• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.461-468
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• 2001

Impact between fruits and other materials is a major cause of product damage in harvesting and handling systems. The oriental pears are more susceptible to bruising than other fruits such as European pears and apples, and are required more careful handling. The interest in the handling of the pears for the processing systems has raised the question of the allowable drop height to which pears can be dropped without causing objectionable damage. Drop tests on pears were conducted using an impact device developed by authors to estimate the allowable drop height without bruising. The impact device was constructed to hold in a selected orientation and to release a fruit by vacuum for dropping on to a force transducer. The drop height was adjustable for zero to 60 cm to achieve the desired distance between the bottom of the fruits and the top of the impact force transducer. The transducer was secured to 150 kg$\sub$f/ concrete block. The transducer signal was sampled every 0.17 ms with a strain gage measurement board in the micro computer where it was digitaly stored for later analysis. The selected sample fruit was Niitaka cultivar of pears which is one of the most promising fruit for export in Korea. The pears were harvested during the 1998 harvest season from an orchard in Daejeon. The sample fruit was selected from two groups which were stored for 3 months and 5 months respectively by the method of current commercial practice. The pears were allowed to stabilize at environmental condition(18$^{\circ}C$, 65% rh) of the experimental room. One hundred fifty six pears were tested from the heights of 5, 7.5. 10 and 12.5 cm while measurement were made of impact peak force, contact time, time to peak force, dwell time, pear diameter and mass. The bioyield strength and modulus of elasticity were measured using UTM immediately after each drop test. The allowable drop height was estimated on the base of bioyield strength of the pears in two ways. One was assumed the peak force during impact test increasing linearly with time, and the other was based on the actual drop test results. The computer program was developed for measuring the impact characteristics of the pears and analyzing the data obtained in the study. The peak force increased while contact times decreased with increasing drop height and contact times of the sample from the hard tissue group. The allowable drop height increased with increasing bioyield strength and contact times, and also varied with Poisson\`s ratio, mass and equilibrium radius of the pears. The allowable drop height calculated by a theoretical method was in the range from 1 to 4 cm, meanwhile, the estimated drop height considering the result of the impact test was in the range from 1 to 6 cm. Since the physical properties of fruits affected significantly the allowable drop height, the physical properties of the fruits should be considered when estimating the allowable drop height.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.215-221
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• 2016

This study examined the effects of delayed harvest of Miscanthus on its biomass yield and growth characteristics. The trial was conducted at a 5-year-old demonstration field, using Miscanthus sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 and Miscanthus ${\times}$ giganteus. Harvesting was carried out using a mower, baler, and bale picker driven by a 5-ton tractor. Harvesting dates were the $1^{st}$, $10^{th}$, and $17^{th}$ of April, which respectively corresponded with the first, mid, and last emerging dates of new shoots. The sequential changes in stem number due to delayed harvesting were investigated on April $29^{th}$, May $27^{th}$, July $22^{nd}$, and October $30^{th}$, which corresponded to the juvenile, mid, luxuriant, and senescence stem stages, respectively. Soil penetration resistance, biomass yield, and growth characteristics were investigated on October $30^{th}$. There was no difference in soil penetration resistance at a depth of 10 cm, but it increased at a depth of 20 cm in proportion to the delayed harvesting time. The sequential change in stem number due to delayed harvesting was greater in M. sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 than in M. ${\times}$ giganteus. In M. sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1, which was harvested on the last emerging date of new shoots, the stem number was $169/m^2$ in the mid stage but decreased to $70/m^2$ in the luxuriant stage. The diameter of newly developed rhizomes, stem height, and biomass yield decreased in the two Miscanthus species due to delayed harvesting. The ratio of Miscanthus headings, which is a critical characteristic for landscape use, also decreased due to delayed harvesting. Heading of M. sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 was not observed in plots harvested on the mid and last emerging dates of new shoots.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2021

Cutting management has been identified as a critical factor in the alfalfa production systems because it has a significant impact on maximizing yield and maintaining the forage quality. The objective of this experiment was to determine the proper cutting height according to harvesting time for optimizing nutrient yield and forage nutritive quality of alfalfa grown in alpine regions of Korea. Alfalfa was sown at a seeding rate of 30 kg/ha in August 2018 and harvested at four cuttings in 2019 (3 May, 2 July, 11 September, and 13 October). Cutting heights were adjusted at 5, 15, and 25 cm above the soil surface. Alfalfa plant was tallest at the third cutting (109 cm), which was on average 35 cm taller than the first or second cutting. Relative feed value (RFV) remained unaffected by cutting height at the first harvest, but increased consistently in subsequent harvests as cutting height increased. Alfalfa collected at the first and fourth cuttings had the highest RFV (mean 152), which was on average 8 and 67 units higher than the second and third harvests, respectively. At each harvest, in vitro dry matter digestibility was highest in alfalfa cut at a 25-cm height. Dry matter (DM) production at each cutting height was highest in the first cutting, accounting for on average 36-37% of total annual DM production, and lowest in the fourth harvest, accounting for about 11-13% of the total DM yield. The total dry matter production (in four harvests) was 4,218 kg/ha higher when alfalfa was subjected to a cutting height of 5 cm rather than 25 cm. Cutting height had no effect on total crude protein yield, but from the first to fourth cutting, the protein yield followed a decreasing trend. Finally, there were visible declines in forage nutritive quality when alfalfa was cut at a shorter height. However, the magnitude of difference in total forage yield may outweigh the slight decline in forage quality when alfalfa is cut at a lower height. The findings of this study could help the alfalfa growers make better harvest management decisions.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 1976

