• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.425-431
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• 2014

Most fields in highland areas are covered with rye or hairy vetch for conservation during a fallow. However, using cover crops needs an effort to sow, and this makes top soil more vulnerable to loss due to surface disturbances. The aims of this study were to develop an automatic seeding-regulator device using a low-price, extensive-use GPS sensors and a DC motors and to evaluate a working efficiency of it after adaptation to partial tillage machine for reducing seeding effort. The amount of runoff water and soil loss was evaluated with partial tillage and simultaneous-seeding after harvesting soybean, in 17% slope lysimeters. In results, the seeding amount with the machine speed was stable between $0.5{\sim}0.8m\;s^{-1}$ of working sections. The automatic control device of seeding-rate could be enough to solve the slip problems of power selecting supply system or five four-wheel drive device. In partial tillage and simultaneous seeding, runoff water was 11.6% ($1.8m^3ha^{-1}$) of the scatter-seeding control ($15.5m^3ha^{-1}$) and soil loss was 13.2% ($7kg\;ha^{-1}$) of the scatter-seeding control ($53kg\;ha^{-1}$). These results suggest that partial tillage and simultaneous-seeding methods are very effective in decreasing work effort and soil loss of sloped land.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2008

Hybrid robust image processing algorithm to extract visual features of melon during the cultivation was developed based on a wireless tele-operative interface. Features of a melon such as size and shape including position were crucial to successful task automation and future development of cultivation data base. An algorithm was developed based on the concept of hybrid decision-making which shares a task between the computer and the operator utilizing man-computer interactive interface. A hybrid decision-making system was composed of three modules such as wireless image transmission, task specification and identification, and man-computer interface modules. Computing burden and the instability of the image processing results caused by the variation of illumination and the complexity of the environment caused by the irregular stem and shapes of leaves and shades were overcome using the proposed algorithm. With utilizing operator's teaching via LCD touch screen of the display monitor, the complexity and instability of the melon identification process has been avoided. Hough transform was modified for the image obtained from the locally specified window to extract the geometric shape and position of the melon. It took less than 200 milliseconds processing time.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.749-754
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• 2021

In order to solve problems such as a decrease in the agricultural population and an aging population, research on agricultural robots is being actively conducted for the purpose of automating various agricultural tasks. The harvesting process is the most labor-intensive process among farm work and this process consumes about 2-3 times more compared to other processes. Since the transport of agricultural crops requires the most labor costs and there is a risk of injury during the operation, automating the transport operation through an agricultural robot can improve safety and significantly improve productivity. Therefore, this paper proposes an agricultural robot that is optimized for farm worksites and capable of autonomous driving.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.374-383
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• 2010

Microwave radar can penetrate cloud cover regardless of weather conditions and can be used day and night. Especially a ground-based polarimetric scatterometer has advantages of monitoring crop conditions continuously with full polarization and different frequencies. Kim et al. (2009) have measured backscattering coefficients of paddy rice using L-, C-, X-band scatterometer system with full polarization and various angles during the rice growth period and have revealed the necessity of near-continuous automatic measurement to eliminate the difficulties, inaccuracy and sparseness of data acquisitions arising from manual operation of the system. In this study, we constructed an X-band automatic scatterometer system, analyzed scattering characteristics of paddy rice from X-band scatterometer data and estimated rice growth parameter using backscattering coefficients in X-band. The system was installed inside a shelter in an experimental paddy field at the National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS) before rice transplanting. The scatterometer system consists of X-band antennas, HP8720D vector network analyzer, RF cables and personal computer that controls frequency, polarization and data storage. This system using automatically measures fully-polarimetric backscattering coefficients of rice crop every 10 minutes. The backscattering coefficients were calculated from the measured data at a fixed incidence angle of $45^{\circ}$ and with full polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH) by applying the radar equation and compared with rice growth data such as plant height, stem number, fresh dry weight and Leaf Area Index (LAI) that were collected at the same time of each rice growth parameter. We examined the temporal behaviour of the backscattering coefficients of the rice crop at X-band during rice growth period. The HH-, VV-polarization backscattering coefficients steadily increased toward panicle initiation stage, thereafter decreased and again increased in early-September. We analyzed the relationships between backscattering coefficients in X-band and plant parameters and predicted the rice growth parameters using backscattering coefficients. It was confirmed that X-band is sensitive to grain maturity at near harvesting season.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.427-435
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• 2023

