• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.361-371
• /
• 2002

Multifunctionality of agriculture has been an important international issue in terms of environmental benefits and public concerns. We calculated soil loss mass in national basis using the USLE, and attempted to evaluate its economical benefits by replacement cost method. Soil loss mass ranged from 1.4 to $18MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ was fairly fitted to measured values for 13 cropping systems. In national basis, the factors in USLE were evaluated as: 429.4 for rainfall and runoff factor. R, 0.15 for soil erodibility factor, K, 1.72 for topographic factor, LS, 0.275 for cover and management factor, C, and 0.856 for support practice factor, P. The soil loss estimated from upland farming using the USLE was $26.1MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, but soil loss from the bare soil was $110.8MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, the ratio of soil loss from upland farming to bare soil was 23 percents. Function of reducing soil loss in comparison with the bare soil was $84.7MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, of which national soil loss mass was 62.6 million MT per annum in south Korea. Agriculture economic replacement cost of soil loss reduction was 497 billion Wons(398 million dollars) for the cost of upland soil dressing. For conservational purposes to increase the environmental benefits of upland farming, the agricultural practice including contour, strip cropping, terracing and division ditches should be implemented.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.104-108
• /
• 2016

The objective of this study was to determine how feeding forage and concentrate separately (SF) or as a total mixed ration (TMR) affects enteric methane production of cattle. Six Holstein steers ($203{\pm}22.5kg$) were used in a $2{\times}3$ changeover design experiment. Experimental diets (TMR and SF) consisted of compound feed, timothy hay and soybean curd residue in a ratio of 40:48:12, respectively, and diets were fed at 10% of metabolic body weight, on an as-fed basis. There were no differences in dry matter intake and enteric methane production (g/d) between SF and TMR but the methane conversion rate (methane energy/GE intake) of TMR was significantly higher (p=0.05) than that of SF. The mean methane emission factor (kg/head/year) and conversion rate of the two treatments were 21.4 and 0.05, respectively. There was a strong relationship between metabolic body weight and enteric methane production (p<0.001). At the present time, further studies may be necessary in order to establish the effects of TMR and SF on enteric methane production.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.1501-1511
• /
• 2015

As essential trace elements, copper and zinc play important roles in many physiological events in plants. In excess, however, these elements can limit plant growth. This study selected a heavy metal-tolerant plant by analyzing seed germination and biomass of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), canola (Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nippo-oleifera), Chinese corn (Setaria italica), and a sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor ${\times}$ S. sudanense), and determined heavy metal uptake capacity by analyzing biomass, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and heavy metal contents under high external copper or zinc levels. The seed germination rate and biomass of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid were higher under copper or zinc stress compared to the other three plants. The plant biomass and photosynthetic pigment contents of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid seedlings were less vulnerable under low levels of heavy metals (${\leq}50ppm$ copper or ${\leq}400ppm$ zinc). The maximum quantum yield of PSII ($F_v/F_m$) and the maximum primary yield of PSII ($F_v/F_o$) decreased with increasing copper or zinc levels. Under high copper levels, the decline in $F_v/F_m$ was caused only by the decline in $F_m$, and was accompanied by an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The $F_v/F_m$ declined under high levels of zinc due to both a decrease in the maximum fluorescence ($F_m$) and an increase in the initial fluorescence ($F_o$), and this was accompanied by a marked decrease in photochemical quenching (qP), but not by an increase in NPQ. Accumulations of copper and zinc were found in both aboveand below-ground parts of plants, but were greater in the below-ground parts. The uptake capacity of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid for copper and zinc reached 4459.1 mg/kg under 400 ppm copper and 9028.5 mg/kg under 1600 ppm zinc. Our results indicate that the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid contributes to the in situ phytoremediation of copper or zinc polluted soils due to its high biomass yield.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.299-307
• /
• 1988