This study was conducted to test the harvesting operation of two kinds of rice varieties such as Milyang #15 and Tong-il with a imported two furrow Japanese combine and was performed to find out the operational accuracy of it, the adaptability of this machine, and the feasibility of supplying this machine to rural area in Korea. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows; 1. The harvesting test of the Milyang #15 was carried out 5 times from the optimum harvesting operation was good regardless of its maturity. The field grain loss ratio and the rate of unthreshed paddy were all about 1 percent. 2. The field grain loss of Tong-il harvested was increased from 5.13% to 10.34% along its maturity as shown in Fig 1. In considering this, it was needed that the combine mechanism should be improved mechanically for harvesting of Tong-il rice variety. 3. The rate of unthreshed paddy of Tong-il rice variety of which stem was short was average 1.6 percent, because the sample combine used in this study was developed on basisof the long stem variety in Japan, therefore some ears owing to the uneven stem of Tong-il rice could nat reach the teeth of the threshing drum. 4. The cracking rates of brown rice depending mostly upon the revolution speed of the threshing drum(240-350 rpm) in harvesting of Tong-il and Milyang #15 were all below 1 percent, and there was no significance between two varieties. 5. Since the ears of Tong-il rice variety covered with its leaves, a lots of trashes was produced, especially when threshed in raw materials, and the cleaning and the trashout mechanisms were clogged with those trashes very often, and so these two mechanisms were needed for being improved. 6. The sample combine of which track pressure was $0.19kg/cm^2$ could drive on the soft ground of which sinking was even 25cm as shown in Fig 3. But in considering the reaping height adjustment, 5cm sinking may be afford to drive the combine on the irregular sinking level ground without any readjustment of the resaping height. 7. The harvesting expenses per ha. by the sample combine of which annual coverage area is 4.7 ha. under conditions that the yearly workable days is 40, percentage of days being good for harvesting operation is 60%, field efficiency is 56%, working speed is 0.273m/sec, and daily workable hours is 8 hrs is reasonable to spread this combine to rural area in Korea, comparing to the expenses by the conventional harvesting expenses, if mechanical improvement is supplemented so as to harvest Tong-il rice. 8. In order to harvest Tong-il rice, the two furrow combine should be needed some mechanical improvements that divider can control not to touch ears of paddy, the space between the feeding chain and the thrshing drum is reduced, trash treatment apparatus must be improved, fore and rear adjust-interval is enlarged, and width of track must be enlarged so as to drive on the soft ground.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.344-350
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• 2011

Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) is a potentially useful perennial legume because of its excellent nutritive value and persistence under environmental extremes. However, information about forage quality of kura clover - grass mixtures adapted to the North-Central USA is limited. Objectives of this research were to determine forage nutritional value of kura clover-grass mixtures under different harvest frequency and cutting height regimes. 'Rhizo' kura clover was grown alone and in binary mixtures with 'Park' Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), 'Comet' orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), and 'Badger' smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station located near Madison, WI. Three harvest frequencies ($3{\times}$, $4{\times}$, or $5{\times}$ annually) and two cutting heights (4- or 10-cm) were imposed on each binary mixture and on kura clover grown alone. Higher nutritive value was observed in the binary mixtures with more frequent harvest and lower cutting height. Averaged over 3 years and all harvest frequency and cutting height treatments, the nutritive value of the Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass mixtures was superior to that of the orchardgrass mixture ($410\;g\;kg^{-1}$ NDF and $194\;g\;kg^{-1}$ CP in the Kentucky bluegrass mixture; $405\;g\;kg^{-1}$ NDF and $188\;g\;kg^{-1}$ CP in the smooth bromegrass mixture; $435\;g\;kg^{-1}$ NDF and $175\;g\;kg^{-1}$ CP in the orchardgrass mixture). All of the mixtures and harvest management systems evaluated in this study produced forage with quality equivalent to "grade one" alfalfa hay and suitable for highproducing livestock, even though the highest quality was observed in the Kentucky bluegrass mixture with $5{\times}$ harvesting at the shorter cutting height.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 1999

