• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2007

Soil aggregation has been considered as an important factor not only for increasing soil productivity and soil quality but also improving nutrient use availability and water use efficiency. However, the relationship between soil aggregation and soil properties hasn't well reported for Korean soils. Objective of this research was to identify the relationship among soil water-stable aggregate (WSA), soil properties and soil dispersion ratio. Soil samples were analyzed for water-stable aggregate, Middleton's dispersion ratio, and soil physical and chemical properties. Water-stable aggregate was significantly correlated to soil textural properties, soil organic matter, and exchangeable cations. Middleton's dispersion ratio was significantly correlated with water-stable aggregate ($r=-0.76^{***}$). Regression equation for water-stable aggregate was estimated by Middleton's dispersion ratio (Y=-0.79X + 96.49; $r^2=0.58^{**}$). In this research, we conclude that water-stable aggregate was significantly correlated with some soil properties and was able to be estimated by rapid and easily measurable Middleton's dispersion ratio.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 1976

In order to investigate inherent erodibility of the soil, which is a major factor is soil erosion prediction, a survey on runoff and soil loss of reclaimed upland soil was carried out by using a portable rainulator. The relations of soil loss and some physical properties of the soil were discussed. The soil erodibility factor for Universal soil loss equation was calculated and compared with that of Wischmeier's nomograph. The result were as follows: 1. Total runoff increased for finer textured soil in order of Jeonnam silty clay loam, Songjeong clay loam, Yesan loam, Samgag and Sangju sandy loam. Total soil loss and soil content in runoff were not correspondently related with textural characteristic in order of Jeonnam, Samgag, Sangju, Yesan, and Songjeong. Total runoff, soil loss, and soil content in runoff were increased for steeper slope. 2. Soil loss and soil content in runoff negatively correlated with organic matter content of surface soil, while positively correlated with dispersion ratio, clay ratio, silt content, and significantly correlated with Middleton erosion ratio for coarser textured soil but not correctly related for finer textured soil. 3. The soil erodibilty factor K values for Universal soil loss equation were 0.32 for Jeonnam, 0.22 for Samgag, 0.17 for Sangju, 0.15 for Yesan, and 0.13 for Songjeong respectively. These values were close to those from Wischmeier's nomograph. So, it seems that the nomograph is useful for estimation of soil loss in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.304-314
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of organic materials (compost, straw, green manure, pig manure, seed production oil cake, and industrial by products including municipal sewage sludge, industrial sewage sludge, leather processing sludge, and alcohol fermentation processing sludge) on physical properties of soils in seven paddy and four upland fields with differential soil textures, sandy loam, loam, or clay loam, etc. The investigated physical parameters were bulk density (BD), air permeability (AP), macroporosity, hardness, shear resistance, frictional resistance, water stability aggregate (WSA), and Middleton's dispersion ratio. Except for coarse sandy loam field with weak structure, a decrease in BD and shear resistance, and an increase in macroporosity and AP in plots with applying organic materials compared to plots without applying organic materials appeared. In upland fields, the positive effect of organic materials on WSA, BD, and air permeability was higher than in paddy fields. The combined plot of NPK and compost had lower BD, hardness, and shear resistance, and higher macroporosity and WSA than plot with compost. Green manure had higher positive effect on physical properties of soils compared to other organic materials and the extent of positive effect had no significant correlation with soil organic matter content. Of industrial byproducts applied in coarse sandy loam soil under upland condition, municipal sewage sludge and pig manure compost had higher effect on increase of WSA than leather processing sludge and alcohol fermentation processing sludge. Unlike WSA, there were no significant differences between industrial byproduct types in other physical properties. in silty clay loam soil under the upland condition, straw had more positive effect on soil physical parameters than hairy vetch and pig manure. Therefore, different organic materials had differently active effect on physical parameters depending on types of soil and land use. Especially, it could be thought that well-decomposed organic materials have the advantage of an increase in organic matter content, while coarse organic materials of an increase in WSA.