• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.405-411
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• 2012

This study was conducted to evaluate short-term effects on soil properties and leaf characteristics after various treatments of soil amendments (organic fertilizer: 20 kg tree-1; compound fertilizer+wood-char: compound fertilizer 4 kg tree-1+wood-char 2 kg tree-1; lime fertilizer: 3 kg tree-1; mixed fertilizer: compound fertilizer 1 kg tree-1+organic fertilizer 10 kg tree-1+wood-char 1 kg tree-1; control) in chestnut (Castanea crenata S. et Z.) orchards of Jinju and Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do. Soil bulk density, soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ in chestnut orchards were not significantly affected by soil amendment treatments. However, leaf weight was significantly higher in the lime fertilizer ($0.65\;g\;leaf^{-1}$) in Jinju and the organic fertilizer ($0.68\;g\;leaf^{-1}$) in Sancheong than in the control treatments (Jinju: $0.46\;g\;leaf^{-1}$; Sancheong: $0.53\;g\;leaf^{-1}$). Leaf area was also significantly higher in the lime fertilizer ($79.1\;cm^2\;leaf^{-1}$) in Jinju and the soil amendments ($70.4\;cm^2\;leaf^{-1}{\sim}78.2\;cm^2\;leaf^{-1}$) in Sancheong than in the control treatments (Jinju: $56.2\;cm^2\;leaf^{-1}$; Sancheong: $60.5\;cm^2\;leaf^{-1}$). Nitrogen concentration of leaf increased significantly in the mixed fertilizer (2.51%) and the compound fertilizer+wood-char (2.50%) compared with the control (1.98%) treatments. The results suggest that soil properties were not affected by soil amendment treatments during short-term period, but leaf characteristics and nitrogen concentration can be an indicator of soil nutrient improvements in chestnut orchards.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.262-268
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: To investigate mineralization characteristics of organic resources in the soil, five materials (rice straw, cow manure sawdust compost, microorganism compost, mixed oil-cake, and amino acid fertilizer) were treated according to the nitrogen content, and an indoor incubation experiment was conducted for 128 days. The results of this analysis were applied to determine the nitrogen mineralization pattern of these organic resources. METHODS AND RESULTS: During the constant temperature incubation period, the nitrogen net mineralization rate of the organic resources was the highest in the amino acid fertilizer with the highest nitrogen content, and the lowest in the rice straw with the lowest nitrogen content. A positive correlation (0.96) was observed between the potential nitrogen mineralization rate and total nitrogen content. The mineralization rate constant, k, was negatively correlated with the organic matter (-0.96) and carbon content (-0.97). The nitrogen mineralization rate during the first cropping season, as estimated by the model, was 6.6%, 11.6%, 30.9%, 70.7%, and 81.0% for the rice straw, the cow manure sawdust compost, the microorganism compost, the mixed oil-cake, and the amino acid fertilizer, respectively. CONCLUSION: The nitrogen mineralization rate varies depending on the type of organic resources or the nitrogen content; thus, it can be used as an index for determining the nitrogen supply characteristics of the organic resource. Organic resources such as compost with low nitrogen content or those undergoing fermentation contain organic nitrogen. Organic nitrogen is stabilized during the composting process. Therefore, as the nitrogen mineralization rate of these resources is lower than that of non-fermented organic resources, it is desirable to use the fermented organic materials only to improve soil physical properties rather than to supply nutrients for the required amount of fertilizer.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.307-316
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• 2009

Soil microbial activity and diversity are affected by organic sources applied to improve soil quality and fluctuate seasonally. We investigated the effects of municipal compost (MC), poultry litter (PL), and cover crops of spring oats and red clover (RC) on soil enzyme activities, and soil bacterial community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) in a Mexico silt loam in North Central Missouri, USA. Temporal patterns of these parameters were observed by periodic five soil sampling from spring to fall over a two year period. MC increased soil dehydrogenase (DH) activity consistently beginning about three months after MC application; fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolytic activity significantly began to increase by the September of the first year but fluctuated during the following period. DH activity responded more directly to the amount or properties of organic residues in soils while FDA hydrolysis and CLPP were generally influenced by composition of organic sources, and enzyme activities and CLPP showed seasonal variation, which depended on organic sources and soil moisture. MC and cover crops may be useful organic sources for enhancing general soil microbial activity and altering soil microbial diversity, respectively. Because microbial activities and diversity are dynamic and subject to seasonal changes, the effects of organic amendments on these parameters should be investigated frequently during a growing season.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.492-498
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• 2015

