• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.3-13
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• 2007

The primary objective of this study was to compare water use efficiencies between subsurface drip irrigation and furrow irrigation. The uniformity of used drip lines was tested to determine if clogging would be a threat to the long-term success of a subsurface drip irrigation system. Three crops, cantaloupe, lettuce, and bell pepper, were grown in four plots for each irrigation system. Significantly less water was applied with subsurface drip irrigation than with furrow irrigation (29.5 % less for cantaloupe and 43.2 % less for bell poppet) in order to produce similar crop yields. Water use efficiencies with subsurface drip irrigation were significantly higher than those with furrow irrigation fur cantaloupe (P-value = 0.018) and bell pepper (P-value ${\leq}$ 0.001). Drip-irrigated lettuce, a shallow-rooted crop, had moderately higher water use efficiency during the first two seasons, while no difference was observed in the third season. After the experiment, the uniformity of the drip lines was 92.1 % on average and classified as good. The high values fur water use efficiency and uniformity indicate that subsurface drip irrigation can be a sustainable method for conserving irrigation water.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2009

'Nokkwang' green pepper plants were grown in soil system (silty loam with pH 6.5) under the greenhouse, to determine the effects of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and subsurface drip irrigation plus aeration (SDIA) into root zone comparing with conventional surface drip irrigation (DI) in terms of water use efficiency, soil properties, and growth and fruit yield. Two drip lines per crop row were layed on the soil surface in DI system, buried at a depth of 20cm below the soil surface in SDI system, and also buried at a depth of20cm below the soil surface and aerated for 3minutes a hour during the daytime ($08:00{\sim}19:00$) by a air compressor in SDIA system. A automatic irrigation with starting point of -20kPa and ending point of -10kPa based on soil moisture contents was applied by controllers and electronic vacum soil moisture sensors. Reduction in soil moisture contents was delayed in SDI and SDIA, compared to DI. Irrigation amount applied in pepper cultivation was around 30% less in SDI than in DI. Electric conductivity and nitrate nitrogen content in the surface soil grown green pepper were significantly lowered in SSDI and SDIA, compared to DI. Better development of root system was observed in SDIA and SDI than in DI. Results showed that pepper fruit yield increased by 30% in SDIA and 22% in SDI in comparision with DI.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.683-689
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• 2012

This research was carried out to investigate the effect of installation spacing of subsurface drip irrigation pipe on the mineral content, nutrient uptake, yield of lettuce, water requirement for irrigation, and soil chemical properties in greenhouse cultivation. Semi-forcing and retarding culture were implemented in this experiment, with four treatments containing overhead spray irrigation and three subsurface irrigation lateral spacing intervals of 30, 40, 50 cm at a depth of 30 cm from soil surface, respectively. Each mineral content of lettuce grown under subirrigation system did not show significant difference between treatments, however the uptake of nutrients was lower at 50 cm-distance. The yield was largest in 30 cm-subirrigation (SI), followed by 40 cm-SI, overhead spray, and 50 cm-treatment. Water requirement for irrigation was highest in overhead spray, and it was in reverse proportion to the distance of irrigation pipes. $NO_3$-N content in the soil, at a depth of 10 cm, showed a higher value in 50 cm-SI, followed by 40 cm-SI, overhead spray and 30 cm-SI. Exchangeable K content was highest in 50 cm-SI, Mg was highest in 40 cm-SI, and Ca was lowest in 30 cm-SI. In conclusion, the lettuce yield was not different between 30 and 40 cm-SI, but water requirement for irrigation was lower as the distance of irrigation pipes was further. And it seems to be needed more precise research on this theme, because crop yield and the dynamics of soil minerals in subsurface irrigation can vary with the depth and distance of irrigation pipes, dripper, water flow depending on the soil texture, and plant response to soil minerals.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate how maize (Zea maize L.) growth and yield were affected by irrigation and fertigation using a subsurface drip system. The system consisted of a buried (40 cm underground) drip pipe that can be used in a semi-permanent manner without affecting agricultural work on the ground. The amount of water required for the fertigation treatment was determined to be 24.3 tons 10a^-1 for the sandy loam soil used in this experimental field. Fertigation treatments based on the previously calculated 24.3 tons 10a^-1 were carried out as topdressing applications. They were applied through the subsurface drip system with the following fertilizer concentration (nitrogen only, written in kg 10a^-1: N 4, N 6, N 8, N 10 ). The other treatments were irrigation only and control (non-treatment). The results indicated that the N 8 treatment was the most effective, increasing yield by 30% and 14% compared with the control and irrigation treatments, respectively. These results highlight the effectiveness of fertigation (N 8 kg 10a^-1) at V6 and R1 stage as a form of topdressing fertilization using a subsurface drip system for achieving a high yield and stable maize production.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.79-89
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• 2018

