• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.192-198
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• 2004

The heavy dependence of modern science-based agriculture on chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, and heavy machinery gave rise to questions about long-term sustainability of agriculture in relation to degradation of soil quality. The research achievements and trends in developing soil quality indicators were introduced and discussed in this report. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) established 13 agri-environment indicators including soil quality indicator in 1994, collected the soil data and methodologies for development of soil quality indicators in OECD member countries responded to OECD questionnaires and published the OECD reports, Environmental Indicators for Agriculture Volume 1, 2, and 3. Leading countries such as USA, Canada and New Zealand collected national data and evaluated the data in aspect of soil quality. They developed the various methods for selecting a minimum data set (MDS), scoring the soil properties and calculating soil quality index integrating the score of each soil property.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2017

Soil quality has been regarded as an important factor for maintaining sustainability of ecosystem. Main purpose of this research was i) to select minimum factor for predicting biomass, and ii) to calculate soil quality index for biomass according to soil chemical properties. Result showed that soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and available phosphorus are minimum data set for calculating biomass production in soil. Selected representative soil chemical properties were evaluated for soil quality index and rated from 1 to 5 (1 is the best for biomass production). Percentage of each grade in terms of biomass production in national wide was 14.52, 35.23, 33.03, 6.47, 10.75% respectively. Although, only soil chemical properties were evaluated for calculating optimum soil quality, result of this research can be useful to understand basic protocol of soil quality assessment in national wide.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.357-364
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• 2004

Modern agriculture depending on chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides gave rise to questions about long-term sustainability of agriculture in relation to degradation of soil quality. Improving soil quality is prerequisite to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health. Assessment and monitoring of the health and quality of soil is necessary to provide opportunity to evaluate and redesign soil management system for sustainability. To develop the soil quality assessment method, we collected national data on soil properties of paddy and upland and attempted to evaluate the data in aspect of soil quality by the process of selecting a minimum data set (MDS), scoring the soil properties and calculating soil quality index (SQI) integrating the score of each soil property. This approximation indicated that soil quality index was in the order of paddy soil, upland soil and plastic film house soil.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 1999

To assess the soil quality of Chonan City, soil analyses were conducted according to the 14 different sampling sites. The soil pH of the agricultural area near the expressway was lower than that of the other farming area, which indicated that this acidification was probably attributed to the acid rain caused by the traffic exhaust gas such as SOx and NOx. Acidification was more severe in the dry farming area than in the rice paddy area. All concentration of 6 different heavy metals (As, Cu, Cd, $Cr^{6+}$, Hg, Pb) and organic contaminants (cyanide, organic-p, PCBs, phenols) were found to be lower than the standard of soil pollution. The concentration of BTEX also lower than the standard of soil pollution. An assessment using the SPI (Soil Pollution Index). which was developed to estimate an overall soil quality, was performed. Each SPC (Soil Pollution Score) were evaluated with the results of the data from this study. The soil quality of most area of Chonan City was determined to Class 1 , which indicated that the soil was healthy.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.502-505
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• 2007

To estimate the soil quality of Miryang area, soil analysis were conducted according to the city and out of city of soil expenses at according to analysis components and heavy metal pollution of irradiation sampling sites. The through soil components the principal element about the 71% $SiO_2\;and\;Al_2O_3$, the pH of field area near the city center was lower than that of the other field area, which indicated that this acidification was probably attributed to the acid rain caused by the traffic exhaust gas such as $SO_x\;and\;NO_x$. Acidification was more severe in the field area than in the farming land. The concentration of five heavy metals such as Cu, Cd, Pb, As and Cr were found to be lower than the standard of soil pollution. An assessment using the SPI(Soil Pollution Index), which was developed to estimate an overall soil quality, was performed. Each SPS(Soil Pollution Score) were evaluated with the results of the data from this study. The soil quality of most area of Miryang land was determined to Class 1, which indicated that the soil was healthy.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.572-576
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• 2016

Soil quality assessment is an important tool for environmental management in an agricultural field. It can be used to evaluate the health of the soils and to establish the basis for sustainable urban agriculture and soil management. For this study, the chemical properties of the soils used for urban agriculture were examined. Results of the soil analysis for chemical properties were applied to soil quality assessment system, which is composed of principal component analysis, application to scoring function and derivation of soil quality index (SQI). Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (T-N) were determined for minimum data set (MDS) according to principal component analysis. Based on the results of scoring for four indicators (pH, EC, OM, T-N), soil pH was the indicator that needs the most urgent management. Results of SQI derivation showed that many of the urban farms appeared to be insufficient score in comprehensive soil quality assessment. In conclusion, soil management practices based on scores derived from soil chemical indicators need to be carried out to maintain sustainable urban agricultural soil environment and to provide easy-to-understand information to urban farmers.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.635-643
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• 2016

