• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.376-387
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• 2019

Melons are mostly grown in soil, but it is susceptible to damage due to injury by continuous cropping such as Fusarium wilt and root rot. Hydroponic cultivation system can overcome the disadvantages of soil cultivation with precise nutrition management and a clean environment. When using the coir substrate, the most environmentally friendly organic substrate used for hydroponics, it is analyzed how the growth and fruit quality of the melon depends on the ratio of chips and dust and the amount of irrigation. The purpose of this study was to provide the basic data of melon hydroponics when cultivated in spring. The two types of the coir substrates used in the experiments were chip and dust ratios of 3 :7 and 5 : 5 respectively. The substrate with high dust ratios had excellent physical characteristics, such as container capacity and total porosity, and the drainage EC level showed a high value of $3.0-6.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. When the amount of irrigation is provided based on the drainage rate, the group provided the nutrient solution on the basis of 10% drainage supplied 91 L per plant, which was reduced by about 30% compared to the group with the highest water supply. In addition, the total drainage showed less than 10 L per plant with a minimum water supply and was reduced by 30 - 70% in substrate with a high dust rates. In substrate with high water supply and high dust ratio, leaf growth and fruit enlargement were good, and the soluble solids content varies greatly from cultivar to cultivar. If you provided the amount of irrigation based on 10% drainage rate, the fruit weight will be decreased, but the amount of irrigation can be reduced. Therefore, it is considered that managing the water & nutrient properly taking into account the characteristics of coir substrate and cultivar can produce melon of uniform quality using hydroponics.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.499-506
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• 2014

This research was conducted to develop root media containing ground and aged pine bark (GAPB) and ground and raw pine bark (GRPB). After analysis of physico chemical properties, the pine barks were blended with peat moss (PM) or coir dust (CD) in various ratios to formulate 12 root media. Then, two out of 12 root media were chosen based on the physical properties for further experiments. The pre-planting nutrient charge fertilizers (PNCF) were incorporated into two root media and chemical properties were analysed again. The total porosity (TP), container capacity (CC), and air-filled porosity (AFP) of GAPB were 78.7%. 39.4%, and 38.3%, respectively, while those of GRPB were 74.7%, 41.2%, and 33.4%, respectively. The percentage of easily available water (EAW, from CC to 4.90 kPa tension) and buffering water (BW, 4.91-9.81 kPa tension) in GAPB were 12.7% and 8.5%, respectively, which were a little lower than the 13.5% and 8.8% in GRPB. The pH and EC were not different significantly, but cation exchange capacity was different between the two pine barks (GAPB: pH 5.26, EC $0.61dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, CEC $15.7meq{\cdot}100g^{-1}$; GRPB: pH 5.19, EC $0.32dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, CEC $9.32meq{\cdot}100g^{-1}$). The concentrations of exchangeable cations in GAPB were Ca 0.32, K 0.05, Mg 0.27 and $0.12cmol+{\cdot}kg^{-1}$, whereas those in GRPB were Ca 0.28, K 0.08, Mg 0.25 and $0.09cmol+{\cdot}kg^{-1}$. The concentrations of $PO_4$-P, $NH_4$-N and $NO_3$-N were 485.8, 0.62 and $0.91mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in GAPB and 578, 1.00 and $0.82mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in GRPB, respectively, when those were analyzed in the solution of the saturated paste. The TP, CC and AFP in the two selected media were 89.3 and 76.3, and 13.0% in PM+GAPB (8:2, v/v) and 88.2, 68.2 and 20.0% in CD+GRPB (8:2), respectively. The pHs and ECs were 3.8 and $0.24dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in PM+GAPB which were a little lower than 5.8 and $0.65dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in CD+GRPB. However, the pHs analysed before and after incorporation of PNCF in the two root media did not show large differences. This is because the solubility of dolomitic lime is very low, and the pH it is expected to rise gradually when crops are cultivated int he root media. The information obtained in this study should facilitate effective formulation of root media containing pine bark.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2017

This research was conducted to investigate the influence of post-planting fertilizer concentrations on the growth of seedlings and changes of nutrient concentrations of media in tomato seedling production through sub-irrigation. Two root media such as peat moss (grade of 0 to 6 mm, PM06) plus perlite (grade of 1 to 2 mm (PE2)(7:3, v/v) and peat moss (grade of 5 to 15 mm, PM515) plus PE2 (7:3, v/v) were formulated and filled into 72-cell plug trays. After seeds of 'Dotaerang Dia' tomato were sown and germinated at $28^{\circ}C$, the trays were moved to greenhouse and seedlings were raised 35 days. When the cotyledons were emerged, post-planting fertilizers of 13-2-13, 15-0-15 and 20-9-20 ($N-P_2O_5-K_2O$) were applied in a sequence. The fertilizer concentrations based on N in each plug stage were differed with $25mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in three treatments. The fertilizer solutions were supplied when the weight of plug trays decreased to 40 to 50% compared to container capacity. The root media were collected in 1, 2, 4, and 5 weeks after sowing and were divided into top, middle, and bottom parts, then were analysed for pH, EC and macro-nutrient concentrations. The seedling growth was investigated 5 weeks after sowing. The pH and EC in PM06+PE2 was higher than those of PM515+PE2. The bottom and mid-part had higher pH and lower EC compared to upper part in each medium. The differences of EC between upper and bottom parts were around 2 times in each medium. The $NH_4-N$ and K concentrations in program 3 of PM06+PE2 showed the highest concentrations among all treatments. The $NO_3-N$ concentrations in PM06+PE2 increased gradually and this rising tendency become severe as post-planting fertilizer concentrations were elevated. The seedling growth in terms of fresh and dry weights was the highest in the treatment of program 2 in PM06+PE2 among all treatments tested. Above results indicate that the gradual increases of fertilizer concentrations from 25 to $125mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in plug stages 2, 3, and 4 plug stages are desirable for

