• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2015

The use of cover crops has a beneficial effect on sustainable soil management in pear orchards. We aimed to compare changes in soil chemical properties and biota with the use of different cover crops. We tested the effects of five cover plants, including hairy vetch, orchard grass, rattail fescue, rye, and perennial ryegrass. Use of different cover crops had a minimal impact on soil chemical properties through three year experiments. The aboveground biomass was greatest with the use of rye. The potential amounts of returnable N and P were highest when leguminous hairy vetch was used as a cover plant. Changes in the composition of the microbial community were investigated by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Microbial PLFAs were highest with the use of rattail fescue and lowest with the use of hairy vetch. Minimal changes in the abundances of nematodes and microarthropods suggested that there was no bottom-up control in the soil ecosystem. The results also show that increases in aboveground biomass and nutrient content with the use of cover crops may not promote the abundance of soil organisms.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.221-224
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• 1998

Environmental pollution is continuously increasing with the economic growth and industrial development. With this trend, soil and groundwater pollution problem has been surfaced as important social issues. Recently, Korean government promulgated the Soil Environment Conservation Act. But there are many problems to control sound soil quality management. Anthropogenic source of pollution such as waste landfill, pesticides, fertilizer, underground storage oil tanks is important as well as natural source such as acid rain and forest fire. The regulation should be expanded to include groundwater preservation as well as soil quality, because soil pollution is closely related to groundwater pollution. Therefore, legal regulations must be expanded to these facilities and take into account technical feasibility and finance.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.312-316
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• 2012

Very important factor for crop cultivation are water, nutrient and temperature. However, the essential factor for crop cultivation is water management. Water management is the most important and difficult problems in crop cultivation. The water saving irrigation manual can be used with easy to the farmer and who want automatic irrigation without soil sampling and any kinds of sensors measuring soil water status. The water requirement of red pepper cultivated in plastic film house is different according to soil texture, area as well as climate condition and growth stage. And, the measurement of potential evapo-transpiration (PET) and crop coefficient (Kc) to decide optimum irrigation schedule is very difficult. Results : The average PET during 30 years of northern region of korea for the red pepper cultivation was a $2.31mm\;day^{-1}$. The water saving irrigation manual as water saving is possible, those irrigation interval and amount of irrigation according to growing season and soil texture, are developed using the lysimeter experiments carried out by the RDA for 11 years about potential evapo-transpiration, Kc for the northern region of korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.641-646
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• 2013

Chemical properties of agricultural soils in Korea have been investigated at four-year interval in order of paddy, polytunnel, upland, and orchard soils since 1999; polytunnel soils were investigated over the whole country in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. Polytunnel soils were taken from the surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-30 cm) at 2,651, 1,274, 1,374 and 1,374 sites in all provinces of South Korea. One hundred sampling sites located in more than 400 m altitude were additionally investigated in 2008 and 2012. Average of soil chemical properties in 2012 except Jeju province were 6.6 for pH, 3.2 dS $m^{-1}$ for EC, 37 g $kg^{-1}$ for organic matter (OM), 1,049 mg $kg^{-1}$ for available (Avail.) phosphate, 1.58 $cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$ for exchangeable (Exch.) K, 10.6 $cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$ for Exch. Ca, and 3.3 $cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$ for Exch. Mg. Except pH, averages of all chemical properties exceeded the upper limit of optimal range. The median values except pH showed a lower value than the averages. The pH, OM and Exch. Ca had slightly increased from 6.3 to 6.6, from 34 to 37 g $kg^{-1}$, and from 7.7 in 2000 to 10.6 $cmol_c\;kg^{-1}$ in 2012, respectively. The order of sample ratios exceeding the optimal range were Avail. $P_2O_5$ (83%) > Exch. Ca (80%) > Exch. K (70%) > Exch. Mg (65%) > EC (55%) > OM (48%) > pH (29%) in 2012. The order of sample ratios below the optimal range was OM (25%) > Exch. K (25%) > pH (20%), Exch. Mg and Avail. $P_2O_5$ (9%) > Exch. Ca (6%) in 2012. The excessive proportion of pH, Exch. Ca, Exch. Mg and OM slightly increased, while the insufficient proportion of those decreased. Approximately 55% of polytunnel soils exceeding EC 2 dS $m^{-1}$ was evaluated with salt accumulated soils having the risk of growth disorder of crops. Nutrient contents in polytunnel soils in Korea showed high level especially Avail. $P_2O_5$ and Exch. cations. Therefore, recommended fertilization based on soil testing or plant testing is needed for soil nutrient management.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the soil characteristics of newly reclaimed tidal land and the effect of green manure crops on soil properties. Summer green manure crops such as sesbania (Sesbania grandiflora), barnyard grass (Echinochloa spp.) and sorghum${\times}$sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor L.) were cultivated at Hwaong, Ewon, Saemangeum and Yongsangang area. Soil pH of reclaimed tidal land was relatively high, but organic matter and available phosphorus contents were lower compared to the optimum range for common upland crops. Soil nutrient contents were unbalanced for upland crop growth. Yield of green manure crops had a wide spatial variation. Nitrogen content in green manure crops was the greater in Sesbania and it was estimated that major nutrient ($N-P_2O_5-K_2O$) supply amount were 150-40-370, 220-50-170 and 140-50-250 $kg\;ha^{-1}$ from sorghum${\times}$sudangrass hybrid, sesbania and barnyard grass, respectively. Based on these results, desalination is required to grow the upland crops at newly reclaimed tidal lands and management practices are necessary to reduce the salt damage by resalinization during the growing seasons. To improve the productivity and increase the nutrient utilization rate, soil physicochemical properties need to be improved to the level for upland crops by application of organic matter and fertilizer.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.712-719
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• 2016

