• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 2013

In order to evaluate the effect of various organic soil conditioner ratios on the soil moisture content and growth of Cotoneaster horizontalis, a container type for wall-planting experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Konkuk University under non-irrigation. The experimental planting grounds were prepared with different organic soil conditioner ratios ($A_1L_0$, $A_8L_1$, $A_4L_1$ $A_2L_1$ and $A_1L_1$), and a drought-tolerant ornamental variety of Cotoneaster horizontalis was planted. The change in soil moisture content, plant height, number of branches, number of dead leaves, number of leaves, number of shoots, length of node, length of leaf, width of leaf, root-collar caliper, chlorophyll content, and survival rate were investigated, from April to Jun 2010. The results of soil moisture content measurements were analyzed with weight units in the container type for wall-planting during the dry summer season. The soil moisture contents were significantly enhanced in the container type for wall-planting in increasing order as the amount of soil conditioner level was increased ($A_1L_1$ > $A_2L_1$ > $A_4L_1$ > $A_8L_1$ > $A_1L_0$). Compared to the control treatment application (amended soil with 100% + organic soil conditioner 0%), the highest plant growth was observed in the treatment of $A_1L_1$ application (amended soil with 50% + organic soil conditioner 50%). However, the differences between the organic soil conditioner ratio treatments of $A_1L_1$, $A_4L_1$, and $A_8L_1$ organic soil conditioner application were mostly not significant. The survival rate increased with the increasing application of organic soil conditioner, but in the control treatment application all the plants died. The experimental results from clearly demonstrated that the organic soil conditioner improved the survival rate more than the growth of Cotoneaster horizontalis. Therefore, Cotoneaster horizontalis is expected to be a highly valuable shrub for green wall systems, when considered for us in integration system or for increasing soil water contents in planting grounds.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.23 no.7
• /
• pp.1299-1305
• /
• 2014

For evaluating the effect of various artificial planting soil properties on the Euonymus fortunei 'Emelad'n Gold' growth, a container green wall system experiment was conducted in a wall of greenhouse at Konkuk University, Glocal campus. The experimental artificial planting grounds were prepared with different organic soil conditioner ratios (Control, $A_4O_1$, $A_2O_1$ and $A_1O_1$) and with drought tolerance and an ornamental value Euonymus fortunei 'Emelad'n Gold' was planted. The soil and plant characteristics were investigated from April to Jun 2010. The volumetric soil moisture contents were significantly increasing order as the amount of organic soil conditioner level increased in order to $A_1O_1$ > $A_2O_1$ > $A_4O_1$ > Control. At 4 treatment, soil chemical properties were inversely related to organic soil container ratios increase. The differences of root collar caliper, number of branch, and survival rate between the organic soil conditioner ratio were not significantly affected by organic soil conditioner. But, plant height, internode length, leaf length and leaf width were significantly shorter on plants planted $A_1O_1$ than plants planted other treatments. Therefore, Euonymus fortunei 'Emelad'n Gold' had good growth response regardless of organic soil conditioner ratio and the plant is expected to be a highly valuable shrub for the green wall system if it should be considered in integration with stormwater retention or as a soil conditioner for increasing soil water contents in artificial planting soil.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.62-69
• /
• 1999

With increased utilization of chemical fertilizer, soil fertility is getting serious problem. As a result, using organic soil conditioner (woody wastes or sawdust compost) would be only solution to recover soil vitality. In this study, manufacturing and characteristics of organic soil conditioner from Shiitake bedlogs (woody wastes) were studied. Also, to investigate the effect of continuous application of this bedlog compost on growth of plants, growth tests for radish and tree seedlings were done. The results are as follows ; Analytical results of decayed and fresh wood materials showed almost same as its wood components. The mixing ratio of raw materials with the other filling materials is essential for the manufacturing as well as good quality of its compost during composting process. In this experiment, mixing 12kg of urea, 25kg of lime, 40kg of chicken shit, and small amount of fermentation aids corresponding to I ton of sawdust resulted in good composts. Their moisture contents were adjusted to about 55%. Temperature of pile, in composting process, rose after I week and kept about above $60^{\circ}C$ for certain period. They were turned two times, 30th and 59th day, respectively, after piling. This bedlog compost contained 81.7% of high organic matter, 1.4% of a little nitrogen, 6.75 of pH and 25 - 30 of C/N ratio. There were no harmful effect on germination and growth of plants, such as radish and softwood and hardwood seedlings. Concerned to the effect of bedlog compost on soil temperature, the compost did not affect plant growth by changing soil temperature abruptly, but compensated the soil temperature such as a little increasing on the early morning, a little decreasing on the mid-day or afternoon (pm 2:00), and increasing on the early evening (pm 6:00).

