• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2010

Objective of this research was to investigate the influence of $NH_4^+$ and $NO_3^-$ ratios in liquid feeding on the growth of snapdragon 'Potomac Red' and changes in medium chemical properties. The seeds were sown into 200 plug trays and fertigated once a week with nutrient solution containing various ratios of $NH_4^+$ and $NO_3^-$ such as 0 : 100, 27 : 73, 50 : 50, 73 : 27, and 100 : 0. The total N concentrations were adjusted to 50, 100 and $150\;mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ in plug stages of 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Determination of seedling growth and analysis of plant tissue and root medum were conducted at 56 days after sowing. The treatment of 27 : 73 ($NH_4^+:NO_3^-$) had the greatest plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight. The N and P contents in 27 : 73 ($NH_4^+:NO_3^-$) treatment based on the above ground plant tissues were 2.39 and 0.39%, respectively, which were the greatest among treatments. The elevation of $NH_4^+$ ratio in fertigation solution decreased tissue Ca and Mg contents, but that did not influence tissue K content. The variations in $NH_4^+:NO_3^-$ ratios impacted the soil solution pH and the difference among treatments had been severe since three weeks after sowing. Elevation of $NH_4^+$ ratios in fertigation solution increased electrical conductivity and concentrations of K, Ca, and Mg in soil solution of root medum. The $NH_4^+$ and $NO_3^-$ concentrations in the soil solution were high in weeks 2, 3, and 4, then decreased gradually as the biomass of seedlings increased. Medium P concentration decreased gradually as seedlings grew, but statistical differences were not observed among treatments.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 2023

Codonopsis lanceolata (S. et Z.) Trautv. is mainly cultivated in Korea and China as a medicinal crop. C. lanceolata is difficult to produce plug seedlings in the summer, because C. lanceolata has a low germination rate and is vulnerable to high temperatures. Cold treatment is effective in breaking dormancy of seeds and increasing the germination rate. Shading cultivation can control the solar irradiance received by plants and reduce the damage by high temperatures and strong light. This study was conducted to examine the appropriate cold treatment period for the improving germination of C. lanceolata, and shading level during the summer seedling period. Cold treatment experiments were conducted for 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks at 4℃ before sowing. In the shading experiment, C. lanceolata was grown for 45 days with 0 (non-treatment), 45, 75% shading levels. Cold treatment for one week significantly improved the germination energy. The plant height, leaf area, and fresh and dry weights of C. lanceolata seedlings were significantly increased under the 45% shading level. Total root length, root surface area, and the number of root tips were significantly higher in shading treatment (45 and 75%) than in non-treatment. The C. lanceolata seedling's compactness and Dickson's quality index were the highest at 45% shading level. Therefore, these results recommended sowing C. lanceolata after cold treatment for one week at 4℃, and 45% shading level could stably culture C. lanceolata plug seedlings during the high temperature period.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.68-71
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• 2003

Experiments were conducted to investigate optimal ionic salt strength in nutrient solution for small plug seedlings of ‘Nokgwang’ and ‘Kwari’ green pepper. Plant height increased with increasing ionic salt strength. total leaf area was 72％ greater in ‘Nokgwang’ and 18% greater in ‘Kwari’with 2.0 ionic salt strength than that with 1.0 strength. Dry weight per plant tended to increase at higher ionic salt strengths in ‘Kwari’, but to decrease in ‘Nokgwang’ Chlorophyll content increased with increasing ionic salt strength in both cultivars. Photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were higher for plants fertilized with 1.5 strength than other strengths in both cultivars. Photosynthetic rate peaked at 8.74 $\mu$mol$.$m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in ‘Nokgwang’ and 5.70 $\mu$mol$.$m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in‘Kwari’with 1.5 ionic salt strength.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.508-512
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• 2000

Growth of red pepper (Capsicum annuum) 'Kumtap', tomato (Lycoperisocon esculentum) 'Seokwang', petunia (Petunia hybrida) 'Madness Rose', and pansy (Viola tricolor) 'Magestic Giant' in mixtures of chestnut woodchips and granular rockwool at 25:75, 50:50, or 75:25 (v/v) was examined. Chestnut woodchips were soaked in water for 48 hours or aged in open field for 6 months in order to remove substances impeding plant growth. A commercial plug medium was used as the control. All treatments showed in a similar result in red pepper, petunia, and pansy. Plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, and chlorophyll content in media containing chestnut woodchips, especially in higher proportions, were poorer as compared to those in the control. On the contrary, height, fresh weight, and dry weight of tomato seedlings in media containing woodchips were significantly higher than those in the control. For petunia, pansy, and red pepper, six month ageing in open field of woodchips was more favorable for growth than 48 hour water soaking. Emergance of petunia seed was inferior, especially when woodchip content was higher, to the other crops with a resultant growth suppression. From the results, chestnut woodchips proved to be a practical material as a medium component only in tomato plants.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.147-152
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• 2003

This study was conducted to analyze the energy balance in closed transplants production system (CTPS) for the production of high quality transplants. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Dejima) plug seedlings were grown for 15 days at air temperature of 20$^{\circ}C$, relative humidity of 70%, photoperiod of 16/8 h, and photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of 200 ${\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$ following 5 days of tooting in CTPS. Electric energy consumption was 46% for lighting, 35% for cooling, 16% for heating, 2% for air circulation, and 1% for humidifying. The electric energy utilization efficiency and the short-wave energy utilization efficiency were 0.5% and 5.4%, respectively. These results suggest that CTPS has the feasibility for the commercial production of potato plug seedlings if the electric energy consumption in CTPS is reduced and the electric energy utilization efficiency is increased.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 2017