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.314-321
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• 2007

This study was conducted to select leaf vegetables suitable for cultivation in apartment verandas and simple and easy fertigation method for home gardening. In order to develop the convenient fertigation method, hydroponics, wick irrigation, and overhead irrigation methods were compared. For the wick irrigation, two types of nutrient sources were used; one was slow release fertilizers mixed with medium and the other one was nutrient solution filled in container located under pots. The growth of leafy lettuce, leaf mustard, and leaf beet was better in both of the wick irrigation methods rather than in overhead irrigation and hydroponics. The wick irrigation method is very easy, so that it is expected to bring a good result from the cultivating and managing point of view, if it brings with commercialized system along with slow release fertilizer. As a result of investigation of environment such as temperature, relative humidity, and irradiance level in apartment verandas in autumn the highest irradiance level during a day was just 48% and 35% in verandas facing south and feeing southeast, respectively, comparing to that in greenhouse. The light environment was investigated as a limiting factor for vegetable growing in verandas. Therefore, to select the vegetables showing good growth under low irradiance environment, nine leaf vegetables such as romaine lettuce, lent lettuce, head lettuce, endive, pak-choi, leaf mustard, garland chrysanthemum, leaf beet, and Chinese chive were grown under 0%, 50%, 70%, 90% shading. Among them, Chinese chive showed the best growth under low irradiance levels. Endive showed line growth reduction according to shading degree, however, even under 90% shading condition, it showed good growth. And then leafy lettuce, garland chrysanthemum, and pak-choi followed. Therefore, these results will be of help in selecting vegetables for veranda gardening with different light levels.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.144-147
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• 2014

It was intended to closely examine an effect that a change in the concentration of culture medium had on the potato(Solanum tuberosum L.) plantlet growth in the microponic system so as to mass-produce the virus-free plant of new variety 'Saebong' for potato processing. The adjusted concentration of potato culture medium was 0.2, 0.6, 1.0, 1.4, 1.8, and $14.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. And potato seedling was cut into pieces of 1.5 cm in length, which included 2 growth points and leaves. And each was explanted in glass vial of 50 mL. And experiments were carried out twice for 18 days or 21days. Culture medium of 2ml was put in the container respectively. And 1 mL was added after 10 days. And in terms of cultivation environment, the experiment was carried out at the day length of 16 hours at the temperature of $23{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ under the white LED light of $40{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$. The concentration of culture medium in the experiment I was EC 0.2, 1.0, $14dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ and was adjusted to 0.6, 1.0, 1.4, $1.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in the experiment II. The results showed that the survival rate of plantlet was 90% at $0.2dS^2m^{-1}$, 100% at $0.6dS^2m^{-1}$, 100% at $1.0dS^2m^{-1}$. 0% at $1.4dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, 0% at $1.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. and 0% at $14.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ after 7 days. With regard to the explanted potato seedling, in case of the treatment where the electrical conductivity of culture medium was adjusted to $1.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, root developed 2 days after transplantation. And the plantlet vigorously grew into strong plant that had 7 leaves, length of 5cm, and fresh weight of 0.5 g after 18 days. In case of the treatment where the concentration of culture medium was adjusted to $0.6dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, the root plantlets developed 4 days after transplantation. And those grew into plant that had 7 leaves and fresh weight of 0.2 g after 21 days. Therefore, we found that it is effective to control potato culture medium by adjusting its electrical conductivity to $0.6{\sim}1.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ for the mass production of virus-free potato seedling in the microponic system.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.368-374
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• 1997

Investigated ware the decomposition of mulch paper, weed occurrence, and rice growth and yield in transplanting rice culture with paper mulching in 1996 and 1997. The mulch paper were developed from domestic old corrugated container. In the experiment of 1996 where 25 percent of nitrogen fertilizer was applied as tillering fertilizer at 15 days after transplanting, it took about 28 to 40 days for the mulch paper to reach 50 percent decomposition according to types of mulch paper and fertilizer amount. The decomposition was faster in 18kg N/10a fertilization plot than in 12kg N/10a fertilization plot, and slower in the mulch paper treated with polyamidepolyamine epichlorohydrin resin(PPE) for the reinforcement of wet strength than in the mulch paper without PPE. In the experiment of 1997 where nitrogen fertilizer was not applied at tillering stage and instead 70 percent of nitrogen fertilizer was supplied as basal fertilizer, it took more than 42 days for the mulch paper(PPF treated) to reach 50 percent decomposition. Paper mulching was found to be very effective in controlling the paddy weeds at early stage of rice growth, but the efficacy, of weed control decreased especially in the mulch paper without PPE at later stage of rite growth due to the occurrence of Ludwigia prostrata in 1996. Few weeds occurred even in non-mulched plot without herbicide in 1997, rending difficulties in evaluating the efficacy of mulch paper in weed control, However, it could be deduced from the durability of mulch paper that paper mulching would have had sufficient efficacy of weed control. Rice yield was only 185kg/10a in the plot without mulching and weed control, but 657kg/10a and 771kg/10a in the paper(PPE treated) mulching plot with 12kgN/10a and 18kgN/10a, respectively, in 1996. The paper mulching plot showed rice yield similar to the weed control plot with herbicide in 1997. It would be concluded that paper mulching could ensure effective weed control and as high yield as the conventional rice cultivation with herbicidal weed control if the corresponding amount of basal nitrogen fertilizer is increased instead of omitting the nitrogen fertilizer at tillering stage.