• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.502-509
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• 2013

To estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, we established inventory of conventional rice cultivation from farmers in Gunsan and Iksan, Jeonbuk province in 2011~2012. This study was to calculate carbon footprint and to analyse the major factor of GHGs. We carried out a sensitivity analysis using the analyzed main factors of GHGs and estimated the mitigation potential of GHGs. Also we tried to suggest agricultural methods to reduce GHGs that farmers of this case study can apply. Carbon footprint of rice production unit of 1 kg was 2.21 kg $CO_2.-eq.kg^{-1}$. Although amount of $CO_2$ emissions is largest among GHGs, methane had the highest contribution of carbon footprint on rice production system after methane was converted to carbon dioxide equivalent ($CO_2$-eq.) multiplied by the global warming potential (GWP). Source of $CO_2$ in the cultivation of rice farming is incomplete combustion of fossil fuels used by agricultural machinery. Most of the $CH_4$ emitted during rice cultivation and major factor of $CH_4$ emission is flooded paddy field in anaerobic condition. Most of the $N_2O$ emitted from rice cultivation process and major sources of $N_2O$ emission is application of fertilizer such as compound fertilizer, urea, orgainc fertilizer, etc. As a result of sensitivity analysis due to the variation in energy consumption, diesel had the highest sensitivity among the energies inputs. If diesel consumption is reduced by 10%, it could be estimated that $CO_2$ potential reduction is about 2.5%. When application rate of compound fertilizer reduces by 10%, the potential reduction is calculated to be approximately 1% for $CO_2$ and approximately 1.8% for $N_2O$. When drainage duration is decreased until 10 days, methane emissions is reduced by approximately 4.5%. That is to say drainage days, tillage, and reducing diesel consumption were the main sources having the largest effect of GHG reduction due to changing amount of inputs. Accordingly, proposed methods to decrease GHG emissions were no-tillage, midsummer drainage, etc.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.332-340
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• 2009

In this study, the thermal insulation effectiveness of the greenhouse insulators by the installation methods was investigated to find the right installation way of the insulation materials. Physical properties of the insulators such as thickness, air transmissivity, apparent density, ultraviolet rays cutoff ratio, reflectance, thermal conductivity, moisture absorptivity were evaluated and the insulation ability of the insulators were measured by the module experiments. For the same insulator, the insulation ability of the case with the outward direction of the black colored face, i.e., with the inward direction of the white colored face, was better than that of vice versa. The case of the black colored both surfaces was better than the case of the white colored both surfaces. For aluminium reflection material, the case with the outward direction of the lustre face, i.e., with the inward direction of the non-lustre face, was better than that of vice versa. For the same material with the inner thin polyethylene foam (or polyester) and the chemical wool, the case with the outward direction of the inner thin polyethylene foam (or polyester), i.e., with the inward chemical wool, was better than that of vice versa. Addition of the inner thin polyethylene foam increased the insulation effect very much.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2011

Maintenance of adequate soil water potential during the period of crop growth is necessary to support optimum plant growth and yields. A better understanding of soil water movement within and below the rooting zone can facilitate optimal irrigation scheduling aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of water stress on crop growth and development and the leaching of water below the root zone which can have adverse environmental effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a portable irrigation controller with an Watermark sensor for the cultivation of drip-irrigated vegetable crops in a greenhouse. The control capability of the irrigation controller for a soil water potential of -20 kPa was evaluated under summer conditions by cultivating 45-day-old tomato plants grown in three differently textured soils (sandy loam, loam, and loamy sands). Water contents through each soil profile were continuously monitored using three Sentek probes, each consisting of three capacitance sensors at 10, 20, and 30 cm depths. Even though a repeatable cycling of soil water potential occurred for the potential treatment, the lower limit of the Watermark (about 0 kPa) obtained in this study presented a limitation of using the Watermark sensor for optimal irrigation of tomato plants where -20 kPa was used as a point for triggering irrigations. This problem might be related to the slow response time and inadequate soil-sensor interface of the Watermark sensor as compared to a porous and ceramic cup-based tensiometer with a sensitive pressure transducer. In addition, the irrigation time of 50 to 60 min at each of the irrigation operation gave a rapid drop of the potential to zero, resulting in over irrigation of tomatoes. There were differences in water content among the three different soil types under the variable rate irrigation, showing a range of water contents of 16 to 24%, 17 to 28%, and 24 to 32% for loamy sand, sandy loam, and loam soils, respectively. The greatest rate increase in water content was observed in the top of 10 cm depth of sandy loam soil within almost 60 min from the start of irrigation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1157-1163
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• 2012

