• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2014

Due to limited supplies and expensive importing costs, it is a goal to replace overseas peat with local soil amendments in turf industry of Korea. The study was initiated to compare the performances of five domestic and imported organic soil amendments (OSAs) on establishment characteristics and to provide basic information for root zone composition on sports turf design and construction. The study was conducted in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L., KB) under greenhouse conditions from March to June in 2008. A total of 25 treatments of OSA + sand were prepared. These amendments were Berger Peat (OMA), Eco-Peat (OMB), G1-Soil (OMC), Premier Peat (OMD), and Supersoil I (OME). Significant differences were observed in establishment vigor, seedling emergence, and top growth. Results varied depending upon the type of OSAs and their rates in rootzone mixtures. OMA reached over 70% in establishment vigor in 5 WAS (weeks after seeding). OMC produced a maximum vigor of approximately 60% in 6 WAS. The OME amendment, however, showed poor performance lower than 30% in establishing KB turf until 8 WAS. There were considerable variations of top growth, being 3.8 to 14.5 cm. Greater differences in top growth resulted from OME mixtures. Shoot growth orientation in KB is also influenced by OSAs. In general, optimum mixing rate was considered as 10 to 20% for establishment vigor and 20 to 40% for top growth. Considering overall responses to establishment vigor, seedling emergence, and shoot growth, both local OMC and overseas OMD are considered as the useful soil amendments applicable for sports turfs. Domestic OME amendment would be applied for a low maintenance turfs such as rough and utility areas due to greater shoot growth. Information on these amendments would be of practical use for sports turf design and construction. Repeated experiments and field performance test are required to evaluate these OSA effect on other major turfgrass species and also to determine local OSA as imported peat substitute.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-18
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• 2015

The characteristics of As and heavy metals depend on the oxidation/reduction condition of the soil environment. The most heavy metals are immobilized by the reduction condition whereas As, Fe and Mn become more soluble. Therefore this study estimated the stabilization efficiency of the agricultural paddy soil in the vicinity of the abandoned mine using a flooded column test including analysis of the soil solution, contaminants fractionation and rice grain. Limestone and steelmaking slag were used as amendments for stabilization of the contaminated soil. In an analysis of the soil solution, the mobile characteristics of Fe and Mn, which were used as electron acceptors of the microorganisms, were controlled by increasing the pH by adding alkali amendments. This means that the contaminants combined with Fe and Mn can be stable under flooded reduction condition. However, the concentrations of cationic heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Zn) were also decreased without amendments because the carbonates produced from microbial respiration increased the pH of the soil solution. In the amended soil, the specific sorbed fraction of As and carbonates fraction of heavy metals were increased when compared to the control soil at the end of the column test. Especially in heavy metals, the increase of carbonates fraction seems to be influenced by alkali amendments rather than microbial respiration. Because of the stabilization effect in the flooded paddy soil, the contents of As and Zn in rice grain from amended soil were lower than that of the control soil. But additional research is needed because of the relatively higher Pb content identified in the rice grain from the amended.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.283-285
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• 2000

Two field tests were conducted in 1995 to examine the effects of composts and soil amendments on physicochemical properties of soil in relation to Phytophthora root and crown rot of bell pepper. Chitosan, crab shell waste, humate, sewage sludge-yard trimmings, and wood chips were applied to test plots, some of which affected the levels of P, K, Mg, pH, and H. Physicochemical properties were not related with disease incidence, but percent organic matter, estimated nitrogen release, K, and Mg were correlated with total microbial activity. The elements K and Mg were especially responsible for the increased soil microbial activity that could affect development of root and crown rot of pepper.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.65-69
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• 1998