The long-term changes in the soil properties are closely related to the policy direction and the national program for the soil management. In this study, chemical properties of paddy soils in Jeonnam province were investigated at four-year interval since 1999 and the factors affecting change of chemical properties were analyzed in relation to the soil management policies. Chemical fertilizers supplied to Jeonnam province reduced by 57% in 2013 as compared with 1999, and the ratio of Jeonnam province to the national fertilizer supply gradually decreased to 14.1% in 2013 from 17.6% in 1999 due to national policies to reduce use of chemical fertilizers in the 2000s. In the chemical analysis of paddy soils in Jeonnam province, pH value tended to increase gradually within the optimal range. Available phosphate and exchangeable potassium content were always higher than the optimal range and showed no significant difference since 1999. Organic matter, exchangeable calcium and available silicate content were found to be lower than average content in the whole country as well optimal range for rice cultivation in 1999, but were higher than average content in the whole country and optimal range in 2011 because of faster rate of increase in Jeonnam province than the other region since the mid-2000s. The cause of increase in organic matter, exchangeable calcium and available silicate contents is considered to be the increased use of green manure crops and by-products fertilizer as an alternatives for conventional application of chemical fertilizers and soil amendment such as silicate fertilizer for agronomic control of the disease and insect pest in rice cultivation of environmentally-friendly agriculture.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 2013

Biochar amendment to agricultural soil is regarded as a promising option to mitigate climate change and enhance soil quality. It could sequester more carbon within the soil system and increase plant yield by changing soil physicochemical characteristics. However, sustainable use of biochar requires comprehensive environmental assessment. In this sense, it is important to measure additional greenhouse gas emission from soils after biochar addition. We investigated emissions of $CO_2$, $N_2O$, and $CH_4$ from incubated soils collected from rice paddy and cultivated grassland after amendment of 3% biochar (wt.) produced from rice chaff. During incubation, soils were exposed to three wet-dry cycles ranging from 5~85% soil gravimetric water content (WC) to investigate the changes in effect of biochar when influenced by different water levels. The $CO_2$ emission was reduced in biochar treatment compared to the control at WC of 30~70% both in rice paddy and grassland soils. This indicates that biochar could function as a stabilizer for soil organic carbon and it can be effective in carbon sequestration. The $N_2O$ emission was also reduced from the grassland soil treated with biochar when WC was greater than 30% because the biochar treated soils had lower denitrification due to better aeration. In the rice paddy soil, biochar addition resulted in decrease in $N_2O$ emission when WC was greater than 70%, while an increase was noted when WC was between 30~70%. This increase might be related to the fact that available nutrients on biochar surface stimulated existing nitrifying bacterial community, resulting in higher $N_2O$ emission. Overall results imply that biochar amendment to agricultural soil can stabilize soil carbon from fast decomposition although attention should be paid to additional $N_2O$ emission when biochar addition is combined with the application of nitrogen fertilizer.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.299-308
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• 2008

In this study, the effect of commercial organic growth medium amended with different ratios of vermicast on the growth of rice seedlings. The amended ratios of vermicast were 0% (control), 5%, 10%, 20% and 40%, respectively. A bioassay with two rice varieties (Chucheng and Black) was conducted to assesses the amendment effect of vermicast on the seedling growth in two potting methods. In potting treatment, the Chucheng variety with late maturity showed significantly higher values on growth parameters excepted root weight (RW) up to 20% and Black variety with early maturity up to 10% amended with vermicast, respectively. In floor layering treatment, all of the growth parameters significantly increased up to 5% amended with vermicast in both rice variety. The seedling growth of rice in floor layering treatment attained the highest values at lower amended ratios of vermicast than those of potting treated only, it may correspond with increased uptake of nutrient by elongated root grown under the layering amendment of vermicast. Vermicasts can be used as soil amendments or components of plant growth medium for seeding organic agriculture.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.351-355
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• 2014

