• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.59 no.3
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2017

The aim of this study is to investigate the chemical properties and heavy metal concentration of soils in conventional and organic paddy. We sampled and analyzed topsoil (0~15 cm) and subsoil (15~30 cm) of conventional and organic paddy fields in Yongin and Anseong, South Korea. The statistical significance between groups was determined by Duncan's multiple range test and correlation between soil properties was also analyzed. The results show that organic matter (OM) and T-N of conventional paddy soil were higher than those of organic paddy soil. However, higher T-P concentration was observed in organic paddy soil than conventional paddy soil. As, Pb, and Zn concentration in organic paddy soil were statistically lower than those in conventional paddy soil. The couple of water content (WC) & As, OM & T-N, T-P & $P_2O_5$, T-P & Zn, $P_2O_5$ & Zn, and Cr & Ni had a good positive correlation but the couple of WC & T-P, WC & Zn, T-P & As, and As & Zn had a strong negative correlation. It can be concluded that organic farming is beneficial to soil environment by reducing the amounts of organic matter, T-N, As, Pb, and Zn concentration in paddy soil when compared to conventional farming.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.539-556
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to compare the community structure and biodiversity of ground-dwelling invertebrates between conventional and organic paddy fields's levees. Ground-dwelling invertebrates were collected using a pitfall trap every month for two years (2010-2011) in levees of conventional and organic paddy fields. The numbers of species and individuals were higher in organic paddy field than in conventional paddy field. For the pests, the treatment of insecticide and herbicide reduced the number of Delphacidae, and Chrysomelidae, but did not affect the other pests such as Chronomidae, Culicidae, Thripidae, and Aphididae. For the natural enemies, the treatment reduced the number of individuals of most of enemy's taxon (except only one taxonomic group, Ichneumonidae) in the levee of conventional paddy field.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2011

BACKGROUND: With increasing public awareness to environment-friendly agriculture, many efforts have been run to develop organic farming technologies in Korea as of late 90s. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different organic farming practices on soil chemical properties and water quality in paddy fields. METHODS AND RESULTS: Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were monitored for a two-year period (2006 to 2007) from the study organic paddy fields located in Wan-ju, Jeonbuk Province in Korea. TN and TP of organic paddy water were gradually increased for 2~3 weeks after organic manure application and then gradually decreased afterward. The overall variation of TP in the paddy fields was much greater than that of TN. The phosphorus content in organic paddy field appeared to increase with the organic farming period. CONCLUSION(s): This indicates that long-term organic farming is likely to cause phosphorus accumulation in soils and increase vulnerability to rainfall runoff. Thus, appropriate phosphorus management needs to be implemented, particularly, to reduce excessive phosphorus supply owing to nitrogen-based determination of organic manure application amount.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.325-331
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the dominance and distribution of weed species in organic and conventional paddy fields. The organic paddy fields were maintained for organic farming for more than five years in Anseong, Gyeonggi province of Korea. According to the Braun-Blanquet method, 42 and 36 weed species were found in the organic paddy fields in 2015 and 2016, respectively, while 38 and 36 weed species were found in the conventional paddy fields in 2015 and 2016, respectively. As a result of two years' survey, 53 species from 24 families in the organic paddy fields were identified and classified as 32 annuals, 3 biennials and 18 perennials. In conventional paddy fields, 51 species from 24 families (30 annuals, 6 biennials, and 15 perennials) were identified. According to the classification by family, the most abundant weed species were Compositae (9 species), followed by Poaceae (8 species) and Polygonaceae (6 species) in organic paddy fields. In conventional paddy fields, Compositae (9 species) were the most abundant weed species, followed by Cruciferae (6 species), Poaceae, Polygonaceae, and Cyperaceae. This result indicates that the difference in diversity of weeds in paddy fields was influenced more by the agricultural environment than the type of cultivation. Our results could be used as a base data to control the occurrence of weed species in the paddy fields.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.57 no.6
• /
• pp.47-57
• /
• 2015

Organic farming system has been considered environmental friendly and sustainable agricultural practice. However, the influence of organic farming on soil quality and environment is not well informed and controversial. We sampled and analyzed 0~15 cm and 15~30 cm depth soils of organic and conventional paddy fields in Yongin and Anseong. The electric conductivity and organic matter content of organic paddy soil were significantly less (p = 0.0097, 0.0067, respectively) than those of conventional paddy soil. Available phosphate and total phosphorus in 0~15 cm depth of organic paddy soil were $211.1{\pm}135.3$, $872.4{\pm}286.3mg/kg$, respectively, less than those of conventional paddy soil. Available phosphate amount in conventional paddy was $358.8{\pm}246.7mg/kg$, which is higher than 300 mg/kg that can cause secondary environmental contamination by runoff. The amount of total nitrogen in organic paddy soil was less than that in conventional paddy while their difference was not significant. The concentration of the heavy metals in organic paddy soil was also lower than that in conventional paddy soil but their difference was not statistically significant. Our findings demonstrate that electric conductivity, organic matter, nutrients, and heavy metals in organic paddy soil were less than those in conventional paddy soil. However, additional monitoring of soil properties for longer period is necessary to certify such a conclusion.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.38 no.9
• /
• pp.504-512
• /
• 2016

