• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.55-67
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• 2006

A survey of 31 organic farmers were conducted to investigate the actual conditions of organic matter application. The amounts of organic matter application in the fields were higher in order of fruit, vegetable and rice farm. The average was 50 ton/ha in vegetable farms. In the green vegetable farms saw dust and animal manure were mainly utilized to make compost. Rice straw, wood chip, and forest bushes were also used for composting. In the fruit vegetable farms materials relatively lower in nitrogen content such as rice straw and cattle manure were used in vegetative period and materials higher in nitrogen content such as oil cake and wild grass were used in reproductive phase. Nutrient balance investigated in the farm in Icheon region who produce lettuce, angelica, and kale continuously in one cropping year indicated surplus in three major nutrients. Nitrogen and phosphorous were in excess by 29 and 10 kg respectively in the organic rice farm in yang-pyoung region. While soil chemical properties in the organic farms are within the adequate range in open field, it is much higher than the limits in the greenhouse soils. Overall application of organic matter is in an oversupply state. This results suggested that the organic matter management should be based on the soil conditions for sustainable cultivation. Chemical composition of organic matters and soil test reports should be considered prior to the application of organic matter.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1026-1032
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• 2004

In this study, we assess the recent changes in the amount of excretion by the livestock industry, and discuss the effects of increasing the ratio of cultivated land on the reduction of surplus nitrogen from a cost-performance perspective. Nitrogen has contributed to acidification of ecosystems and nitrate concentrations in groundwater, especially in Europe. Therefore, we assessed the level of nitrogen waste from the domestic Japanese livestock industry, including cattle, swine and poultry during the period 1987-2001. This assessment assumed that 40% of the nitrogen from the domestic livestock industry was emitted as gas into the air and that 60% of the nitrogen was contained in manure used on domestic cultivated land. Nitrogen excreted from livestock, excluding gas emission, decreased by 11% from 0.504 million tons to 0.447 million tons during 1993-2001. Thus, the peak period of nitrogen excretion from livestock is already past in Japan. However, the area of cultivated land under management also decreased during 1990-2000. In addition, the area of paddy and upland fields left unplanted for a year increased during 1990-2000. Therefore, if all manure from the domestic livestock industry had been utilized on the fields as organic fertilizer, but not on arable land left uncultivated for the past year, the nitrogen per net area of cultivated land would have increased by 5%, from 125 to 131 N kg/ha, during 1990-2000. To reduce the nitrogen ratio on cultivated land through the planting of feed grain to utilize the nitrogen, a comparison of the cost performance of feed grains indicated that barley would be more suitable than wheat, rice or soybean. Had barley been planted in 100% of the land left fallow for the past year in 2000, 4% (20,000 tons) of the nitrogen from livestock waste would have been used in the harvest, and the nitrogen per land unit would have not increased but decreased from 125 to 121 N kg/ha during the same decade. Furthermore, when converted into Total Digestible Nutrients, 7% of imported feed corn could have been replaced with the harvested barley in 2000. Planting barley on this fallow land had three benefits; reducing the risk of manure overload on the land, slowing down the decrease in cultivated land, and raising the feed self-sufficiency ratio. Thus, it would be beneficial to plant feed grain such as barley in land left fallow for the past year through utilization of manure.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.318-339
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• 1994

