• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.380-391
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• 2014

Plants as well as crops are damaged by a combination of the hot and dry winds that has been a major factor in the reduction of crop production. A means to protect them from damaging conditions is to consider a coating material. In this study, we established laboratory screening methods to find a coating material to protect a crop from rapid transpiration caused by various factors. In a test measuring the weight loss of kidney bean seedlings for 6 days, Avion treatments decreased its weight loss (P=0.05). Owing to long-time spend in completing this assay, we performed a more simple method using a cobalt chloride paper strip, which changes from blue to red colors under water condition. Beewax, guagum, paraffin liquid, soybean oil, and PE-635 gave a waterproofing effect above 37 and 43% at 0.5 and 1 h after treatment, respectively. However, these tested materials did not show significant waterproofing results at 2 h. Although the methods produced reasonable results, a screening method to obtain more objective data is needed. An alternative is to use an instrument that can detect the transpiration of crop leaves. In a preliminary test using barley leaves, a portable photosynthesis system showed transpiration inhibition of 2% soybean oil and 10 times-diluted Avion under field conditions. In another test using the leaves of maize seedlings and apricot tree, 2% liquid paraffin and plant oils such as apricot oil, linseed oil, olive oil, and soybean oil showed significant transpiration inhibition (P=0.05). Especially, paraffin liquid and soybean oil selected from above tests gave good transpiration inhibitory effects against rice at 2%. In addition, the mixture of 2% soybean oil and a spreader showed more elevated inhibition results comparing with soybean oil or the spreader alone indicating that the spreader may be attributed to more uniform diffusion of the hydrophobic material onto the leaf surface of maize seedlings. The hydrophobic material coated physically the stomata and cuticle layers on leaf surfaces of rice. These hydrophobic materials screened in this study are expected to be used as plant coating materials.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.252-260
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Currently, national biomass inventory are being established for efficient management of the potential energy sources. Among the various types of biomass, agricultural wastes are considered to take the biggest portion of the total annual biomass generated in Korea, implying its importance. However, the currently estimated amount is not reliable because the old reference data are still used to estimate total annual amount of agricultural wastes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Therefore, to provide reliable estimation data, a correct conversion factor obtained by taking into account the current situation is required. For this, the current study was conducted to provide the conversion factors for each representative 8 crop through a field cultivation study. Also conversion factors for 18 crops were calculated using the average amount of each crop produced during 2004 and 2008, subsequently; total amount of agricultural wastes generated in 2009 was estimated using these conversion factors. The total biomass of rice straw and rice husk generated in 2009 were 6.5 and 1.1 million tons, respectively, which consist 75% of the total agricultural based wastes, while the total biomass of pepper shoots and apple pruning twigs were 1.0 and 0.6 million tons, respectively. Despite the high amount of rice-based biomass, their applicability for bio-energy production is low due to conventional utilization of these materials for animal feeds and beds for animal husbandry. In addition to exact estimation of the total biomass, temporal variations in both generated amount and the type of agricultural biomass materials are also important for efficient utilization; fruit pruning twigs (January to March); barley-, been-, and mustard-related waste materials (April to June); rice-related waste (September to October). CONCLUSION(s): Such information provided in this study can be used to establish a master plan for efficient utilization of the agricultural wastes on purpose of bio-energy production.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.69 no.1
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• pp.34-48
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• 2024

The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of biodegradable mulching films in soybean (Glycine max) cultivation by measuring their effects on crop growth and yield, film decomposition and soil chemical and physical properties. In 2022 and 2023, plant height, branch number, chlorophyll contents, yield components, and yield of soybean did not vary significantly in areas using PE films and biodegradable mulching films. The light transmission rate of the biodegradable mulching films ranged from 6.4 to 15.8% when measured 112 days after soybean transplanting, and was higher, on average, in 2023 than in 2022. In both years, degradation of the biodegradable mulching films began 20 days after soybean transplantation and increased over time. In addition, remains of biodegradable mulching films were present in fields at soybean harvest and remained until 50 days after harvest. Decomposition rates of the biodegradable mulching films at 112 days after soybean transplanting ranged from 9.8 to 26.7% in 2022 and 13 to 36% in 2023. Although soil pH and EC varied based on the year and timing of measurements, there was no significant difference between areas that used biodegradable mulching films and PE films. Soil organic matter, nitrate and exchangeable cation contents such as Ca, Mg, and K were not significantly different in areas that used both PE films and biodegradable films. However, significantly higher levels of available phosphoric acid content were measured in areas that used biodegradable mulch films E, S, and T. Regardless of which films were used, there were no significant differences in the soil's physical properties. In 2022 and 2023, there was no difference between areas that used biodegradable mulch films and PE films. However, soil temperature in mulched areas was 2℃ higher and soil moisture was 5-15% higher than in non-mulched areas. Barley growth was not affected by being planted in soil that had been used for soybean cultivation with biodegradable films. Therefore, the biodegradable mulch films used in this study can be used without negatively affecting the growth, yield, and soil environment of soybeans.