Several experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of external factors on germination and emergence of Eclipta prostrata (L.)L. The weight of viable achenes doubled as a result of 90 minutes soaking in water. The germination of E. prostrata was significantly improved by alternating temperatures. At a constant temperature of $35^{\circ}C$, only 78% of the achenes germination, whereas at alternating temperatures of 35/$20^{\circ}C$, 96.5% of the achenes germinated. E. prostrata was more sensitive than rice to moisture stress. No germination of E. prostrata achenes occurred in the absence of oxygen. No germination of E. prostrata achenes occurred in the dark or when they were exposed to green, blue, and far-red light. Germination of E. prostrata achenes was influenced by the duration of illumination after absorption of water. Ten hours of illumination was needed for maximum germination and 2 hours for 50% germination. No significant changes in germination of E. prostrata achenes were observed between pH 3 and 10. A high tolerance of E. prostrata achenes to salt was observed. Emergence of E. prostrata achenes was greatly affected by planting depth. In the upland soil, 74.0% of the achenes planted on the soil surface germinated, and no emergence was at planting depths of 0.5 cm or greater.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.10 no.11
• /
• pp.168-176
• /
• 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage DNA and cause cancer. Therefore, the research is being conducted on the development of antioxidants for the removal of ROS. This study was performed to investigate antioxidant activity and protective effect against oxidative DNA damage using ethyl acetate fractions from the cone of Pinus rigida × taeda (ERT). The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay, and Fe2+ chelating assay. Also, the contents of phenolic compounds and vitamin C related to antioxidant activity were analyzed to confirm phytochemicals. The DNA protective effect against oxidative stress was confirmed by the φX-174 RF I plasmid DNA cleavage assay. As a result, ERT showed DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities in a concentration-dependent manner. The results of reducing power and Fe2+ chelating activities were 77.32 ± 2.28% and 64.09 ± 1.01% at 200 ㎍/㎖. Also, ERT showed a DNA protective effect against oxidative stress.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.184-194
• /
• 2022

Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum is the plant species most affected by logging activities in the East Region of Cameroon due to its market value. This logging has impacted the ecological niche of the fern plant for which limited research has been done. The aim of this study is to contribute towards improving knowledge of fern richness and biomass on T. scleroxylon within the Central African sub-region. Fern data collection was done on 20 felled/harvested T. scleroxylon where, in addition to fern inventory, fern biomass was collected by the destructive method. The diameter and height of T. scleroxylon measured were used as explanatory variables in allometric equations for fern biomass estimation. Fern inventory was characterized using diversity index. Eight fern species were recorded on T. scleroxylon (≈5 species/T. scleroxylon). The minimum diameter where fern could be found is 59.4 cm. The average fern biomass found was 23.62 kg/T. scleroxylon. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a positive correlation (r>0.55) between fern biomass and T. scleroxylon diameter. For allometric equation, the logarithmic model improved better the adjustment than the non-logarithmic model. However, the quality of the adjustment is improved more when only the diameter is considered as an explanatory variable. Fern biomass is estimated to 90.08 kg/ha^-1 with 76.02 kg/ha^-1 being lost due to T. scleroxylon exploitation in the study area. This study is a contribution towards increasing knowledge of fern diversity specific to T. scleroxylon, and also fern biomass contribution to climate change mitigation and the potential carbon loss due to T. scleroxylon exploitation.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2024.07a
• /
• pp.1321-1321
• /
• 2024

Concrete arch dams, unlike conventional concrete gravity dams, have thin arch-shaped cross sections and must be designed considering a three-dimensional shape. In particular, double-curvature arch dams, which have arch-shaped vertical and horizontal sections, require careful consideration during design due to their unique shape. Although stress analysis is complex, and various factors need to be considered during the design, these dams offer economic advantages as they require less material. Consequently, numerous double-curvature arch dams have been constructed worldwide, and ongoing research focuses on optimizing their shapes. In this study, an efficient optimization algorithm was developed for the shape optimization of concrete arch dams with double-curvature using genetic algorithms and improved population initializing technique. The developed technique utilized domain knowledge in the field of arch dams to generate an excellent initial population. To assess the relevance of domain knowledge, an investigation was conducted on the accumulated knowledge and empirical formulas from literature. Two pieces of domain knowledge can be gleaned from the iterative structural design experiences associated with arch dams. First, it concerns the thickness of the central cantilever of an arch dam. For minimum tensile stress, it is best to make the thickness as thin as possible at the dam crest and gradually become thicker as it goes down. The second aspect concerns the sliding stability of the arch dam, which depends on the central angle of the horizontal section. This angel is important for stability because the plane arch serves to transfer the hydraulic load from the reservoir to both abutments. Also, preliminary design formulas for arch dams from a manual written by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) were used. On the other hand, since domain knowledge is based on engineering experiences and data from existing dams, its usability should be verified by comparing it with the results of design optimization performed by classic genetic algorithms. To validate the performance of the optimization algorithm with the improved population initialization technique, a test site with an existing dam was selected, and algorithmic application tests were conducted. Stress analysis is performed for each design iteration, evaluating constraints and calculating fitness as the objective function. The results confirmed that the algorithm developed in this study exhibits superior performance in terms of average fitness and convergence rate compared to classic genetic algorithms.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2024.07a
• /
• pp.1322-1322
• /
• 2024