In this study, we investigated the environmental impact of organic and conventional paddy by monitoring soil properties and water quality. We sampled and analyzed topsoil (0~15 cm), subsoil (15~30 cm), and water of organic and conventional paddy fields in Yongin and Anseong, South Korea. The statistical significance between groups was determined by Duncan's multiple range test. The results show that T-P concentrations in both topsoil and subsoil of Anseong paddy were higher than those of Yongin paddy. The significant difference of T-P between organic and conventional paddy was observed in Anseong but not in Yongin. T-N of organic paddy soil was lower than that of conventional paddy in both Anseong and Yongin region. Water content for subsoil of organic paddy in Anseong was significantly different from others, which is consistent with the results of silt-clay content. pH and EC of water in conventional paddy were higher than those in organic paddy. In Anseong, COD, T-P, and $PO_4-P$ concentration of conventional paddy were higher than those of organic paddy. The regression analysis presented that there were no significant relationship between soil properties and water quality data except T-N.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.36-42
• /
• 2007

Korean paddy soils have long been almost uniformly managed throughout the whole country with flooded, deep tillage, puddlling, transplanting, and uncovering after harvest. Management of soil organic carbon could be more important in the sources of green house gases. However, soil organic carbon dynamics were not been studied for Korean paddy soils. Therefore, we evaluated the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) of paddy soils between 1999 and 2003 at the same locations nationwide except islands. Soil organic carbon tends to increase in Inceptisols, which is predominant soil order for Korean paddy soils, from 1999 to 2003. Soil organic carbon increases in topographically plain paddy soils was greater than in valley soils, and was considerably high in predominant types of paddy soils (i.e., well adapted paddy soils, sandy paddy soils, and poorly drained paddy soils) but low and stable in the saline paddy soils. We also found that clay paddy soils are greater in soil organic carbon than sandy paddy soils. Through this study, we concluded that a proper management of paddy soils could contribute to soil organic carbon storage, which imply that the Korean paddy soils could help to enhance carbon dioxide sequestration via soil organic matter into the soil.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.295-312
• /
• 2021

BACKGROUND: Global warming is one of the most pressing environmental issues which concomitantly complicates global climate change. Methane emission is a balance between methanogenesis and methane consumption, both of which are driven by microbial actions in different ecosystems producing methane, one of the major greenhouse gases. Paddy fields are major sources of anthropogenic methane emissions and could be compounded by organic fertilization. METHODS AND RESULTS: Literature reviews were conducted to give an overview of the global warming conditions and to present the relationship of carbon and methane to greenhouse gas emissions, and the need to understand the underlying processes of methane emission. A more extensive review was done from studies on methane emission in paddy fields under organic fertilization with greater emphasis on long term amendments. Changes in paddy soils due to organic fertilization include alterations of the physicochemical properties and changes in biological components. There are diverse phylogenetic groups of methanogens and methane oxidizing bacteria involved in methane emission. Also, multiple factors influence methanogenesis and methane oxidation in rice paddy fields under organic fertilization and they should be greatly considered when developing mitigating steps in methane emission in paddy fields especially under long term organic fertilization. CONCLUSION(S): This review showed that organic fertilization, particularly for long term management practices, influenced both physicochemical and biological components of the paddy fields which could ultimately affect methanogenesis, methane oxidation, and methane emission. Understanding interrelated factors affecting methane emission helps create ways to mitigate their impact on global warming and climate change.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 2013

BACKGROUND: Today, environmentally friendly farming has become an important feature of agricultural policy. It promotes or sustains farming systems which protect and enhance the environment. This study was conducted to compare benthic invertebrate communities in an organic and a conventional paddy field in South Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: Benthic invertebrates were collected at 11 regions of a rice paddy from June to August, 2009, 2010 and 2011. These comparisons undertaken using a community assessment approaches such as the number of individuals and species and community composition. Generally, the larger number of individuals and species of benthic invertebrates was observed in an organic paddy than in a conventional paddy field. Organic paddy fields could supported the wider range of species and abundance in aquatic invertebrates comparing to conventional paddy fields. Carrying capacity to support larger numbers of invertebrates also tends to be higher in organic paddy than in conventional paddy field. Specially, organic farming regions surrounded by forests were high quality habitat for benthic invertebrates than other surrounded regions such as grassland. CONCLUSION(S): We concluded that organic farming was more advantaged to benthic invertebrates than conventional farming. In order to improve biodiversity in rice paddy field, farming regimes without agricultural chemicals are recommended. The effect of organic management on biodiversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates could be maximized across highland farmland.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.15-23
• /
• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate in relation to characteristic of macroinvertebrates in conventional and organic paddy fields. The investigation was conducted five times a year for Suwon, Ansung, Boeun, Gunsan, Gimje, Hamyang, divide into conventional paddy fields and organic paddy fields from 2009 to 2011. The macroinvertebrates collected from the surveyed between conventional and organic paddy fields belonged to 84 species, 47 families, 16 orders, and 6 classes in 3 phyla. In the habitat orientied groups, climbers, swimmers and sprawlers were considerably occupied in conventional and organic paddy fields. In relation to the functional feeding groups, predators such as Odonata, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera were only the highest in paddy field ecosystem, regardless of cultivation method. As a result of community stability analysis, orgainc paddy fields has been identified much as species high resistance and resilience to environmental change in paddy field ecosystem. Species belonging to the I groups is considered to be important in organic paddy field such as Sternolophus rufipes, Hydrochara affinis, Helochares nipponicus, which has high mobility. In conclusion, it was found that the introduction of coleoptera as a food source was higher than that of conventional paddy fields in organic paddy field where primary consumers were abundant such as Chironomidae spp. and Dixidae sp..