In order to evaluate the utility of bituminous coal fly ash, gypsum, oyster shell as soil amendments, aadic clayloam paddy soils with low calaum content were amended in the upper 15㎝ with amendments, and then Chinese cabbage was cultivated under plastic film house. Amendments treated were, in metric tons per hectare, i) none(Check) ; ii) 80 fly ash(FA) ; iii) 4 shell(SH) ; iv) 56 fly ash+24 gypsum (FG) ; v) 40 fly ash+24 gypsum+0.8 shell(FGS). On the whole, soil chemical properties were improved by amendments treatments. Amongst treatments, FA prominently neutralized soil pH and increased contents of Av. $P_2O_5$, Ex. K, and Av. B in soils. Besides, it showed the highest ratio in bacteria/fungi and (bacteria+actinomycetes)/fungi. FGS also affected the neutralization of soil pH and the increment of Ex. Mg. Amendments plants appeared alkaline damages only at early growing stage, but showed positive responses in fresh weight yields : 23% for FGS : 21% for FG : 19 18% for SH. At harvesting, leaves both of FA and FGS plants had higher values in contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, B, reduang-sugar, and vitamin-C than of others. In especial, Check plants appeared the heart rot symptoms owing to calaum defiaency differently from amendments plants. Taken together, FGS was an effective combination enable to maximize the utility of fly ash, gypsum, shell as soil amendments, espeaally in cabbage yield and quality.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.93-115
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• 2009

There are growing public concerns over crop and food safeties due to the elevated levels of heavy metals grown in contaminated soil. Heavy metals are classified as the chemical harmful risks for crop and food safety. With implementation of GAP, crop safety is controlled by many regulatory options for soil, irrigation water and fertilizers. Any attempt to retard the metal uptake by crops may be the best protocol to secure crop and food safety. This article reviews the management strategies for heavy metals in view of crop safety in Korea and demonstrates results from the field experiments to retard metal translocation from soil to crops by using chemical amendments and soil layer management methods. Major source of soil pollution by heavy metals has been related with mining activities. Risk assessment revealed that rice consumption and groundwater ingestion in the abandoned mining areas were the major exposure pathways for metals to human and the heavy metal showed the toxic effects on human health. Chemical amendments such as lime and slag retarded Cd uptake by rice (Oryza sativa L.) by increasing soil pH, lowering the phytoavailable Cd concentration in soil solution, immobilizing Cd in soil and converting the available Cd fractions into non-available fractions. The soil layer management methods decreased the Cd uptake by 76% and Pb by 60%. Either reversing the surface layer with subsurface layer or immobilization of metals with layer mixing with lime was considered to be the practical option for the in-situ remediation of the contaminated paddy soils. Combination of chemical soil amendments and layer management methods was efficient to retard the metal bioavailability and thus to secure crop safety for heavy metals. This protocol seems to be cheap, relatively easy to practice and practical in the agricultural fields. However, a long term monitoring work should be followed to verify the efficiency of this protocol.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.15-25
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• 2019

Contamination of soil by deicing salt is among the important environment problems due to their toxicity and negative impact to human health and the environment. One of the effective methods for cleaning the soil from deicing salts is desalination using soil amendment-phytoremediation continuum treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine how much of the pH, EC control and Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺ taken up soil amendments and Miscanthus sinensis, and to evaluate the effect of salt reduction and growth improvement as affected by soil amendment in high concentration of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) deicing salts. Results indicated that the addition of soil amendments was decrease the EC and pH, also significantly reduce the leaching of Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, a chloride ions related deicing salts, compared to the control for CaCl₂ 10 g/L treatment. It also resulted in an enhanced plant growth and higher plant height, leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, fresh weight and dry weight in Hydroball treatment + Miscanthus sinensis planting continuum treatment compared to the treatment that planted Miscanthus sinensis only. Therefore, we concluded that soil amendments might be attributed to an accumulation of deicing slats in the roadside soil, resulting in the improvement of Miscanthus sinensis growth.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.188-194
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• 1983

A Pot experiment was conducted to find out the effects of NPK fertilizers and soil amendments on the symbiotic nitrogen fixation and yield of soybean inoculated with Rhizobium japonicum in newly reclaimed upland soil with very low fertility. The results are summarized as follows; 1. Application of PK fertilizer and soil amendments such as lime, and rice straw in combination with micronutrients (Zn, B, Mo) increased the amounts of symbiotic $N_2$ fixation in soybean. 2. The inoculation of Rhizobium japonicum with application of soil amendments increased the yield of soybean by 4% to 10% due to enhanced $N_2$ fixation. 3. In case of improvement of newly reclaimed hilly soil in order to obtain the high yield of soybean, simutaneous application of soil amendments with inoculation of R. janconican should the highest yield.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.596-606
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• 2021