Reinforced concrete (RC) , a major contributor to resource depletion and harmful emissions, fuels research on optimizing its design. Optimizing RC structures is challenging due to the mix of discrete and continuous variables, hindering traditional differentiation-based methods. Thus, this study aims to optimize RC structures cost-effectively using deep reinforcement learning. When the Agent selects design variables, Environment checks design criteria based on KDS 14-20 code (South Korea) and calculates reward. The Agent updates its Neural Network with this reward. Target for optimization is a simply supported doubly RC beam, with design variables including cross-section dimensions, sizes and quantities of tension and compression reinforcement, and size of stirrups. We used 200,000 training sets and 336 test sets, each with live load, dead load, beam length variables. To exclude labeled data, multiple training iterations were conducted. In the initial training, the reward was the ratio of maximum possible cost at beam length to the designed structure's cost. Next iterations used the ratio of optimal values by the previous Agent to the current Agent as the reward. Training ended when the difference between optimal values from the previous and current Agent was within 1% for test data. Brute Force Algorithm was applied to the test set to calculate the actual cost-optimal design for validation. Results showed within 10% difference from actual optimal cost, indicating successful deep reinforcement learning application without labeled data. This study benefits the rapid and accurate calculation of optimized designs and construction processes in Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.313-319
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study was to provide the basis for the vegetable seedlings export research and policy establishment by analyzing vegetable seedlings export status from the agricultural quarantine statistics in Korea and the changes of temperature and relative humidity during the vegetable seedlings shipping export transportation to Japan. From 2007 to 2016, various vegetable seedlings such as cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and etc., have been exported to more than 20 countries around the world. The main exporting country of vegetable seedlings for commercial purposes is Japan, and the major exported seedlings to Japan in 2016 were fruit vegetable grafted seedlings such as eggplant, tomato, cucumber, watermelon and pepper. Total export amount of the fruit vegetable seedlings to Japan in 2016 were 2,575,446 seedlings and it is approximately 0.7 to 1.6 million dollars. The grafted seedlings exported to Japan were consumed for urban agriculture and farm use. Shipping transportation took about 24 hours in the process of receiving the package ${\rightarrow}$ shipment ${\rightarrow}$ quarantine (Busan port) ${\rightarrow}$ Quarantine (Japan Shimonoseki Port). The growing demand for vegetable seedlings due to the development of urban agriculture in Japan and the growing interest and demand for vegetable grafting seedlings in neighboring countries such as Russia will be an opportunity to expand the export size of Korean vegetable grafting seedlings. In order to expand the export of vegetable seedlings in Korea, it is necessary to ensure further active government policy and research on the production of export seedlings, seedlings storage and transportation technology and analysis of exporting countries' market information.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.40-51
• /
• 2019

Ginseng has a unique production system that is different from those used for other crops. It is subject to the Ginseng Industry Act., requires a long-term cultivation period of 4-6 years, involves complicated cultivation characteristics whereby ginseng is not produced in a single location, and many ginseng farmers engage in mixed-farming. Therefore, to bring the production of Ginseng in line with GAP standards, it is necessary to better understand the on-site practices of Ginseng farmers according to established control points, and to provide a proper action plan for improving efficiency. Among ginseng farmers in Korea who applied for GAP certification, 77.6% obtained it, which is lower than the 94.1% of farmers who obtained certification for other products. 13.7% of the applicants were judged to be unsuitable during document review due to their use of unregistered pesticides and soil heavy metals. Another 8.7% of applicants failed to obtain certification due to inadequate management results. This is a considerably higher rate of failure than the 5.3% incompatibility of document inspection and 0.6% incompatibility of on-site inspection, which suggests that it is relatively more difficult to obtain GAP certification for ginseng farming than for other crops. Ginseng farmers were given an average of 2.65 points out of 10 essential control points and a total 72 control points, which was slightly lower than the 2.81 points obtained for other crops. In particular, ginseng farmers were given an average of 1.96 points in the evaluation of compliance with the safe use standards for pesticides, which was much lower than the average of 2.95 points for other crops. Therefore, it is necessary to train ginseng farmers to comply with the safe use of pesticides. In the other essential control points, the ginseng farmers were rated at an average of 2.33 points, lower than the 2.58 points given for other crops. Several other areas of compliance in which the ginseng farmers also rated low in comparison to other crops were found. These inclued record keeping over 1 year, record of pesticide use, pesticide storages, posts harvest storage management, hand washing before and after work, hygiene related to work clothing, training of workers safety and hygiene, and written plan of hazard management. Also, among the total 72 control points, there are 12 control points (10 required, 2 recommended) that do not apply to ginseng. Therefore, it is considered inappropriate to conduct an effective evaluation of the ginseng production process based on the existing certification standards. In conclusion, differentiated certification standards are needed to expand GAP certification for ginseng farmers, and it is also necessary to develop programs that can be implemented in a more systematic and field-oriented manner to provide the farmers with proper GAP management education.