• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.376-380
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• 2013

This research was carried out to establish a mass-production method and to develop ornamental Gramineae species as cash crops for famers as three species of ornamental grasses were used for seed treatment and plug production. Germination rates of Arundinella hirta were improved to 52.6% by soaking in 4% NaOCl for 60 min and 49.4% with 4% NaOH for 30 min. Germination rates of Panicum virgatum were 20.3% and 22.4% when treated with 4% NaOCl for 10 min and 2% NaOH for 60min treatment, respectively. Pennisetum alopecuroides showed germination rates higher than 98% with both 4% of NaOCl and NaOH for 60 min. When the same size of trays were used, Pennisetum showed faster plug formation in 21 and 30 days with 162 and 40 cell trays, respectively. Arundinella showed a similar trend with Pannicum in completing plug formation, those took 32, 41, and 44 days with the 162, 72, and 40 cell tray, respectively. Plug production was faster with smaller cells; however, total growing period was longer with larger cells in general.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2008

Demand for alternatives to petroleum is increasing the production of biofuels from food crops such as corn, soybeans, sorghum and sugarcane, etc. At least for the next 5 years, ethanol demand will be increased greatly in the United States and in the world. Presently, most ethanol produced in the United States is corn (Zea mays) ethanol. As a result, especially in the Americas and Southeast Asia, agricultural land is diverted to biofuel production. Even though biofuel industry has many advantage including national security, economical, energetical and sustainable impacts, it is driving grain prices up and creating considerable concern about the potential negative impacts on a wide range of food products that depend on gain : chicken, pork, beef, and dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream and ice cream. Feedstock crops are crops such as switchgrass(Panicum virgatum, L.), corn stover and grasses that can be used in industrial processes such as fermentation into alcohol fuels. Feedstock is no compete with food. Furthermore it is friendly environmental bioenergy crops. In Korea, with increasing demand for fossil fuels the exploration of alternative sources of liquid fuel is inevitable. I suggest Korea need to research and to develop actively on feedstock for biofuel production through this review.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2005

Fertilization effects on changes in soil $CO_2$ flux and organic C in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) land managed for biomass production were investigated. The mean daily soil $CO_2$ flux in the manure treatment was 5.63 g $CO_2-C\;m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$, and this was significantly higher than the mean value of 3.36 g $CO_2-C\;m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$ in the control. The mean daily $CO_2$ fluxes in N and P fertilizer treatments plots were not different when compared to the value in the control plots. Potentially mineralizable C (PMC), soil microbial biomass C (SMBC), and particulate organic C (POC) were highest at the 0 to 10 cm depth of the manure treatment. Potentially mineralizable C had the strongest correlation with SMBC (r = 0.91) and POC (r = 0.84). There was also a strong correlation between SMBC and POC (r = 0.90). Our results indicated that for the N and P levels studied, fertilization had no impact on temporal changes in soil organic C, but manure application had a significant impact on temporal changes in soil $CO_2$ evolution and active C constituents such as PMC, SMBC, and POC.