 mesh in Jindo one. 2. The effect of Cheju shell sand on increasing soil pH value in the upland condition was low at the beginning but more gradually increased after 8 weeks from the treatment than ground lime, and Jindo was very dull during the period of treatment. The commercial lime crushed from Jindo was approximately equal to the ground lime. 3. In the submerged condition, the shell sand of Cheju reacted with soil acid more quickly than ground lime after 2 days, and Jindo was very slow. 4. The relative efficiency of various particle size fraction of the shell sand was superior to the ground lime. The lime particles between 9 to 14 mesh and 20 mesh had more remarkable difference of pH value than other fine particles. The efficiency among finer sizes than 20 mesh particle was approximately equal to each others. 5. The shell sand from the Cheju would be applied directly as agricultural lime without any treatment, and Jindo also can be expected to be effective as agricultural lime with crushing procedure.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 1975

The experiment was carried out to investigate the chemical properties of cement kiln dusts, abundantly produced from cement industry as a byproduct, and their effectiveness on rice yield. The field experiment was conducted on the acid paddy soil developed on basalt at Dongsong-Myon, Chulwon-Kun, Gangwon-Do. Two kinds of cement kiln dusts were used ; By Pass (BP) collected from the suspension preheater and Electric Precipitate (EP) from the cottrell electric precipitator. The levels of cement kiln dust applied were 100kg/10a, 200kg/10a and 300kg/10a, and the recommended variety "Nong Back" was adopted for this experiment. The results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1. The component of cement kiln dusts seems to be quite suitable for liming material. BP has 55% alkalinity, 41.7% of soluble calcium, 9.8% of soluble magnesium and 4.5% of water soluble silicate, while EP has 53.5% alkalinity, 41.7% soluble calcium, 8.3% soluble magnesium and 1% water soluble silicate. 2. The relative effectiveness of cement kiln dust in the soil will be superior due to very fine particle size. EP pass through completely 270 mesh screen, and 95% of BP pass through 150 mesh screen, 68% passing 270 mesh. 3. BP application at the rate of 100kg/10a increased 21% of rice yield as compared with control and EP 15%. It was observed that the affected yield components were increased panicle number per hill, grain number per panicle and 1,000 grains weight. 4. The application of optimum amount (100kg/10a) of cement kiln dusts accelerated the uptake of nutrients by rice plant and increased rice yield. However, the excess amounts (200kg/10a, 300kg/10a) of cement kiln dusts retarded the uptake of nutrients from soil.