• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.71-85
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• 2022

The food self-sufficiency rate of agricultural products in Korea, excluding rice, is around 20%, and the government is promoting various policies including a Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields project, to increase the self-sufficiency rate of major grains. The project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields is being promoted as a part of a program to create farmland infrastructure to facilitate the cultivation of crops other than rice in rice paddies, and pilot projects were started in four regions in 2020. The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic effects of the pilot project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields, and to propose policies to increase the effectiveness of the project. In order to analyze the economic effect, we estimated the change in farm income generated by switching from rice to other crops, and measured the effect of welfare change using the Equilibrium Displacement Model (EDM). As a result of the analysis, social welfare is expected to increase when the pilot project for Multiple-Purpose Utilization of Paddy Fields is implemented, and the income of the beneficiary farmers is also expected to improve compared to that of single-cropping when double-cropping is implemented. However, it was found that the economic feasibility of the project differs depending on the crops converted. Juksan-myeon, Gimje-si, which is an area where soybean production was successful, was analyzed from the viewpoint of increasing the economic feasibility of the pilot project. Their success factors were analyzed into four major factors: infrastructure, farming methods, education, and collaboration with local agricultural organizations. If such a success story can be utilized in the future project implementation process, it can contribute to the improvement of farm household income and national economic welfare.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.93-98
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• 2023

In paddy rice farming, water management is a critical task. To suppress weed emergence during the early stages of growth, fields are deeply flooded, and after transplantation, the water level is reduced to promote rooting and stimulate stem generation. Later, water is drained to prevent the production of sterile tillers. The adequacy of water supply is influenced by various factors such as field location, irrigation channels, soil conditions, and weather, requiring farmers to frequently check water levels and control the ingress and egress of water. This effort increases if the fields are scattered in remote locations. Automated irrigation systems have been considered to reduce labor and improve productivity. However, the net income from rice production in 2022 was about KRW 320,000/10a on average, making it financially unfeasible to implement high-cost devices or construct new infrastructure. This study focused on developing an IoT-Based irrigation valve that can be easily integrated into existing agricultural infrastructure without additional construction. The research was carried out in three main areas: Firstly, an irrigation valve was designed for quick and easy installation on existing agricultural pipes. Secondly, a power circuit was developed to connect a low-power Cat M1 communication modem with an Arduino Nano board for remote operation. Thirdly, a cloud-based platform was used to set up a server and database environment and create a web interface that users can easily access.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.50
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• pp.142-154
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• 2023

Plant abscission is a natural process in which plant organs or tissues undergo detachment, a strategy selected by nature for the disposal of nonessential organs and widespread dissemination of seeds and fruits. However, from an agricultural perspective, the abscission of seeds or fruits represents a major factor that reduces crop productivity and product quality. Therefore, during the crop domestication process in traditional agriculture, mutants exhibiting suppressed abscission were selected and crossbred, thereby enabling the production of modern crop varieties such as rice, tomatoes, canola, and soybeans. These crops possess a unique trait of retaining ripe fruits or seeds in contrast to disposal via abscission. During the previous century, research on quantitative trait loci along with genetic and molecular biological studies on Arabidopsis thaliana have elucidated various cell biological mechanisms, signaling pathways, and transcription regulators involved in abscission. Additionally, it has been revealed that various hormone signals, which are involved in plant growth, play crucial roles in modulating abscission activity. Researchers have developed several chemical treatments that target these hormones and signal transduction pathways to enhance crop yields. This review aimed to introduce the previously identified signal transduction pathways and pivotal regulators implicated in abscission activity. Moreover, this review will discuss the future direction of research required to investigate crop abscission mechanisms for their potential application in smart farming and other areas of agriculture, as well as areas within model systems that require extensive research.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.327-338
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• 2020

