• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.123-128
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• 2014

This study investigated the exercise intensity and energy expenditure involved in two gardening activities (planting transplants and sowing seeds in a garden plot) and four common physical activities (running, skipping rope, walking, and throwing a ball) in children. Eighteen children aged 11 to 13 years (mean age, $12.3{\pm}0.7$ years) participated in this study. The children made two visits to a high tunnel in Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea and performed randomly selected activities. Each activity was performed for 10 min, with a 5-min rest period between activities. The children wore a Cosmed $K4b^2$ (Cosmed $K4b^2$; Cosmed, Rome, Italy), which is a portable calorimetric monitoring system, to measure indicators of metabolic cost such as oxygen uptake and energy expenditure. The children's heart rates during the activities were measured by radiotelemetry (Polar T 31; FitMed, Kempele, Finland). We found that the two gardening and four physical activities performed by the 11-13 years old children in this study were moderate-to high-intensity physical activities [i.e.,$5.4{\pm}0.7$ to $9.1{\pm}1.4$ metabolic equivalents (METs)]. Running ($9.1{\pm}1.4$ METs) and skipping rope ($8.8{\pm}1.1$ METs) were high-intensity physical activities, whereas walking ($6.1{\pm}0.9$ METs), planting transplants ($5.8{\pm}1.1$ METs), throwing a ball ($5.6{\pm}1.1$ METs), and sowing seeds ($5.4{\pm}0.7$ METs) were moderate intensity physical activities. Running and skipping rope were significantly more intense than the other activities (P < 0.0001). The gardening tasks such as planting transplants and sowing seeds in a garden plot showed similar exercise intensities and energy costs as walking and throwing a ball. This study indicates that gardening can be used as a physical activity intervention to provide health benefits similar to more common physical activities such as walking and running.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.595-608
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• 2021

Background and objective: For effective horticultural education, it is required to develop kits for practice. In this study, we developed a horticultural kit for germination that introduces storytelling, characterization, and assembly, and investigated the educational effects of using it to study its educational differentiation and usefulness. Methods: First, we developed a seed germination kit for learning. It consists of three components: the kit main frame for hydroponics, the activity sheet for storytelling, and the instruction manual. It is made into an acrylic assembly in consideration of the ease of delivery for contactless learning. Second, we developed two programs, each using a germination kit for horticultural education (experimental group) and a general germination kit program (control group). At this time, the class consists of pre-questionnaire, the 1st and 2nd classes, observation log writing (total six times for two weeks), the 3rd class, and post-questionnaire. The experimental group and control group were separately executed. Third, the application results were compared and analyzed before and after class. As a quantification questionnaire, the effects before and after class were compared through t-test with a questionnaire on program satisfaction and attitude change toward plants. The quantitative results were analyzed through observation activity sheets and effects before and after the class were analyzed through t-test with quantification and language coding. Results: The effect of horticulture education using the developed kit was estimated by a quantification questionnaire. Both the program satisfaction and the change in attitude toward plants showed high in the experimental group, and this difference was statistically significant (p < .05). As a result of analyzing the observation paper with a qualitative questionnaire, various cognitive and affective expressions appeared in the experimental group as well as the contents of the observation paper. The number of syllables and various qualitative expressions appeared, and these differences were also statistically significant (p < .05). Conclusion: Compared to general germination activities, it was found that the germination activities using storytelling-based horticultural kits would be effective for contactless classes in the post-COVID-19 era and in increasing the educational effect of horticultural activities.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.41-55
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• 2000

This study attempts to explore the relationships of Korean Immigrants with New Zealand agricultural environment, their choice of agricultural occupations and adjustments. New Zealand, based on agricultural products in its economy, was one of the richest countries during the 1950s and 1960s because of its dependency in market to United Kingdom Since 1971 when U.K joined the European Community, its economy was no more strong enough to support the living conditions in the 1950's and 1960's. Therefore, New Zealand Government initiated some programme to assist its farmers. Such supports resulted in severe financial problems of the country. Thus, reforms removing almost all support programmes has been proceeded after 1984. Though horticulture is still lower in New Zealand's exports of agricultural products, its growth has been remarkable. This was results due to the contribution of smallholdings, along with migration from city to urban fringe occurred during the 1970's and 1980's. In the 1900's it has been known that horticulture in the smallholding takes a hard works for old ages, who required further partitions their lands. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of Korean immigrants to New Zealand in the 1900's has been occurred, and this study shows one or two years periods in the search of job in case of Korean farmers. The most attractiveness in agriculture for them was that it provides simultaneously both jobs and housing. Korean farmers' land use succeeds previous owner's land use, and concentrates on green house agriculture cultivating mainly tomato and cucumber. The size of land is quite small and not comparable to New Zealand's average size, but a satisfactory levels are rather high and successful in evaluating themselves concerning current occupations, even though they have rarely experienced about agriculture before. Korean farmers attributes a high satisfaction to agricultural techniques learned from previous owners and a related support authority. The results of this study showed that Korean farmers has been absorbed into New Zealand economy rather than Korean economy. Finally, it has been pointed that the growth of Korean farmers and agriculture in New Zealand is the results of complex factors such as occupations, children's educational opportunity, and the access to the city.