• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.564-569
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• 2015

In highland crop fields, saprolite is piled up approximately every three years as deep much as 20 to 30 cm because farmers expect that adding new materials may improve productivity and mitigate hazards by continuous cultivation of a single crop. Piling saprolite, however, has been reported to induce poor soil drainage. Effects of deep ploughing with a spading machine and an excavator were studied in sites located in Daekwanryeong-myeon, Pyeongchang in which soil physical properties were deteriorated by piled saprolite. The soil made of parent material of Samgag series was piled up over surface soil of Haggog series naturally developed in the area. Carrot was cultivated in the field. Productivity and growth factors of carrot were compared among control and deep ploughing by a spading machine and an excavator. Effective soil depth extended to 60 cm or greater by 60 cm deep ploughing by an excavator or 50 cm deep ploughing by a spading machine. On the other hand, effective soil depth was within 50 cm at control plot. Productivity of carrot responded to amelioration of soil physical properties. The productivity was greater in deep ploughing treatments than that of control or 30 cm ploughing. It suggested that increased productivity by deep ploughing was mainly related to breaking plough pan which inhibited extension of rooting zone.