In recent years, the temperature of Korea has been rapidly increasing due to global warming. Over the past 40 years, the temperature of Korea has risen by about 1.26℃ compared to that in the early 1980s. By region, the west region of the Gangwon Province was the highest at 1.76℃ and the Jeonnam Province was the lowest at 0.96℃. As the temperature continues to rise, it is expected that the rice yield will decrease in the future using the current standard cultivation method. As a result of global warming, the periods in which rice cultivation could be possible in regions each year has increased compared those to the past, showing a wide variety from 110 days in Taebaek to 180 days in Busan and Gwangyang. In addition, the transplanting time was delayed by 3-5 days in all regions. The average annual yield of rice showed an increasing trend when we analyzed the average productivities of developed varieties for cooked rice since the 1980s, especially in the early 1990s, which showed a rapid increase in productivity. The relationship between the average temperature at the time of development and the rice yield was divided into the periods before and after 1996. The higher the average temperature, the lower the yield of the developed varieties until 1996. However, since 1996, the increase in the average temperature did not show a trend in the productivity of the developed varieties. The climate change adaptability of developed rice varieties was investigated by analyzing the results of growing crops nationwide from 1999 to 2016 and the change in the annual yields of developed varieties and recently developed varieties as basic data to investigate the growth status of the crops in the country. As a result of annual comparisons of the yields of Taebongbyeo (2000) and Ungwangbyeo (2004) developed in the early 2000s for Odaebyeo, which was developed in the 1980s, the annual yields were relatively higher in varieties in the 2000s despite the increase in temperature. The annual yields of Samgwangbyeo (2003) and Saenuribyeo (2007), which were recently developed as mid-late-type varieties, were higher than those of an earlier developed variety called Chucheongbyeo, which was developed in the 1970s. Despite the rapid increase in temperature, rice cultivation technology and variety development are well adapted to climate change. However, since the biological potential of rice could reach its limit, it is necessary to develop continuous response technology.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.265-272
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• 2001

A manure compost has been identified as an alternative to fertilizer to increase soil fertility and crop production in farming fields. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of pig manure compost on soil properties and rice productivity as well as to determine the optimum application rate. In 1997, a field experiment was carried out to evaluate the growth of rice on sandy loam, loam, and clay loam soils amended with 0, 5, 10, and $20Mg\;ha^{-1}$ of pig manure compost plus NPK, which decided by soil testing. Rice yields were higher in soils receiving manure compost amendment. The maxim um yields were evaluated with $7,520kg\;ha^{-1}$ in the levels of $4.2Mg\;ha^{-1}$ of pig manure compost application plus NPK in sandy loam, $7,320kg\;ha^{-1}$ in the levels of $10.7Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in loam, and $6,320kg\;ha^{-1}$ in $17.2Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in clay loam soil. The optimum application rate of pig manure compost, which decided for 95% of maximum yields, was $4.0Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in sandy loam and $7.0Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in loam and clay loam soils under the condition of chemical fertilization by soil diagnosis. An increase in rice yield indicated a better nutrient status in compost-amended soil which was supported by the higher nutrient contents of N, P and K in shoot of plants grown in soil with manure compost amendment. Addition of manure compost increased available phosphate, silicate and exchangeable K in the amended soils according to the rate of compost application rate. It can be concluded that the manure compost could be a suitable organic fertilizer for improving rice productivity and soil fertility, and an application rate of $4.0Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in sandy loam and $7.0Mg\;ha^{-1}$ in loam and clay loam soils would give the optimum rice yields in the standard fertilization by chemical fertilization.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.108-125
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• 2015

