• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.392-401
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• 2023

Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most important crops, along with wheat and rice, with a global corn production expected to reach 1,154.5 million tons in 2023. Considering this grain production, The generation of corn cob is expected to reach approximately 207.8 million tons in 2023. However, as an agricultural by-product, corn cobs are often considered waste and remain underutilized. Phytosterols, which are abundant in vegetable oils such as corn oil, provide a number of health benefits, including liver health, cholesterol reduction, and protection against chronic diseases such as diabetes. In this study, we investigated the potential of Kwangpyeongok ears, which are commonly used as grain and silage corn in Korea. We also examined the variation in phytosterol content with the maturity of corn ears to identify the optimal time for utilization. At the beginning of physiological maturity, corn cobs had 113.3 mg/100g DW of total phytosterols, which was highest phytosterol abundance during the growth stage. Corn kernels also had the highest phytosterol content at the beginning of physiological maturity. While previous studies on corn bioactive compounds have mainly focused on the kernels, the results of this study highlight that cobs are an excellent source of these compounds. Furthermore, phytosterol levels were influenced by genetic factors and developmental stages, suggesting the to increase the use of cobs as a source of bioactive compounds.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.88 no.4
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• pp.510-522
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• 1999

The air pollutants ; $SO_2$, $SO{_4}^{-2}$, $NO{_3}^-$, $Cl^-$ are absorbed into soils through falling with dusts and rain from the atmosphere. The sources of heavy metal contaminants in the environments are agricultural and horticultural materials, sewage sludges, fossil fuel combustion, metallurgical industries, electronics and waste disposal etc.. The soils and hydrosphere can be polluted on the way of the circulation of these heavy metals. Studied pollutant anions are $SO{_4}^{-2}$, $NO{_3}^-$ and $Cl^-$ and heavy metals are Se, Mo, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mn, Cr, Co, V, As, Cu and Ni which are the elements to be concerned with the essentials for plants, with animal and human health. This study is with the aim of selecting the species of roadside trees and green space trees which have excellent absorption of air pollutants and heavy metals from the atmosphere and the soils in the urban area. Two areas are designated to carry out this study : urban area ; Kwangju city and rural area ; the yard of Forest Environment Institute of Chollanam-do, at Sanje-ri, Sampo-myum, Naju city, Chollanam-do (23km away from Kwangju). This study is carried out to understand the movement of anions and heavy metals from the soils to the trees in both areas, the absorption of anions and heavy metals from atmosphere into leaves and the amounts of anions and heavy metals in leaves and fine roots(< 1mm dia.) of roadside trees and green space trees in Kwangju and trees in the yard of Forest Environment Institute of Chollanam-do. The tree species selected for this study in both areas are Ginkgo biloba, Quercus acutissima, Cedrus deodara, Platanus occidentalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Alnus japonica. Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Zekova serrata. Prunus serrulata var. spontanea, and Pinus densiflora. The results of the study are as follows : 1. $SO{_4}^{-2}$, $NO{_3}^-$ and $Cl^-$ concentrations are higher in the soils of the urban area than in those of the rural area, and $NO{_3}^-$ and $SO{_4}^{-2}$ are higher in the leaves than in the roots due to the absorption of the these pollutants through the stomata. 2. Ginkgo biloba, Robinia pseudoacacia. Zekova serrata, Quercus acutissima, and Platanus occidentalis can be adequated to the roadside trees and the environmental trees due to their good absorption of $NO{_3}^-$ and $SO{_4}^{-2}$. 3. Heavy metals in the soils of both areas are in the order of Mn > Zn > V > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > Mo> Cd, and in the leaves and roots of the trees in the both areas are in the order of Mn>Zn>Cr>Cu>V>Ni. Both orders are similar ones except V. There are more in the urban soils than in the rural soils in amount of Mn, Zn, Pb, V, Cu. 4. It is supposed that there is no antagonism between Mn and Zn in this study. 5. Se, Co and As are not detected in the soils, the leaves and the roots in both areas. Sn, Mo, Cd and Pb are also not detected in the leaves and roots in spite of considerable amount in the soils of both areas.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.731-742
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• 2014

In the current study, we investigated effects of a combination of earthworm casting, environment-friendly by-product fertilizer, and cultivation soil of Gymnocalycium mihanovichii in a heavy fertilizing culture on diameter, height, numbers of tubercles, and chemical properties of soil thereby elucidating optimal mixture ratio for securing production as well as providing nutrients throughout cultivation period. The Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var 'Ihong', one of grafted cactus for export (Rootstock: 9 cm, Scion: $1.5{\times}1.3cm$ grafted cactus) was cultured in plastic houses of Agricultural Technology Center located in Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul from June, 2013 through December, 2013. For the control group, a mixture of sand and fertilizer (50:50) was used as this ratio is widely utilized in farmhouses. In contrast, a variety mixtures of sand and earthworm casting that was produced with food wastes was compared; the mixture ratios were 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100 and pH for these mixtures were found to be similar each other (ranging between 7.1 and 7.4) which is in an appropriate range (pH 6.5-7.5) for cultivation of G. mihanovichii. The organic content was increasing along with increasing contents of earthworm casting ratio while it was lower than the treatment practice group (32-43 mg/kg vs. 55 mg/kg). The content of exchangeable cation was also increasing as the ratio of earthworm casting was elevated; although levels of $K^+$, $Na^+$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were lower than the treatment practice group, the level of $Ca^{2+}$ was higher ($9.1cmol^+/kg$ and $11.5-33.7cmol^+/kg$ in the treatment practice group and the earthworm casting group, respectively). Three months after grafting, diameters of G. mihanovichii were compared with the control group; consequently, there was a significant difference noted in between the earthworm casting group and the control group (31.39 mm vs. 32.46-37.59 mm). After 5 months, growth characteristics of G. mihanovichii were evaluated. Similarly, the diameter of G. mihanovichii was significantly increasing in the group with higher ratio of earthworm casting treatment (32.63 mm vs. 32.49-37.59 mm). The height of tubercles was 2.63 mm in the control group while it was significantly elevating along with the ratio of earthworm casting mixture. The more numbers of tubercles, the more incomes for farm-houses; as results, higher mixture ration of earthworm casting resulted more numbers of tubercles compared to the control group (2.7 vs. 3.2-8.3 ea). In particular, in the earthworm casting groups with 80% and 100% ratios, the numbers of tubercles were 6.2 and 8.3 ea, respectively, which is 2.5 times more than those of the control group. These results indicate that earthworm casting treatment may be utilized in G. mihanovichii farming houses for short term production of tubercles. In the group with 40% and 60% of earthworm casting mixture, the numbers of tubercles were found to be 4.5 and 4.8 ea, respectively which is higher than the control group as well; in these groups, there were no issues with soil drainage as well as moss formation. Given the analysis results of growth characteristics of G. mihanovichii, it was concluded that 40% and 60% of earthworm casting mixture might be the optimal ratios.