Purpose: We have studied the necessary qualities of seedlings of some leafy vegetables for a riding-type two-row automatic transplanter. When seedlings are planted using a transplanter, long roots may be rounded in the bottom of the tray, and this can interfere with the separation of the seedlings. Uprightness related to leaf spread angle is an important quality for seedlings in mechanical planting. Methods: To select cultivars suitable for the transplanter, we compared varieties of Kimchi cabbage (Chukwang, Daetong, Whipalam and Namdo), head lettuce (Abi and Sensation), cabbage (YR Onnuri, YR Hogel, Harutama, and Ogane), and broccoli (Nicegreen and Earlyyou). To compare the effect of bed soil on root formation and growth, we used five types of soil: Chologi, Burger, Wonjomix, Bio, and Baroker with 2.6-3 L per tray. Growth increment and the degree of root formation were measured according to the RDA guidelines 25 days after sowing for Kimchi cabbage and head lettuce and 44 days after sowing for cabbage and broccoli. Conclusions: According to the plug tray, the optimum seedling age in both 128- and 200-hole trays was 28 days for Kimchi cabbage and 44 days for cabbage and broccoli. Head lettuce took 35 days in 128-hole trays and 31 days in 200-hole trays. Burger soil was most effective for root formation and growth of the four kinds of leafy vegetables; it appeared that smaller soil volume led to faster root formation.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.64-67
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• 2003

Clubroot disease of Chinese cabbage has extremely occurred in recent years. Conventional soils such as sandy loam soil (saprolite) and clay soil (yellow soil) as bed media combined with field soil application of fungicidal chemicals were tested for the control of clubroot disease. Using sandy loam soil and clay soil as plug seedling bed media efficiently reduced clubroot disease occurrence down to 21.7% and 14.1%, respectively compared to peatmoss (75.7%) and Baroco soil (36.6%) when seedling plants were transplanted into previously-infected Yoncheon field. Application of flusulfamide and azoxystrobin to previsouly-infected soil prior to transplanting also effectively reduced disease incidence, especially when combined with growing seedlings in sandy loam or clay soil media. In conclusion, flusulfamide application prior to trnasplanting as well as utiliz-ing sandy loam and clay soil as a plug bedding media may effectively reduce the occurrence of clubroot dis-ease of Chinese cabbage.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.181-186
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• 2021

The research was aimed to improve pre-harvest methods to maintain marketability in postharvest coniferous lettuce. Non-woven pots or plug plates were used to generate seedlings. No difference was found in growth characteristics of lettuce grown in non-woven pots vs plug plates. Since, seedling method with non-woven pots was convenient, lettuce harvested from non-woven pots used for water dipping treatment. The quality parameters, such as fresh weight loss, SPAD value, and appearance of lettuce were investigated after harvest. The lettuce with dipping treatment inside the plastic box container showed lower weight loss, higher SPAD value and better appearance compared to those exposed to the control (non-packaging) during the storage at 2℃. The treated plant showed higher SPAD and hue angle values 21.9 and 113.8°, respectively, compared to that of 18.8 and 108.3°, in non-treated plants. Therefore, it seems that the water dipping treatment is effective for storage method to maintain freshness of the lettuce. We showed the non-woven pot growing as a convenient seedling method for packaging treatment. Further studies will be continued to improve freshness postharvest of other horticultural crops.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.783-786
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• 2000

This study was carried out to examine the effect of root-zone temperatures on seedling growth, mineral contents and antioxidative enzyme activities of grafted watermelon. The grafted watermelon seedlings were grown in greenhouse bed for 20 days at root-zone day temperatures of 10, 15, $25^{\circ}C$ while night temperature was maintained at $10^{\circ}C$. Growth such as shoot height, leaf length, leaf number, stem diameter, and fresh and dry weights increased as increasing root-zone temperatures, and leaf area with $25^{\circ}C$($52.79mm^2$) was two times that of control($21.50mm^2$). As increasing the root-zone temperatures, Mn, Ca, Fe contents increased, K, P, Mg were non significant, and Na decreased. The activities of ascorbate peroxidase(APX) and guaiacol peroxidase(GPX) known as antioxidative enzyme were higher at $10^{\circ}C$ than $25^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.26-29
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• 2003

Experiments were conducted to estimate optimal potassium strength in the nutrient solution for ‘Nokgwang’and‘Kwari’green pepper seedlings cultured in small plug-cell trays. Plant height, stem diameter, and leaf area increased with increasing K concentration, with greater effect on ‘Kwari’ than ‘Nokgwang’. Total dry weight increased by increasing potassium strength.‘Kwari’had heavier dry weight than ‘Nokgwang’Chlorophyll content differed by cultivars and potassium strength. The highest chlorophyll content was obtained at 2.0 strength potassium in‘Nokgwang’, but not in‘Kwari’Net photosynthesis was greater in plants fertilized with 1.5 strength potassium for‘Nokgwang’and 2.0 strength potassium for ‘Kwari’than the other treatments.