Understanding N mineralization dynamics in soil is essential for efficient nutrient management. An anaerobic incubation experiment was conducted to examine N mineralization potential and N mineralization rate of the organic amendments with different C:N ratio in paddy soil. Inorganic N in the soil sample was measured periodically under three temperature conditions ($20^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, $30^{\circ}C$) for 90 days. N mineralization was accelerated as the temperature rises by approximately $10%^{\circ}C^{-1}$ in average. Negative correlation ($R^2=0.707$) was observed between soil inorganic N and C:N ratio, while total organic carbon extract ($R^2=0.947$) and microbial biomass C ($R^2=0.824$) in the soil were positively related to C:N ratio. Single exponential model was applied for quantitative evaluation of N mineralization process. Model parameter for N mineralization rate, k, increased in proportion to temperature. N mineralization potential, $N_p$, was very different depending on C:N ratio of organic input. $N_p$ value decreased as C:N ratio increased, ranged from $74.3mg\;kg^{-1}$ in a low C:N ratio (12.0 in hairy vetch) to $15.1mg\;kg^{-1}$ in a high C:N ratio (78.2 in rice straw). This result indicated that the amount of inorganic N available for crop uptake can be predicted by temperature and C:N ratio of organic amendment. Consequently, it is suggested that the amount of organic fertilizer application in paddy soil would be determined based on temperature observations and C:N ratio, which represent the decomposition characteristics of organic amendments.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.421-427
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• 2012

Nepal is one of the least urbanized countries in the world where more than 80% of the total population live in rural areas. In recent years, the rate of urbanization became rampant which ultimately accelerated immense pressure on municipal services, especially on managing the ever increasing amount of wastes. Due to lack of technology, infrastructure and financial capacity management of increasing amount of solid waste has become a major challenge in municipalities of Nepal. The indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes already affected the urban environment by creating a serious occupational health and environmental hazard to the vicinity of the dumping sites. However, there is great possibility of recovering methane from the landfill sites since the typical Nepalese municipal solid waste contains more than 65% of organic wastes. Despite having enormous potential of generating electricity from hydropower, Nepal is facing acute shortage of energy. Therefore, comprehensive scientific research and development is necessary for making solid waste to environmentally friendly by converting waste to the energy.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2001