This study was performed a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) among three rice production systems in order to analyze the difference of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and environment impacts. Its life cycle inventory (LCI) database (DB) was established using data obtained from interview with conventional, without agricultural chemical and organic farming at Gunsan and Iksan, Jeonbuk province in 2011. According to the result of LCI analysis, $CO_2$ was mostly emitted from fertilizer production process and rice cropping phase. $CH_4$ and $N_2O$ were almost emitted from rice cultivation phase. The value of carbon footprint to produce 1 kg rice (unhulled) on conventional rice production system was 1.01E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and it was the highest value among three rice production systems. The value of carbon footprints on without agricultural chemical and organic rice production systems were 5.37E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and 6.58E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Without agricultural chemical rice production system whose input amount was the smallest had the lowest value of carbon footprint. Although the yield of rice from organic farming was the lowest, its value of carbon footprint less than that of conventional farming. Because there is no compound fertilizer inputs in organic farming. Compound fertilizer production and methane emission during rice cultivation were the main factor to GHGs emission in conventional and without agricultural chemical rice production systems. In organic rice production system, the main factors to GHGs emission were using fossil fuel on machine operation and methane emission from rice paddy field.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.217-225
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• 2015

Local heating system providing hot air locally to growing parts including shoot apex and flower cluster which were temperature-sensitive organs of cherry tomato was developed to reduce energy consumption for greenhouse heating without decline of crop growth. Growing part following local heating system was composed of double duct distributer which connected inner and outer ducts with hot air heater and winder which moved ducts up and down following growing parts with plant growth. Growing part local heating system was compared with conventional bottom duct heating system with respect to distributions of air and leaf surface temperatures according to height, growth characteristics and energy consumption. By growing part local heating, air temperature around growing part was maintained $0.9{\sim}2.0^{\circ}C$ higher than that of lower part of crop and leaf surface temperature was also stratified according to height. Investigations on crop growth characteristics and crop yield showed no statistically significant difference except for plant height between bottom duct heating and growing part local heating. As a result, the growing part local heating system consumed 23.7% less heating energy than the bottom duct heating system without decrease of crop yield.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

The greatest and major cost for cut rose production during winter seasons in Korea is cost of heating the greenhouse. A study was conducted on a cost-efficient heating system to reduce expenses of cut rose growers in times of high energy prices. An infrared heating system utilizing radiant energy has an obvious advantage over other heating methods in that the energy is first used to raise temperatures of plants and other objects and subsequently that of the atmosphere, resulting in faster reaching to desired plant temperatures at a reduced heating cost. In this study the heating effect and heating cost saving of a nano-carbon fiber infrared heating system (NCFIHS) installed in cut rose greenhouses in Gimhae, Gyeongnam Province were analyzed comparatively. In addition growth, quality, and vase life of 'Orange Fresh' roses grown in greenhouses heated by NCFIHS against those grown in greenhouses heated by so called an electrical heating system. In greenhouses with a NCFlHS with a set point air temperature of $20^{\circ}C$, plant temperature was maintained at $1{\sim}2^{\circ}C$ higher than the air temperature, and temperatures of growing bed surface and root zone were maintained at $17{\sim}19^{\circ}C$ throughout cold winter nights. The cost for heating in NCFIHS was about 25 and 51% of that of an electrical heating system and a hot water heating system heated by petroleum, respectively. Growth of roses harvested in greenhouses with a NCFIHS was similar to those grown in greenhouses with an electrical heating system. However, cut roses with more intense petal and leaf colors and a longer vase life (fresh weight and amount of water uptake) were harvested in greenhouses with a NCFIHS as compared to those harvested in greenhouses with an electrical heating system.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.87-99
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• 2017

Recently the increase in an abnormal climate events and meteorological disasters which causes a great damage to greenhouse facilities. To minimize and evaluate the expected damages it is necessary to prepare countermeasures and a management system in advance. For this purpose, a quantitative analysis of weather and abnormal climate are needed to investigate protected cultivation areas which are vulnerable to natural disasters. This study focused on protected cultivation areas in Jeolla province, South Korea. Surrogate variables were calculated to analyze the vulnerable areas to meteorological disasters, and spatial distribution analysis was also performed by using GIS to present vulnerable areas on map. The map thus created and was compared with actual data of damages by meteorological disasters which occurred in target areas. The result of the comparison is as follows: About 50% of the target areas showed an agreement between the map created in this study and the actual data, these areas includes Gwangju metropolitan city, Naju city, Yeongam County, Jangseong County, Hampyeong County, and Haenam County. On the other hand, other areas, including Gunsan city, Mokpo city, and Muan County, suffered low damage in spite of high levels of vulnerability to meteorological disasters. This result was considered to be affected by such variables as different structural designs and management systems of greenhouses by region. This study carried out an analysis of meteorological data to find out more detailed vulnerability to protected cultivation area and to create a map of vulnerable protected cultivation areas. In addition, the map was compared with the record of natural disasters to identify actual vulnerable areas. In conclusion, this study can be utilized as basic data for preventing and reducing damages by meteorological disasters in terms of design and management of greenhouses.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2020

