• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.11-16
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• 2001

If microorganisms are injected into porous medium such as soils along with appropriate substrate and nutrients, soil pore size and shape are changed from the initial condition as a result of biofilm formation, which make hydraulic conductivity reduced. In this research, hydraulic conductivity reduction was measured after specific bacterium or fungus was inoculated into soil pore. Hydraulic conductivity was decreased to 10 % ∼ 1 % and maintained constant while substrate was provided. Under the adverse conditions such as no substrate, chemical solution permeation, and freeze-thaw cycles, hydraulic conductivity was increased 30∼50%. Hydraulic conductivity decrease of fungus-soil mixture was faster than that of bacterium-soil mixture. Fungus-soil mixture, however, was more sensitive to the adverse conditions.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2014

Nutrient accumulation in surface soil has become a serious problem for cucumber production in greenhouse. However, still in many cases, soil management practices are only focused on maintaining crop yield, regardless of sustainability related with soil chemical properties. This study was conducted to propose a sustainable soil management practice by investigating the impact of cover crop species and nitrogen rate of fertigated solution on cucumber yield and soil chemical properties in greenhouse condition. Rye and hairy vetch were tested as a fallow cover crop, and each amount of urea (1/2, 3/4, 1 times of N fertilizer recommendations), determined by soil testing result, was supplied in fertigation plots as an additional nitrogen source. The result showed that the yield of cucumber was higher in rye treatment than control and hairy vetch treatment. In addition, rye effectively reduced EC and accumulated nutrients from the soil. Meanwhile, N concentration of fertigated solution showed no significant effect on the growth and yield of cucumber. Consequently, these results suggest that it is desirable to choose rye as a fallow catch crop for sustainable cucumber production in greenhouse.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.534-538
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• 2011

One of the problems for cultivating crops in the mountainous highland is soil erosion and nutrients runoff. Alternative cropping ways were searched to reduce soil erosion and to ensure farm income in the mountainous highland agricultural region. Three edible wild plants including goatsbeard, Korean thistle, and aster, were selected to test as alternative crops to reduce soil erosion in mountain agriculture of highland area. In the first year, the soil losses from the alternative cropping were 26 to 63 percents of the soil loss from summer radish cultivated by conservation tillage with contour and plastic film mulching. The relative soil losses in the second year ranged from 2.8 to 5.5 percents in comparison with radish cultivation. Rapid surface coverage contributed to successive soil loss protection by these alternative crops. Farm net profit of these crops was greater than that of radish. Monitoring of yields of Korean thistle or aster for further experiments, however, might be necessary for economic cultivation due to yield reduction caused by consecutive production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.423-431
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• 2001

Animals are one of the important memberships of the food chain. The low-efficiency rule of nutrient transfer from one member to the next in the food chain determines the low efficiency of animal agriculture for human food. On the average, about 20% feed proteins and 15% feed energy can be converted into edible nutrients for humans. The rest proportion of feed nutrients is exposed to the environment. Environmental pollution, therefore, is inevitable as animal agriculture grows intensively and extensively. The over-loading of the environment by nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus from animal manure results in soil and water spoilage. The emission of gases like $CH_2$, $CO_2$, $SO_2$, NO, $NO_2$ by animals are one of the contributors for the acidification of the environment and global warming. The inefficient utilization of natural resources and the probable unsafety of animal products to human health are also a critical environmental issue. Improving the conversion efficiency of nutrients in the food chain is the fundamental strategy for solving environmental issues. Specifically in animal agriculture, the strategy includes the improvements of animal genotypes, nutritional and feeding management, animal health, housing systems and waste disposal programs. Animal nutrition science plays a unique and irreplaceable role in the control of nutrient input and output in either products or wastes. Several nutritional methods are proved to be effective in alleviating environmental pollution. A lot of nutritional issues, however, remain to be further researched for the science of animal nutrition to be a strong helper for sustainability of animal agriculture.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.34-41
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• 2020