Soil-borne diseases are the major problems in mono cropping. A mixture (designated LTM-m) composed of agricultural wastes and a beneficial microorganism Streptomyces saraceticus SS31 was used as soil amendments to evaluate its efficacy for managing Rhizoctonia solani and root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita). In vitro antagonistic assays revealed that SS31 spore suspensions and culture broths effectively suppressed the growth of R. solani, reduced nematode egg hatching, and increased juvenile mortality. Assays using two Petri dishes revealed that LTM-m produced volatile compounds to inhibit the growth of R. solani and cause mortality to the root knot nematode eggs and juveniles. Pot and greenhouse tests showed that application of 0.08% LTM-m could achieve a great reduction of both diseases and significantly increase plant fresh weight. Greenhouse trials revealed that application of LTM-m could change soil properties, including soil pH value, electric conductivity, and soil organic matter. Our results indicate that application of LTM-m bio-organic amendments could effectively manage soil-borne pathogens.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1052-1062
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• 2011

Residual of heavy metals originated from abandoned metal mines in agricultural field can cause adverse effect on ecosystem and eventually on human health. For this reason, remediation of heavy metal contaminated agriculture field is a critical issue. In this study, five different amendments, agriculture lime, dolomite, steel slag, zeolite, and compost, were evaluated for stabilization efficiency of heavy metals in agricultural field. Applied mixing ratio of amendments was varied (2% or 6%) depending on properties of amendments. Result showed that soil pH was increased compared to control (6.1-6.7) after mixing with amendments and ordered as dolomite (7.2~8.3) > steel slag (6.7~8.1) > agriculture lime (6.6~7.4) > zeolite (6.2~6.9) > compost (6.1~7.1). Among other amendments, agriculture lime, steel slag, and dolomite showed the highest stabilization efficiency of heavy metals in soil. For Cd, stabilization efficiency was 49~72%, 51~83%, and 0~36% for agriculture lime, steel slag, and dolomite respectively. In case of Pb, 43~64, 37~73%, and 51~73% of stabilization efficiency was observed for agriculture lime, steel slag, and dolomite respectively. However, minimal effect of heavy metal stabilization was observed for zeolite and compost. Based on result of this study, amendments that can increase the soil pH were the most efficient to stabilize heavy metal residuals and can be adapted for remediation purpose in agricultural field.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 2013

Due to its high salt content and poor physical properties in reclaimed tidal lands, it is important to ameliorate soil physical properties to improve the efficiency of desalination. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes of soil properties at Saemangeum reclaimed tidal saline soil with various soil amendments. Field experiment was conducted at Saemangeum reclaimed tidal land in Korea and the dominant soil series was Munpo series (coarse loamy, mixed, nonacid, Mesic, Typic, Fluvaquents). Woodchips, crushed-stone, oyster shell, coal bottom ash, and rice hull were added as soil amendments and mixed into surface soil to improve soil physical properties. There was large variability in soil hardness, but oyster shell treatment was significantly lower soil hardness at surface layer. Soil hardness was not significantly different below 15 cm depth. Infiltration rate was also significantly greater at oyster shell treatment. This may be due to the leaching of Ca ions from oyster shell and improved soil properties. However, there was no statistical significant difference of the soil bulk density, moisture content, and porosity. Improved physical properties increased desalinization rate in soil and retarded the resalinization rate when evapotranspiration rate was high. Although soil salinity was significantly decreased with oyster shell amendment, soil pH was increased that should be made up as a soil amendment. Our results indicated that oyster shell application increased infiltration rate and improved soil hardness, and thus oyster shell could be used to improve soil salinity level at Saemangeum reclaimed tidal saline soil.