In recent years, biochar has received much attention as soil amendment, enhancing soil fertility and reducing toxicity of heavy metals with its large specific surface area and high pH. Biochar has also the effect of alleviating global warming by carbon sequestration from recycling organic wastes by pyrolysis. However, scattering of fine particles of biochar is a hindrance to expand its use from human health point-of-view. Alginate, a natural polymer without toxicity, has been used for capsulation and hydrogel fabrication due to its cross-linking nature with calcium ion. In this study, the method of cross-linkage between alginate and calcium ion was employed for making dust-free biochar bead. Then an equilibrium adsorption experiment was performed for verifying the adsorption effect of biochar bead on heavy metals (cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic, and zinc). Results showed that biochar bead had effects on adsorbing heavy metals, especially lead, except arsenic.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 1981

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of application of several soil amendment materials to an alluvial sandy soil on the rice growth and yield during the 1979. The materials used were the combinations of rice straw, rice hull, silicate fertilizer, red earth and zeolite. The results obtained were summarized as follows : 1. The application of soil amendment materials considerably increased the number of tillers, plant height and dry matter of rice plant. Particularly, the zeolite treated plot resulted in much better growth in the late stage rather than in the early stage. 2. The plots treated with silicate fertilizer, rice hull and zeolite significantly increased the rice yield and so did those with red earth statistically at 5 % level. However, it was not significant with rice straw. 3. By the application of these materials, the silica content in rice plant was continuously increased untill the heading stage, the nitrogen content was high at the maximum tillering stage and the panicle initiating stage and the phosphorus content was high at panicle initiating stage, which were censidered to be the factors of yield increase. However, in the straw treated plot, the contents of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium were high, while the silica content was low in rice plant. 4. Further, soil pH, C. E. C., content s of organic matter and silicate in soil treated with those materials were increased after experiment. compared with in the soil before experiment.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2006

Effect of organic-C on immobilization and nitrification patterns in acidic soil was examined during 20 weeks incubation period to verify if organic amendments such as composted material can increase soil retention of N by stimulating microbial immobilization of $NH_4^+$. Four treatments were laid out: control without fertilizer N and glucose (treatment code: S), ammonium sulfate (SN), ammonium sulfate with single glucose at the commencement (0 week) of incubation (SNG), and ammonium sulfate with double glucose at 0 and 4 weeks of incubation (SNGG). Glucose application (SNG) significantly increased microbial immobilization of $NH_4^+$ within 1 week of incubation over SN. Immobilization was followed by remineralization thereafter; however, second-application of glucose (SNGG) restored $NH_4^+$ immobilization. At the same time, nitrification was significantly inhibited by glucose application as indicated by consistently low $NO_3^-$ concentration in SNG and SNGG soils, suggesting that microbial assimilation of $NH_4^+$ is predominant compared to nitrification when available C-source is abundant. These results suggest application of chemical fertilizer-N with organic amendment would have beneficial effect on soil-N retention and environmental conservation by reducing production of $NO_3^-$ which is likely to be lost through leaching or denitrification.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1108-1113
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• 2012

The changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) content in paddy soils (sandy loam) were assessed from data of the 59 years fertilization plots in which the continuous rice cropping experiment started in 1954. The treatments were no fertilization(no fert.), NPK fertilization (N, NPK), NPK plus rice straw compost (NPK+C), and NPK plus rice straw compost, silicate fertilizer and lime (NPK+CLS). After 41 years, SOC content in NPK+C and NPK+CLS treatment in surface soils (0~15 cm) reached at the highest, followed by maintaining a plateau level for 8 years. After 51 years, they showed a tendency to decrease. Peak concentrations of soil organic carbon were $20.1g\;kg^{-1}$ in NPK+CLS, $19.1g\;kg^{-1}$ in NPK+C, $13.3g\;kg^{-1}$ in NPK, $11.9g\;kg^{-1}$ in N, and $11.6g\;kg^{-1}$ in control. Dissolved organic carbon(DOC) contents in surface soil solution were about 2.3 times higher in NPK+C than that in NPK+CLS. Therefore, SOC in subsurface soil(15~30 cm) was greater in NPK+C than the other treatments. These results indicate that continuous application of rice straw compost and silicate fertilizer affected significantly on the level of SOC in surface soils, subsurface soils, and soil solutions. Thus, the combined applications of NPK fertilizers with organic compost and silicate as a soil amendment are recommended as the best fertilization practice for soil carbon accumulation, environment conservation, and enhancement of soil fertility status in the continuous rice cropping system.