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.47-57
• /
• 2014

The aim of this paper was to study the effect of five different waste combinations (C/N 15, C/N 20, C/N 25, C/N 30, and control) of sewage sludge coupled with sawdust and cattle manure in a pilot scale rotary drum reactor, during 20 days of the composting process. Our results showed that C/N 30 possesses a higher temperature regime with higher % reduction in moisture content, total organic carbon, soluble biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand; and higher % gain in total nitrogen and phosphorus at the end of the composting period implying the total amount of biodegradable organic material is stabilized. In addition, $CO_2$ evolution and oxygen uptake rate decreased during the process, reflecting the stable behavior of the final compost. A Solvita maturity index of 8 indicated that the compost was stable and ready for usage as a soil conditioner. The results indicated that composting can be an alternate technology for the management of sewage sludge disposal.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.1417-1423
• /
• 2011

For evaluating the effect of various organic fertilizer ratios on the Spiraea${\times}$bumalda 'Gold Mound' growth, a container green wall system experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Konkuk university. The experimental planting grounds were prepared with different organic fertilizer ratios ($A_1L_0$, $A_8L_1$, $A_4L_1$ $A_2L_1$ and $A_1L_1$) and with drought tolerance and an ornamental value Spiraea${\times}$bumalda 'Gold Mound' was planted. The change in soil moisture contents, plant height, number of branches, number of dead leafs, number of leaf, number of shoots, length of node, length of leaf, width of leaf, root-collar caliper, chlorophyll contents and survival rate were investigated from April to Jun 2010. 1. The result of soil moisture contents was analyzed with weight unit in the container green wall system during the dry summer season. The soil moisture contents were significantly enhanced in the container green wall system in increasing order as the amount of fertilizer level increased $A_1L_1$ > $A_2L_1$ > $A_4L_1$ > $A_8L_1$ > $A_1L_0$. 2. Compared to the control treatment (amended soil with 100% + organic fertilizer 0%) application, the highest plant growth was observed in the treatment of $A_2L_1$(amended soil with 67% + organic fertilizer 13%) application. However, the differences between the organic fertilizer ratio treatments of $A_1L_1$, $A_4L_1$, $A_8L_1$, and the $A_1L_0$ organic fertilizer application were mostly not significant. 3. The survival rate increased with the increasing application of organic fertilizer, but in the control treatment (amended soil with 100% + organic fertilizer 0%) application all the plants died. Experimental results from the presented study clearly demonstrated that the organic fertilizer improved the survival rate more than the Spiraea${\times}$bumalda 'Gold Mound' growth at different levels of organic fertilizers. This strain can be utilized as a plant growth application in living wall systems during the dry summer season. Therefore, Spiraea${\times}$bumalda 'Gold Mound' is expected to be a highly valuable shrub for the green wall system if it should be considered in integration with stormwater retention or as a soil conditioner for increasing soil water contents in planting ground.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.49-54
• /
• 1988

The present experiment was conducted to investigate causes affecting the reduction of red pepper production in the continuous cultivation upland soil from 1985 to 1986 in Imsil Chonbuk Province. The results obstained are summarized as follows: 1. Area ratio of continuous cultivation 2 years was 12.7%, 3 years 6.8% and over 4 years 48.9%. 2. Soil hardness and volume of solid and liguid of red pepper continuous cultivation soil were higher than those of one year cultivation, while pH and content of organic matter of continuous cultivation soil were low. The exceeding optimum level of phosphorus and potassium appeared factors affecting and reduction of red pepper of continuous cultivation soil. 3. Microflora density in continuous cultivation soil was high but bacteria/fungi (B/F) and actinomycetes/fungi (A/F) ratio were low. 4. The density of soil nematodes in continuous cultivation soil were higher than that in one year cultivation soil, however, the steeper and better drainage soil lowered the density of nematodes. 5. Continuous cultivation over 4 years showed 14.3% of plants diseased by phytophthora while 0.7% in one year cultivation soil.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.44-52
• /
• 1996