The natural change of winter night temperature from 00:00 to 04:30 O'clock with the different height of thermal screen in a venlo type glasshouse (W59×L68×H5.9 m) was studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). At the early stage of CFD analysis, the room temperature decrease of glasshouse with the 5.9 m height of thermal screen were faster than it with the 4.1m height of thermal screen, but at 2 hr after analysis it was slower than in it with the 4,1m, the temperature difference was 0.6℃ after 4 hr. If we consider that turn on the heater when the temperature were decrease below 13℃ at 1hr after CFD analysis, it is good for energy saving in the glasshouse with the 4.1 m height of thermal screen rather than in it with the 5.9 m height, because of the temperature decrease were slow during 2 hrs after analysis. The airflow at the height of 2 m which were grown tomato were fast and wide in the glasshouse with the 5.9 m height thermal screen rather than in it with the 4.1 m, the speed difference was 0.034m·s^-1 at 1hr after CFD analysis. The effect of temperature decrease in summer season were compared with the different height of shading screen from 12:00 to 14:30 O'clock. The height of shading screen were 5.7, 3.9 m, the gap of it were 30%. The air-inflow quantity by the fan with duct at lower part of venlo glasshouse was 0.67 ㎥·s^-1 until 1hr and to increase 3 times of it from 1hr after analysis. The roof window were open 100%. Until 1hr of CFD analysis, the temperature in the 30% open of shading screen was 0.9℃ higher than in the none shading screen. From 13:00 O'clock when the air-inlet quantity to increase 3 times, the temperature in case 30% gap of shading screen were decreased compare with the none shading screen, the temperature difference was 0.5℃ at 14:30 O'clock. The temperature on the floor surface in case 30% gap of shading screen were lower with it's height increase, the temperature difference was 8℃ compare with none shading screen. The relative humidity difference were insignificant by the height and gap of shading screen.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1143-1152
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• 2012

We established a top-down methodology to estimate carbon footprint as national mean value (reference) with the statistical data on agri-livestock incomes in 2007. We also established LCI (life cycle inventory) DB by a bottom-up methodology with the data obtained from interview with farmers from 4 large-scale farms at Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do province to estimate carbon footprint in 2011. This study was carried out to compare top-down methodology and bottom-up methodology in performing LCA (life cycle assessment) to analyze the difference in GHGs (greenhouse gases) emission and carbon footprint under conventional rice cultivation system. Results of LCI analysis showed that most of $CO_2$ was emitted during fertilizer production and rice cultivation, whereas $CH_4$ and $N_2O$ were mostly emitted during rice cultivation. The carbon footprints on conventional rice production system were 2.39E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ by top-down methodology, whereas 1.04E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ by bottom-up methodology. The amount of agro-materials input during the entire rice cultivation for the two methodologies was similar. The amount of agro-materials input for the bottom-up methodology was sometimes greater than that for top-down methodology. While carbon footprint by the bottom-up methodology was smaller than that by the top-down methodology due to higher yield per cropping season by the bottom-up methodology. Under the conventional rice production system, fertilizer production showed the highest contribution to the environmental impacts on most categories except GWP (global warming potential) category. Rice cultivation was the highest contribution to the environmental impacts on GWP category under the conventional rice production system. The main factors of carbon footprints under the conventional rice production system were $CH_4$ emission from rice paddy field, the amount of fertilizer input and rice yield. Results of this study will be used for establishing baseline data for estimating carbon footprint from 'low carbon certification pilot project' as well as for developing farming methods of reducing $CO_2$ emission from rice paddy fields.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 2015

To determine the adequate levels of light intensity and $CO_2$ concentration for mango grown in greenhouses, quantitative measurements of photosynthetic rates at various leaf positions in the tree are required. The objective of this study was to develop two-variable leaf photosynthetic models of Irwin mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Irwin) using light intensity and $CO_2$ concentration at different leaf positions. Leaf photosynthetic rates at different positions (top, middle, and bottom) were measured by a leaf photosynthesis analyzer at light intensities (0, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, and $800{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) with $CO_2$ concentrations (100, 400, 800, 1200, and $1600{\mu}mol{\cdot}mol^{-1}$). The two-variable model consisted of the two leaf photosynthetic models expressed as negative exponential functions for light intensity and $CO_2$ concentrations, respectively. The photosynthetic rates of top leaves were saturated at a light intensity of $400{\mu}mol{\cdot}^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, while those of middle and bottom leaves saturated at $200{\mu}mol{\cdot}^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$. The leaf photosynthetic rates did not reach the saturation point at a $CO_2$ concentration of $1600imolmol^{-1}$. In validation of the model, the estimated photosynthetic rates at top and bottom leaves showed better agreements with the measured ones than the middle leaves. It is expected that the optimal conditions of light intensity and $CO_2$ concentration can be determined for maximizing photosynthetic rates of Irwin mango grown in greenhouses by using the two-variable model.