Cultivation area of the plastic film-house has been continuously increased with the increase of consumers' income. Intensive land use without fallowing or crop rotation caused severe problem such as salt accumulation in soils and in turn retarded growth and low productivity. This study was carried out to solve them derived from longterm intensive farming practices. Seven farmers who are practicing plastic film-house cultivation were recommended for case study by municipal government and selected for their excellency of cultivation and soil management. The cultivation periods of these systems were in the range of 5 to 40 years in the regions mainly located in alluvial soil cultivated with cucumber, tomato and red pepper. The soils texture of the excellent farmers' fields were silt loam or sandy loam, ranged from 7 to 15 percents of clay contents. Soil bulk density, depth of plowing layer and soil aggregates contents of the farmers' soils were 0.89, 23.1 cm, 61.6% whereas those in neighboring soils were 1.10, 17.8 cm, 54.2 %, respectively. And pH, OM and $NO_3-N$ of the farmers' soils also were better than those of neighboring soils. There was no difference in population densities of nematode between the good farmers' and neighboring soils, but actinomyces and Fusarium densities of recommended farmers' soils were better than neighboring soils. The major farming practices by the good farmers were characterized by deep plowing with flooding, amendment of crude organic matter, and reduction of chemical fertilizer application before transplanting, and also drip irrigation and liquid manure application after planting. They also conducted solar sterilization with or without flooding, removal of plastic films during rainy days and culturing rice or corn as rotation crops to avoid the problems mentioned above.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.293-299
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• 2016

The chemical properties of paddy fields in Gangwon province were monitored every 4 years from 2003 to 2015 in order to provide basic information for soil fertility management of paddy fields. In 2015, the soil chemical properties of paddy fields were 5.9 in pH, $22g\;kg^{-1}$ in organic matter (OM), and $123mg\;kg^{-1}$ in available (Avail.) phosphate $P_2O_5$. Exchangeable (Exch.) potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were 0.39, 4.8 and $0.9cmolc\;kg^{-1}$, respectively, and Avail. $SiO_2$ was $170mg\;kg^{-1}$. In the long-term analysis, the contents of Avail. $SiO_2$, Exch. K and pH of paddy soils showed increasing tendency. However, Avail. $P_2O_5$, Exch. Ca and Mg tended to decrease, and there were no significant changes in the contents of OM. Soil OM, Avail. $P_2O_5$ and $SiO_2$ were not different among the different topographical sampling sites. However, the mean value of Exch. K and Ca were different among the different topographical sampling sites, and exceeded optimal values in the fluvio-marine plains. Different soil texture resulted in different soil pH, while no difference for OM, Avail. $P_2O_5$ and $SiO_2$. Paddy soil samples within appropriate pH range increased from 65% in 2003 to 77% in 2007, 68% in 2011, and 71% in 2015. In case of Avail. $SiO_2$, soil samples within appropriate range increased from 20% in 2003, to 37% in 2007, 29% in 2011, and 45% in 2015. Meanwhile, Cd and Pb were distributed to less than 5% of soil pollution standards. Cu, As and Zn were distributed to less than 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively. Therefore, paddy soil in Gangwon Province was judged to be safe. As a result, paddy fields with more or less in nutrient level need to be fertilized based on the soil analysis. And the application of silicate fertilizer is strongly recommended to those of paddy fields in need. In addition, soil management including the cultivation of green manure crop or application of rice straw is necessary to increase the organic matter content of paddy soil.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

N fertilizer required by rice could be reduced greatly in the rice-barley double cropping system than in the rice single cropping system. This study was conducted to investigate how much of the N fertilizer during the early stage of rice in the rice-barley double cropping system, could be saved compared to that in the rice single cropping system. This experiment was carried out at the paddy field of the National Crop Experiment Station in Suwon, Korea during three years from 1999 to 2001. Amounts of soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) and SPAD values of rice leaf during rice growing season in the rice-barley double cropping system were higher than those in the rice single cropping system under the same amount of N application during two years. Yield and N uptakes of rice at harvesting time were also higher in the rice-barley double cropping system than in the rice single cropping system during two years. Yield and N uptake of rice in the rice single cropping system were decreased when basal N fertilizer was omitted, but those reductions were not found by either omitting basal N fertilizer or omitting N fertilizer at tillering stage in the rice-barley double cropping system during 2000 and 2001. But yield and N uptakes of rice were decreased by 70 kg/10a and 2kgN/10a by the omission of both N application at basal and tillering stages in the rice-barley double cropping system in 2002. It was concluded that N fertilizer as much as tillering N fertilizer could be saved in the rice-barley double cropping system.