Humic substances of 17 organic fertilizers available on the market were the objects of study. The list of ingredients for formulation of them comprised fish meal. bone meal, oil-cakes, brewer's grains, peat, sawdust, wood bark, zeolite, soil conditioner, live-stock droppings, amino acid fermentation byproduct, chaff, limestone and others. Humic and fulvic acids were isolated from those substances and given chemical and spectroscopic analyses. Nutritional values of the organic fertilizers showed big diversity. Humification of organic matter was incomplete for some of the fertilizers as indicated by a high C/N ratio. Extractable humic acid percentage was higher, in general, than that of fulvic acid. Also the relative content of humin increased with advanced humification. Total acidity was closely related to phenolic hydroxyl groups. Relationships between carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. and carboxyl and alcoholic hydroxyl groups were very significant. Ultraviolet and visible light absorption spectra of humic and fulvic acids were substantially similar. The types of humic acids were B. P, and Rp. Two humic acids of the 17 samples belonged to B type. 3 to P type and all the rest to Rp type.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.181-186
• /
• 1998

The effects of sewage treatment on characteristics of sludge as a composting material were investigated for a year during the initial operation at the full-scale Chunan sewage treatment plant. Due to the shortage of design capacity of belt press, a sludge dewatering unit, non-volatile solids were recirculating and concentrating in the treatment plant, resulting in an increase of MLSS and a decrease in F/M ratio at the activated sludge system. Special attention is required for long term operations since the increase of non-volatile solids in the plant would deteriorates the treatment efficiency. The sewage sludge of the Chunan sewage treatment plant showed 79.5% of water content, 11.6% of organic content, and C/N ratio of 6.1, and contained As 1.8 mg/kg, Cd 27 mg/kg, Hg <0.1 mg/kg, Pb 54 mg/kg, T-Cr 370 mg/kg, and Cu 1,100mg/kg of heavy metals. In order to be used as raw material for optimum composting, the sewage sludge requires bulking agents for moistrure/porosity control and a carbon source for adjusting C/N ratio. However, the sewage sludge is not adequate as a soil conditioner after composing due to a high content of heavy metals. If the sewage sludge has to he used as a soil conditioner after composting, it as required to identify and remove tire industrial wastewater portions in tire influent of the plant since heavy metals in the influent were mostly concentrated in dewatered sludge.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.55-62
• /
• 2009

In this paper, we assessed the growth of rice seedlings(Chucheong variety) in commercial organic growth medium that was substituted with different ratios of vermicast of oyster mushroom waste grown under potting alone, and potting and floor layering treatment. The commercial organic growth medium was substituted with vermicast at ratios of control, 2%, 4% and 6%, respectively. The control consisted of commercial organic growth medium alone without vermicast. Incorporation of $4%{\sim}6%$ vermicast of oyster mushroom waste into a commercial organic growth medium enhanced the growth of rice seedlings significantly as compared to commercial organic growth medium alone(control), and 2% amended with vermicast in potting treatment. This results demonstrate that substitution with low ratios of vermicast($4%{\sim}6%$) will promote growth of rice seedlings. The growth of rice seedlings in commercial organic growth medium alone without vermicast was enhanced significantly as compared to the substituted with vermicast in floor layering treatment, it may due to nutrient uptake by elongated root from the vermicast when applied to on the floor layering. Floor layering treatment is an effective method for potting processing of vermicast. The vermicast of oyster mushroom waste should have a high safety and great potential as materials of growth media for increasing plant growth, either as soil conditioner, or as substitution or amendments to commercial organic growth medium. For the enhanced growth of rice seedlings, demand to increase with total nitrogen, and decrease with the carbon and nitrogen ratio(C/N) of commercial organic growth medium supplied by such as vermicast.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.287-298
• /
• 2008

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different feed conditions on growth, cast production and conversion efficiency of organic matter to the earthworm. The experiment was tested on cow manure(CM) mixed with rice hulls (RH) or rice straw(RS). The mixture ratios were designed as one time, two times and three times of cow manure volume, respectively. The CM and RH mixtures resulted better on growth rate, reproductive efficiency and wormcast production than those for CM and RS mixtures. Especially on three times of RH mixture showed the highest growth characteristics compared to the other mixtures. Although both were between 20 and 34 on carbon and nitrogen ratio, the result inferred that the difference on the growth might have been caused by feeding conditions. On the mixtures of cow manure with rice hulls(CM+RH) was significantly higher on values on the conversion rate and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues than the mixtures of cow manure with rice straw(CM+RS). The most concerned point of the mixture of earthworm feed is that high contents of volatile solid and total carbon that increases in conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues, and also causes the increase in growth rate and reproductive efficiency. The wormcast could be used as a valuable plant growth medium or soil conditioner for sustainable agriculture and it may be due to their high qualities of physico-chemical properties.