Changes in flowering time due to weather fluctuations impact plant growth and ecosystem dynamics. Accurate prediction of flowering timing is crucial for effective forest ecosystem management. This study uses a process-based model to predict flowering timing in 2023 for five major tree species in Korean forests. Models are developed based on nine years (2009-2017) of flowering data for Abeliophyllum distichum, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rhododendron schlippenbachii, Rhododendron yedoense f. poukhanense, and Sorbus commixta, distributed across 28 regions in the country, including mountains. Weather data from the Automatic Mountain Meteorology Observation System (AMOS) and the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) are utilized as inputs for the models. The Single Triangle Degree Days (STDD) and Growing Degree Days (GDD) models, known for their superior performance, are employed to predict flowering dates. Daily temperature readings at a 1 km spatial resolution are obtained by merging AMOS and KMA data. To improve prediction accuracy nationwide, random forest machine learning is used to generate region-specific correction coefficients. Applying these coefficients results in minimal prediction errors, particularly for Abeliophyllum distichum, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Rhododendron schlippenbachii, with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 1.2, 0.6, and 1.2 days, respectively. Model performance is evaluated using ten random sampling tests per species, selecting the model with the highest R². The models with applied correction coefficients achieve R² values ranging from 0.07 to 0.7, except for Sorbus commixta, and exhibit a final explanatory power of 0.75-0.9. This study provides valuable insights into seasonal changes in plant phenology, aiding in identifying honey harvesting seasons affected by abnormal weather conditions, such as those of Robinia pseudoacacia. Detailed information on flowering timing for various plant species and regions enhances understanding of the climate-plant phenology relationship.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.22-33
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• 1978

To maintain the self-sufficiency of food production , it is required to improved the productivity and increase the effective utilization of land in the double cropping areas using improved cultivation technology. The following reasons encourage this cours of action because the overlapping rice harvest and barely seeding seasons complete for labour, the lower price of barley makes it financially less attractive to grow and these two facts together are responsible for a decrease in barley being planted in certain more seasonably marginal double cropping areas. Fro these reasons, it is desirable to carry out tests to improve the current cultivation techniques . In this interest , the following studies were carried out in the experimental field located at Banweol-myeon, Whasung-jkun, Gyeonggi-do from October 1977 to July 1978 in order to establish the mechanical method of barley cultivation using the power tiller. The summarized results are as follows. 1. The work performance in the seeding operation using the rotary barley seeder was 68 minutes per 10 ares which compares favourably with 408 min/10a using the conventional method. This is only one sixth of the time required by th conventional method. The operating costs using the rotary barley seeder was 1, 463 won per 10 areas as against 3, 486 Won per 10 ares for the conventional method, showing a saving of about 50% in comparison with the conventional method. 2. In the manure spreading operation, the work performance was 25 min/10a for the manure spreading machine , compared to 1089 min/10a for the manual operations. This is about one fourth of the time required by the conventional method, The operating costs were 810 Won/10a for the machine and 857 Won/10a for the manual labour. This cost shows little advantage by the machine over the manual labor costs. The conventional method of manure spreading will continue pending decision which will develope and improve the machine.3. Work performance in the rolling operation using the barley rolIer was 30 min/lOa which compares favourably with 135 min/10a using conventional method. This was one fourth of the time required by the conventional method. The operating costs were 514 Won/103. for the machine and 1, 003 Won/lOa for manual labour. In the weed control operation, the work performance and operating costs were 45min/lOa, 1, 399won/10a for the herbcide application using the power sprayer, 1, 149min/10a 8, 541won/lOa for the conventional method respectively. This is 26 times higher efficiency in comparison to the conventional method. 4. In the harvesting operation using the reaper binder and tiller attachment, the work performance was 60min/lOa and represents a cost of 2, 039won/10a. The con\ulcornerventional method took 640min/10a at a cost of 4, 757won/lOa. The reaper binder showns a saving of one tenth over the conventional method. The automatic thresher is already recommended for the current situations, and is now being used. 5. From a comparison of the results of the above trials, the serial cultivation system using the attachment for the power tiller such as the rotary barley seeder is now to be recommended for the current barley cultivation system. It is also recommend from these results that the mechanized technology now available must be used to improve and maintain the increase in barley production. It is seen th1t this is the only course now avaihble to solve the peak seasonal requirements of labour needed for l11rvesting and seeding between rice and barley cultivation.