U.S. had given large amount of cotton to Korea as food aid program since 1945. This cotton aid had negative impact on cotton culture in Korean agriculture. Korean government used counterparts funds (sale proceeds of food aid) not for investment to agriculture sector, but for military budgets. And food aid on program type had influenced general economic policies, which neglected agricultural sector too. Anti-agricultural policy which was helped by U.S. food aid, had caused cotton cultivator an economic loss. So this economic loss had made many farmers abandon cotton culture. But in our times, cotton is cultivated for the purpose of domestic consumption in a few rural villages. The purposes of this study are 1) to analyze the process of spatial reduction of cotton culture since 1945 in regional contexts in Korea, and 2) to identify the function and meaning of cotton culture which does not pay off in agricultural region. Materials for acreage of cotton culture are acquired through the agricultural statistical year book(1952-1989) and census. To clarify the meanings of cotton culture, field survey are conducted in a rural village which is identified as only one where cotton was cultivated in 1993. In these contexts, this study has come to the following conclusions. In the period of under the rule of Japanese Imperialism (1910-1945), G. arboreum, species of cotton which was traditionally cultivated since 1364, had been driven out. And G. hirustun species, which is suitable for the production of highly qualified textile, has been hierarchically diffused by policy. In these period, regional structure of Korean agriculture was reorganized for the provision with food to Japan. Crops leading this dependent spatial structure were rice and cotton. So agricultural region, specialized with cotton, were distributed in the hinterland of the area which is specialized with rice. U.S. cotton aid to Korea began in 1947. U.S. took an interest in agricultural export because of her domestic surplus of cotton. Cotton aid is one mechanism by which U.S government developed agricultural market in recipient countries, Specially in the exchange rates, up-valuation of won to the U.S. dollars made domestic cotton more expensive than cotton imported, Production cost of domestic cotton is higher than Government's purchasing price of cotton which was also more expensive than price of cotton imported. Korean farmer could not help abandoning the cultivation of cotton, and this gave rise to spatial reduction of cotton culture. Spatially, cotton culture was abandoned in early stage of reduction in regions where stand at a disadvantage climatically, and in next stage in regions where other up-land crops which paid off in urban market, eg, fruits, could be cultivated. In the stage of extinction, cotton was cultivated only in area where G. hirustun species was originated in Korean peninsula. This region is not only suitable climatically for cotton culture, but is far away from urban market. Use of cotton produced is not for spinning, but for fillings of comforter. The main purpose of cotton culture in rural village is not for cotton yields, but for increase of production of seasame, which is grown together with cotton as mixed crops. Cotton product are used for domestic consumption and sold out to gin house. Though cotton culture is not paid off, farmer wanted to cultivate continuously for the cultural purpose, and they wanted the cotton culture promotion policy with the goverment subsidy.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Along with the surplus rice production, introduction of upland crop cultivations into newly reclaimed tidal areas has gained public attentions in terms of farming diversification and farmers income increase. However, its impacts on the surroundings have not been well studied yet, especially associated with nutrient balance from reclaimed upland cultivation. The objective of this study was to investigate water and nutrient balance during winter barley cultivation as affected different fertilization methods. METHODS AND RESULTS: TN and TP balance for three different plots treated by livestock compost, chemical fertilizer, and no application were monitored during winter green barley cultivation (2010-2011) at the NICS Kyehwa experimental field in Jeonbuk, Korea. Nutrient content in soil and pore water near soil surface appeared to increase, while sub-soil layer remained similar with no fertilization plot. Livestock compost application appeared to increase organic matter content in surface soil compared to chemical fertilization. Crop yield was the greatest with livestock compost application (10.6 t/ha) followed by chemical fertilization (6.9 t/ha) and no application (1.8 t/ha). The nitrogen uptake rate was also greater with livestock compost (52.4%) than chemical fertilizer (48.1%). Phosphorus uptake rate was much smaller (about 7.0%) compared to nitrogen. Nutrient loss by surface and subsurface runoff seemed to be minimal primarily due to small rainfall amount during the winter season. Most of the remaining nutrients, particularly phosphate seemed to be stored in soil layer. Phosphate accumulation appeared to be more phenomenal in the plot applied by livestock compost with higher phosphorus content. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that livestock compost application to tidal upland may increase barley crop production and also improve soil fertility by supplying organic content. However, excessive phosphorus supply with livestock compost seems likely to cause a phosphate accumulation problem, unless the nitrogen-based fertilization practice is adjusted.