The agro-climatic index is one of the ways to assess the climate resources of particular agricultural areas on the prospect of agricultural production; it can be a key indicator of agricultural productivity by providing the basic information required for the implementation of different and various farming techniques and practicalities to estimate the growth and yield of crops from the climate resources such as air temperature, solar radiation, and precipitation. However, the agro-climate index can always be changed since the index is not the absolute. Recently, many studies which consider uncertainty of future climate change have been actively conducted using multi-model ensemble (MME) approach by developing and improving dynamic and statistical downscaling of Global Climate Model (GCM) output. In this study, the agro-climatic index of Korean Peninsula, such as growing degree day based on $5^{\circ}C$, plant period based on $5^{\circ}C$, crop period based on $10^{\circ}C$, and frost free day were calculated for assessment of the spatio-temporal variations and uncertainties of the indices according to climate change; the downscaled historical (1976-2005) and near future (2011-2040) RCP climate sceneries of AR5 were applied to the calculation of the index. The result showed four agro-climatic indices calculated by nine individual GCMs as well as MME agreed with agro-climatic indices which were calculated by the observed data. It was confirmed that MME, as well as each individual GCM emulated well on past climate in the four major Rivers of South Korea (Han, Nakdong, Geum, and Seumjin and Yeoungsan). However, spatial downscaling still needs further improvement since the agro-climatic indices of some individual GCMs showed different variations with the observed indices at the change of spatial distribution of the four Rivers. The four agro-climatic indices of the Korean Peninsula were expected to increase in nine individual GCMs and MME in future climate scenarios. The differences and uncertainties of the agro-climatic indices have not been reduced on the unlimited coupling of multi-model ensembles. Further research is still required although the differences started to improve when combining of three or four individual GCMs in the study. The agro-climatic indices which were derived and evaluated in the study will be the baseline for the assessment of agro-climatic abnormal indices and agro-productivity indices of the next research work.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.8-9
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• 2017

Soybean yield has been low and unstable in Japan and other areas in East Asia, despite long history of cultivation. This is contrasting with consistent increase of yield in North and South America. This presentation tries to describe perspective of breaking stagnation of soybean yield in East Asia, considering the factors of the different yields between regions. Large amount of rainfall with occasional dry-spell in the summer is a nature of monsoon climate and as frequently stated excess water is the factor of low and unstable soybean yield. For example, there exists a great deal of field-to-field variation in yield of 'Tanbaguro' soybean, which is reputed for high market value and thus cultivated intensively and this results in low average yield. According to our field survey, a major portion of yield variation occurs in early growth period. Soybean production on drained paddy fields is also vulnerable to drought stress after flowering. An analysis at the above study site demonstrated a substantial field-to-field variation of canopy transpiration activity in the mid-summer, but the variation of pod-set was not as large as that of early growth. As frequently mentioned by the contest winners of good practice farming, avoidance of excess water problem in the early growth period is of greatest importance. A series of technological development took place in Japan in crop management for stable crop establishment and growth, that includes seed-bed preparation with ridge and/or chisel ploughing, adjustment of seed moisture content, seed treatment with mancozeb+metalaxyl and the water table control system, FOEAS. A unique success is seen in the tidal swamp area in South Sumatra with the Saturated Soil Culture (SSC), which is for managing acidity problem of pyrite soils. In 2016, an average yield of $2.4tha^{-1}$ was recorded for a 450 ha area with SSC (Ghulamahdi 2017, personal communication). This is a sort of raised bed culture and thus the moisture condition is kept markedly stable during growth period. For genetic control, too, many attempts are on-going for better emergence and plant growth after emergence under excess water. There seems to exist two aspects of excess water resistance, one related to phytophthora resistance and the other with better growth under excess water. The improvement for the latter is particularly challenging and genomic approach is expected to be effectively utilized. The crop model simulation would estimate/evaluate the impact of environmental and genetic factors. But comprehensive crop models for soybean are mainly for cultivations on upland fields and crop response to excess water is not fully accounted for. A soybean model for production on drained paddy fields under monsoon climate is demanded to coordinate technological development under changing climate. We recently recognized that the yield potential of recent US cultivars is greater than that of Japanese cultivars and this also may be responsible for different yield trends. Cultivar comparisons proved that higher yields are associated with greater biomass production specifically during early seed filling, in which high and well sustained activity of leaf gas exchange is related. In fact, the leaf stomatal conductance is considered to have been improved during last a couple of decades in the USA through selections for high yield in several crop species. It is suspected that priority to product quality of soybean as food crop, especially large seed size in Japan, did not allow efficient improvement of productivity. We also recently found a substantial variation of yielding performance under an environment of Indonesia among divergent cultivars from tropical and temperate regions through in a part biomass productivity. Gas exchange activity again seems to be involved. Unlike in North America where transpiration adjustment is considered necessary to avoid terminal drought, under the monsoon climate with wet summer plants with higher activity of gas exchange than current level might be advantageous. In order to explore higher or better-adjusted canopy function, the methodological development is demanded for canopy-level evaluation of transpiration activity. The stagnation of soybean yield would be broken through controlling variable water environment and breeding efforts to improve the quality-oriented cultivars for stable and high yield.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2018