Used disposable diapers have been considered for a long time as a type of waste difficult to recycle and valorize due to their composite nature including plastic, cellulose pulp, a super absorbent polymer and either urine, feces or both. Therefore, the fate of disposed diapers often is either incineration or landfill burial which both have various adverse environmental impacts. However, used disposable diapers contain nutrients: cellulose is an organic matter while urine and feces contain non negligible amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are primary nutrients included in most chemical fertilizers used in agriculture. In a scope of waste recycling and valorization, this study focuses on developing a method to achieve nutrient solution extraction from used disposable diapers. The experiment essentially consists in shredding the diapers and letting them macerate in solutions of sodium hydroxide with various concentrations to allow breaking down of the cellulose and super absorbent polymer and release of urine and feces before sterilizing the solutions in an autoclave to remove potential coliform bacteria. At the end of the experiment, a set of parameters is measured for the final solution to identify concentrations of nutrients as well as presence or absence of harmful substances. Results are discussed and directions for future studies are suggested, which include mechanization of the diapers shredding process or added aeration to enhance nitrification and absorption of extracted nutrients from plants.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.384-389
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• 2010

Outbreak of contagious diseases to livestock animals is becoming prevalent worldwide and consequently, tremendous numbers of the infected or culled stocks are buried on the ground as the most common disposal method. The buried animals can generate a wide range of detrimental components such as leachate, nutrient salts, and pathogenic bacteria, consequently contaminating the surround environment. This implies that regular investigations are required to monitor any possible detrimental environmental aspect occurred around burial sites. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate whether the soil and groundwater nearby the burial sites had been contaminated by the substances originated from the burial sites, which can be applied for the establishment of the ideal burial site construction design and post management scheme. For this, two different burial sites located in Cheonan and Pyeongtaek were selected. Cheonan and Pyeongtaek sites were constructed in 2004 and 2008, respectively and both contained dead poultry infected by avian influenza (AI). Soil and groundwater samples were collected around the sites followed by determination of the nutrient concentrations and bacteria (Salmonella, Camphylobacter, and Bacillus) existence in both soil and groundwater. Some of the soil samples showed higher EC, $NH_4$-N, $NO_3$-N concentration compared to those of the background (control) soils. Also the concentration of $NH_4$-N in some of the groundwater samples appeared to exceed the USEPA guideline value for drinking water (10 mg $L^{-1}$). These results indicated that the soil and groundwater were influenced by the burial site originated nutrients. In the soil, Bacillus was isolated in most soil samples while there were no detections of Salmonella and Camplylobacter. Due to the Bacillus existing mainly as a spore in the soils, it was considered that the frequent detection of Bacillus in the soil samples was attributed to the nutrients originated from the burial sites.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.665-672
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• 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a chelating agent on cucumber growth and changes in soil nutrients availability in polytunnel greenhouse fields. Diethylene triamine penta acetic acid (DTPA) was selected as a chelating agent. Two experiments were carried out as follows: i) For field experiment in the autumn season of 2010, each plot was treated by varying the concentration and the number of times being applied with DTPA; [DTPA (0.5 mM, 1 time/3 months), DTPA (0.06 mM, 1 time/1 week), DTPA (0.13 mM, 1 time/2 weeks), DTPA (0.06 mM, 1 time/1 week)+N]. Conventional practice was also investigated. ii) In the spring and summer seasons of 2011, each plot was treated by varying the concentration (0, 0.06, 0.13, 0.19 mM) of DTPA, chemical fertilizers (NPK), and combination of chemical fertilizers and DTPA 0.06 mM. The fruit yields of cucumber and soil chemical properties had no significant differences between treatments. However, in the spring season of 2011, DTPA 0.06 mM plot added 1 time per 2 weeks increased the yield of cucumber, but caused the reduction of yield in next cultivation season. This result showed that excess use of DTPA can cause the damage of crop growth. The inorgainc contents such as Ca and Mg absorbed by cucumber plant had significant differences between DTPA 0.19 mM (2 times/1 week) and fertilizers plus DTPA treatments [DTPA 0.06 mM (2 times/1 week) + 1/2 NPK, DTPA 0.06 mM (2 times/1 week) + NPK]. The input cost of fertilizers was saved when the concentration and the number of times added with DTPA was 0.06 mM and 1 time a week, respectively. This treatment used 67% less of applied fertilizers cost than the plot of conventional practice did. Thus, this research suggested that the application of DTPA 0.06 mM by 1 time a week can be effective for sustainability of crop production and reduction of fertilizers usage in polytunnel greenhouse.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.98-105
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• 1983