This study was carried out to examine the effect of polyethylene film color and removing time of the mulching film in yacon (Polymnia sonchiiolia Poepp. & Endl.). The plant height on nonmulching was smaller about 10 cm or larger with 112cm than on other mulches ranged with $134{\sim}139$ cm at harvesting, and other characters examined were similar to that of plant height. The weight of tuberous root per plant was heavier on mulches ranged with $0.79{\sim}0.91$ kg than on non-mulching with 0.61 kg. Among the kind of mulches, plant height was the tallest with 139 cm in combination and declined in order of transparent, green and black polyethylene films. Yields among colored polyethylene films were the heaviest with 0.91 kg per plant in combination, 0.88 kg in black and 0.84 kg in green. In growth and yield full mulching untill harvesting was more effective than the other removed mulching treatments. It was effected on growth promotion at early growth stage, soil temperature and water preservation.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.320-324
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mechanical stimulation and growth regulators known to control overgrowth in hot temperature tomato transplants on the seedling quality and the growth and yield after planting. Brushing and impedance were applied as mechanical stimulation, and diniconazole and hexaconazole as chemical growth regulator were used in various ways at different concentrations and treatment times. Diniconazole treatment regardless of concentration and treatment times reduced plant height, leaf area and fresh weight of young plant. Though treatments of high concentration and many times reduced the yield of tomato after planting, these of proper amount and proper times maintained the level of control. Hexaconazole treatment controlled less plant height of transplants than diniconazole, and its effect also didn't support continuously after planting. However, hexaconazole treatment reduced the yield due to little fruit number and malformed plants, and also delayed the harvesting time as compared to the control. Both brushing and impedance controlled plant height of transplants. However, impedance treatment reduced the yield due to malformed plants after planting, and also delayed the harvesting time, while brushing treatment didn't reduced growth and yield as compared to the control. From the above results, it was thought that proper application of brushing and diniconazole can control excessive overgrowth without reducing yield.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2001

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of shading treatments and harvesting methods on the growth of Eleutherococcus senticosus, which was known as the medicine of anticancer, anti-stress, hepatic detoxification activity, immunoactivity, and tonic. Light transmission ratio and air temperature were decreased as $40{\sim}64%$,$1.9{\sim}2^{\circ}C$, respectively, in 30% to 70% shading net treatment compared to non-shading. Fifty percentage shading net treatment was effective for the growth and yield of Eleutherococcus senticosus. During summer Eleutherococcus senticosus was growing under shading net treatment compared to non-shading. Tunnel type was more effective for growth than vertical type in shading method. 30cm length included 2 to 3 nodes cutting from soil surface was the most effective for branching stem length, plant height and yield as harvesting methods.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.454-462
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• 2014

This study was carried out to determine the effect of tree height on light transmission, spray penetration, tree growth performance, fruit quality attributes, and labor productivity in the slender-spindle system of 'Hongro'/M.9 apple trees. With increasing tree height, the light penetration into the internal parts of the canopy decreased, especially in the lower canopy. Leaf area index (LAI) increased with increasing tree height, thereby leading to a reduction in the extent of spray penetration into the interior of the canopy. With increasing tree height, shoot growth was more vigorous but produced slender shoots in the upper canopy compared to the lower canopy. Although the soluble solid content and coloration of fruit decreased, there was no difference in fruit firmness and acidity. In addition, the number of final fruit set increased, although the production of large fruit (> 305 g) decreased. The increase in tree height also significantly increased the labor required for practices such as thinning of flowers and fruits, pruning, and harvesting. Nevertheless, this problem of increased in labor input in taller trees would was eased by use of a mechanical lift. Utilizing a lift for thinning the flowers of trees 4.5 m in height saved 14.6 min per tree, compared to the use of ladder. Therefore, it is highly considerable that in order to enhance light transmission and fruit coloration, light conditions should be improved in the internal tree canopy of slender-spindle systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.74 no.1
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• pp.82-87
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• 1986

Noticed that large number of the Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis S. et Z.) has lost its typical excurrent tree from by removal of apical shoot in the process of cone harvesting, the investigation and analysis for the species were made on the basis of the relationship among DBH, total height, merchantable height, and merchantable volume, compared with normally grown Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis Gordon). One hundred sample trees for each species were selected in the same aged stands for the study. Results have indicated that the pine has shown abnormal height growth pattern mainly by the disturbance of external artificial force. The pine's forked and/or crooked stems by the reason lave led the result of less merchantable volume in the same DBH classes. Consequently, the pine would have undesirable tree form in terms of timber production, unless free from apical shoot disturbances. Considered to the merit of the Korean white pine that can produce timber and pine nuts, management alternatives for the pine stand were suggested to achieve maximum rate of return for the silvicultural investment.