This study was aimed to improve the productivity and income of mushroom farming by developing a new casing material as a substitute for clay loam casing soil, which is becoming more difficult to acquire. When the new casing materials were used for the stable production of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), a 1:1 mixture of clay loam and button mushroom media obtained after harvest supported 13% greater mycelial growth ($32.0kg/3.3m^2$). This material was better than clay loam soil in preventing contamination with environmental compounds and pests. The use of an inexpensive 1:1 mixture of peat moss and coco peat resulted superior mycelial growth with 4% better yield ($32.9kg/3.3m^2$) compared with conventional clay loam soil. Advantages of these casing materials included ready availability and improved productivity. Mixtures of peat moss + coco peat + zeolite (50%:30%:20%) and coco peat + coal ash (75%:25%) could substitute for conventional casing soil. Additionally, the novel mixtures containing material obtained after cultivation might be used to produce organic fertilizer.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.173-191
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• 2019

The study was initiated to compare seasonal nutrient variations and rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity in each of leading rice farm with conventionally managed and recommended fertilized of the large-scale environment-friendly agricultural districts in Jangheung, Suncheon, and Okcheon provinces in 2017. Suncheon rice experimental farm plots included a recommended fertilization plot that had been additionally sown hairy vetch in the fall of previous year, while Okcheon rice farm included a recommended fertilization plot applying half amount of the compost in the conventional plot. A Jangheung rice farm only practiced crop-livestock farming system. Soil pH and EC in all experimental plots were suitable levels for rice growth to cultivate. Seasonal soil pH from March to September was the highest for Suncheon rice farm, and seasonal soil EC was the highest for Jangheung rice farm. Seasonal soil T-N increased in all the plots from March to June in particular for Suncheon rice farm, and Jangheung rice farm had the lowest seasonal soil P. Seasonal soil K decreased in all the plots, with the lowest levels observed for Okcheon farm. Seasonal soil NH₄⁺ mostly increased by up to 90 mg/kg in Jangheung rice farm from March to June. Seasonal plant T-N, P and K concentrations were the highest for Jangheung rice farm. Seasonal plant T-N and P concentrations decreased from June to September, but K leveles were fluctuated between 2.0% and 2.5%. Seasonal SPAD value was the lowest in Suncheon conventional plot. Jangheung rice farm plot produced 6,303 kg of rice per ha, which was approximately two times higher than those of Okcheon recommended plot. The seasonal T-N, P and K balance was the highest in Okcheon conventional plot, with the lowest values observed for Suncheon conventional plot. As a result, Suncheon recommended plot showed relatively low levels of seasonal macro-nutrient balance and the highest rice production, which could be the most environmentally friendly farm practiced conducted in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.315-322
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• 2011

The importance of aquafarming is increasing all over the world, however the coastal environment in the semi-closed inner bay has been aggravated due to the long term production and the high stocking density. For the sustainable aquafarming, there is a requirement for a eco-friendly fishery management by the estimation of ecological carrying capacity. The model development and application is still in the initial step, because it has to consider the whole ecosystem and all culture activities. As an alternative, there is a requirement for ecological indicator to assess the ecological performance. This study tried the estimation of ecological carrying capacity using ecological indicator. The production and the facility of the oyster farms was 4,935M/T, $49ind./m^3$ in Geoje-Hansan Bay(2008). Filtration pressure indicator was 0.203 which could provide a guidance on the present level of culture development. According to the environmental characteristics and the present oyster farms in Geoje-Hansan Bay, the newly assessed filtration pressure for the acceptable ecological carrying capacity was 0.102. Consequently, ecological carrying capacity in Geoje-Hansan Bay was 2,480M/T, $25ind./m^3$ and this represents the level of culture that can be introduced into Geoje-Hansan Bay without leading to significant changes to ecological process, species, populations or communities. Our study utilized the ecological indicator to estimate ecological carrying capacity of oyster farming for sustainable productivity and this could be the scientific basis for the eco-friendly fishery management.