Differences in fertilizer responses of Chinese cabbage to soil water status were investigated in a field experiment. The growth pattern, water use, nutrient uptake, apparent efficiency of fertilizer and yield were analyzed under the 4-different fertilizer levels (N-P-K rate, kg/10a: 0-0-0 Fo, 11.5-10-12.5 Fo.5, 23-30-25 F1.0, 34.5-30-37.5 F1.5 and under the 4-different soil water status levels (non irrigated plot Mo, -0.1 to -1.0 bars M1, -0.1 to -0.5 bars M2, -0.1 to -0.2 bars M3). The soil was Bonryang sandy loam in the experimental farm of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Suweon. The growth and yield responses to the fertilizer levels showed a large difference between F0 and F0.5 but little differences were recognized between F0.5, F1.0 and F1.5 when the soil water potentials at 20-cm soil depth were lower than -2.0 bar. Under the well irrigated soil conditions, M2, and M3, the growth and yield responses to the fertilizer levels were significantly increased and the nutrient requirements were increased as well. The total uptake of nutrients decreased as the fertilizer amounts increased when the soil water potentials were low, while the total uptake of nutrients increased when the soil water potentials were high. Therefore, in considering nutrient availability of the applied fertilizers, the soil water status should be taken into account.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.168-203
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• 1982

Effects of soil moisture on growth of Panax ginseng, of various factors on soil moisture, and of moisture on nutrition, quality, physiological disorder, diseases and insect damage were reviewed. Optimum soil moisture was 32% of field capacity with sand during seed dehiscence, and 55-65% for plant growth in the fields. Optimum soil moisture content for growth was higher for aerial part than for root and higher for width than for length. Soil factors for high yield in ginseng fields appeared to be organic matter, silt, clay, agreggation, and porosity that contributed more to water holding capacity than rain fall did, and to drainage. Most practices for field preparation aimed to control soil moisture rather than nutrients and pathogens. Light intensity was a primary factor affecting soil moisture content through evaporation. Straw mulching was best for the increase of soil moisture especially in rear side of bed. Translocation to aerial part was inhibited by water stress in order of Mg, p, Ca, N an Mn while accelerated in order of Fe, Zn and K. Most physiological disorders(leaf yellowing, early leaf fall, papery leaf spot, root reddening, root scab, root cracking, root dormancy) and quality factors were mainly related to water stress. Most critical diseases were due to stress, excess and variation of soil water, and heavy rain fall. The role of water should be studied in multidiciplinary, especially in physiology and pathology.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2004

The content of nutrients such as organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium accumulated on soil layers in Quercus mongolica forest of Mt. Songnisan National Park located at central part of Korea was measured, and then the decomposition constants and decay times of the nutrients were also calculated by the negative coefficience model(O1son,1963). The quantities of organic carton of L-layer, F-layer, H-layer and $A_1$-layer of the forest stand were 231.25 g $m^{-2}$, 291.50 g $m^{-2}$,166.91 g$m^{-2}$ and 174.51 g $m^{-2}$, respectively. The content of organic carbon and nitrogen contained in L-layer and F-layer showed large quantity than those of other layers. The large amount of phosphorus and potassium was observed at the B-layer and $A_1$-layer. On the other hand, the decomposition constants(k) of soil organic matter were as follows : organic carbon (k = 0.3657), nitrogen (k = 0.3319), phosphorus (k = 0.2050), and potassium (k = 0.0934) and the decay times needed to 99% decomposition of nutrients in soil organic matter were as follows: that is, organic carton, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was 13.94 years, 15.18 years, 24.79 years, and 55.11 years, respectively. By the application of Turbo Pascal Program on the inflowed and outflowed nutrients to the forest stand,87.67% (714.84 g $m^{-2}$) of organic carbon inflowed was decomposed and 81.62% (1,594.62 g $m^{-2}$) of organic carbon accumulated was decomposed. And 84.98% of nitrogen inflowed was decomposed and 70.26% of nitrogen accumulated was also decayed.50.00% of phosphorus input and 40.31% of potassium input were decomposed, and 38.40% of phosphoyus and 33.03% of potassium accumulated were also decayed, respectively. Therefore, it is suggested that Quercus mongolica forest surveyed in the present study is maintaining in steady state because input and output amounts of nutrients is shown a similar pattern.