Wine consumers desire to drink a high quality wine. For producing high quality wine, high quality soil is required. Conventionally, soil quality is assessed qualitatively. Using traditional laboratory methods, quantitative data can be obtained for management purpose, but it is time consuming and expensive. Therefore, new technology aims to address these limitations, namely portable X-Ray fluorescence spectrometers (pXRF). This instrument can be used directly in the field, requires no soil sample preparations, and can simultaneously measure a wide range of elements qualitatively that are useful for pedological studies. The chemical composition (Ca, Fe, Ti and Zr) of soils at Tallavera Grove vineyard in New South Wales, Australia, was studied using a pXRF. The analysis of the soil's elemental concentration (i.e. Ca and Fe) using pXRF supports management decisions. Measuring the soil's Ca concentration can be used to identify Ca-rich parent materials (limestone). The limestone indicates good soil conditions for vine production. Fe content was used to identify areas of texture-contrast soils or soil with accumulation of clays in the B horizon. In addition, a soil weathering index was calculated using elemental concentrations (i.e. Ti and Zr) to explore the history of soil formation for making decision of management. This index showed that the soil in the vineyard was affected by two processes: the deposition of materials from elsewhere (Aeolian transport or soil erosion) and mixing of materials from upslope.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.127-145
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• 1998

Unlike water or air quality standards that have been established by legislation using potential human health impact as the primary criterion, soil quality depends on the soils primary function and its relevant environmental factors, which is much more site- and soil specific. A properly characterized soil quality assessment system should serve as an indicator of the soil capacity to produce safe and nutritious food, to enhance human and animal health, and to overcome degrative processes. For our proposed example, a high quality soil with regard to maintaining an adequate soil productivity as a food production resources must accommodate soil and water properties, food chain, sustainability and utilization, environment, and profitability, that (i) facilitate water transfer and absorption, (ii) sustain plant growth, (iii) resist physical degradation of soil, (iv) produce a safe food resources, (v) cost-effective agricultural management. Possible soil quality indicators are identified at several levels within the framework for each of these functions. Each indicator is assigned a priority or weight that reflects its relative importance using a multi-objective approach based on principles of systems to be considered. To do this, individual scoring system is differentiated by the several levels from low to very high category or point scoring ranging from 0 to 10, And then weights are multiplied and products are summed to provide an overall soil quality rating based on several physical and chemical indicators. Tlne framework and procedure in developing the soil quality assessment are determined by using information collected from an alternative and conventional farm practices in the regions. The use of an expanded framework for assessing effects of other processes, management practices, or policy issues on soil quality is also considered. To develop one possible form for a soil quality index, we should permit coupling the soil characteristics with assessment system based on soil properties and incoming and resident chemicals. The purpose of this paper is to discuss approaches to defining and assessing soil quality and to suggest the factors to be considered.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2014

Assessment of sustainable production on a cropland can help to determine the most proper management practices. In this study, we evaluated the sustainable production on paddy field treated with green manure crops using sustainability index which based on nutrient index, microbiological index, and crop index related to nutrient-supplying capacity. Especially choosing appropriate indicators from a minimum data set (MDS) were used the principal components analysis (SI-2) as well as expert opinion (SI-1) usually used in sustainability index. Six treatments including the two tillage treatments and two green manure crops were investigated as follows; (i) moldrotary + rotary tillage without green manure crop (Con), with (ii) hairy vetch (Con-HV), and (iii) hairy vetch + green barely (Con-HV+GB), (iv) rotary tillage without green manure crop (Rot), with (ii) hairy vetch (Rot-HV), and (iii) hairy vetch + green barly (Rot-HV+GB). Con-HV and Rot-HV in SI-1 were maintained sustainability while Rot-HV and Rot-HV+GB in SI-2. Especially, treatments (Con and Rot) without green manure crops were more unsustainable than with green manure crops because of the low value of microbiological and crop index than with green manure crops. Meanwhile, sustainability indices and grain yield had the high correlation values ($R^2=0.756$ and 0.928 in SI-1 and SI-2, respectively). These results meant that application of green manure crops such as hairy vetch could improve both yield and soil quality in paddy.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2019

The composition of artificial soil in a containerized seedling production plays an important role in seedling quality as well as environmental issues. We investigated the effects of different types of biomaterials and mixed ratio with artificial soil on the growth of Fraxinus rhynchophylla seedlings. Soil medium was supplemented with 3 levels (0%, 10%, 20%) of pine bark, mushroom sawdust and rice husk. Root collar diameter (RCD), height growth, and biomass have significantly increased when rice husk was applied. Compared with the control, RCD and height growth showed highest in 20% rice husk treatment with an increase of 5.7% and 17.6%, respectively. In contrast, the treatments of pine bark and mushroom sawdust showed lower results in growth parameters (RCD, height growth, and total biomass) than control. Seedling quality index was also highest at the 20% rice husk treatment, but there was not statistically different among treatments. Our results suggested rice husk can be substituted up to 20% of substrates for containerized F. rhynchophylla seedling production system.