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system is considered one of the most effective methods for water application. A 2-year field study was conducted to investigate the effect of SDI systems with various dripline spacing (0.7 or 1.4 m) and position (under furrow or ridge) on soybean (Glycine max L.) production at a sandy-loam soil in Miryang, South Korea. For 2016-2017, average grain yield in SDI irrigated plots, $3.16Mg\;ha^{-1}$, was statistically greater than rainfed irrigated plot ($2.63Mg\;ha^{-1}$). Soybean grain yield averaged $3.25Mg\;ha^{-1}$ for the 0.7 m dripline spacing and $3.07Mg\;ha^{-1}$ for the 1.4 m spacing for the two-year period compared to a rainfed irrigated average of $2.63Mg\;ha^{-1}$ for the same period. Soybean treated with SDI system had significantly greater values of normalized difference vegetation index and stomatal conductance, indicating that soybean plants in SDI plots had greater photosynthetic and stomatal activity due to the higher water availability in soil. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was greatest in the plot of 0.7 m spacing installed under ridge position than any other plot across growing season. Average soil water content in plots with 0.7 m dripline spacing was $0.21m^3\;m^{-3}$ at 5 cm depth layer, which was 45% greater compared to the plots with 1.4 m spacing, even though the gross irrigation amounts were greater in 1.4 m spacing plots. It is concluded that wide dripline spacing (1.4 m) is probably the more economical installation design for SDI system compared to 0.7 m spacing in this study soil because the initial cost for dripline may be reduced with wide spacing design, even though the IWUE is greater in the plot of 0.7 m dripline spacing.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2013

Vegetables production in greenhouse are typically intensely managed with high inputs of fertilizers and irrigation water, which increases the risk of ground-water nitrate contamination. In 2010 and 2011, a study was conducted to determine the appropriate depth of soil moisture sensor for automatic irrigation control to use water and nitrogen efficiently under subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. The irrigation line for SDI placed 30 cm below soil surface and tensiometer was used as soil moisture sensor. Three tensiometer treatments placed at 10 (SDI-T10), 20 (SDI-T20) and 30 cm (SDI-T30) depths below soil surface under SDI. These are also compared to SUR-T20 treatment where tensiometer placed at 20 cm below soil surface under surface drip irrigation (SUR) systems. The growth of cucumber was not statistically different between SUR and SDI without SDI-T30 treatment. Fruit yields (Mg/ha) were 57.0 and 56.9 (SDI-T10), 56.0 and 60.5 (SDI-T20), 40.9 and 41.2 (SDI-T30) and 56.6 and 54.3 (SUR-T20) for 2010 and 2011, respectively. Slightly higher total yield was observed in tensiometer placed 20 cm below the soil surface, although no significant differences were found between SDI-T10 and SDI-T20 under SDI treatments. In addition, nitrogen application rates and daily irrigation rates were lowest in SDI-T20 compared with other SDIs and SUR treatments. Nitrogen and daily irrigation application under SDI-T20 was lower than that under SUR-T20 by 6.0%. These findings suggested tensiometer 20 cm depth under SDI systems was best for cucumber production in greenhouse.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

Faced with aging populations, declining resources, and limited agricultural productivity, rural areas in South Korea require innovative solutions. This study investigated the potential of drone-based vegetation indices (VIs) to analyze soybean growth patterns in open-field smart agriculture in Goesan-gun, Chungbuk Province, South Korea. We monitored multi-seasonal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference red edge (NDRE) data for three soybean lots with different irrigation methods (subsurface drainage, conventional, subsurface drip irrigation) using drone remote sensing. Combining NDVI (photosynthetically active biomass, PAB) and NDRE (chlorophyll) offered a comprehensive analysis of soybean growth, capturing both overall health and stress responses. Our analysis revealed distinct growth patterns for each lot. LotA(subsurface drainage) displayed early vigor and efficient resource utilization (peaking at NDVI 0.971 and NDRE 0.686), likely due to the drainage system. Lot B (conventional cultivation) showed slower growth and potential limitations (peaking at NDVI 0.963 and NDRE 0.681), suggesting resource constraints or stress. Lot C (subsurface drip irrigation) exhibited rapid initial growth but faced later resource limitations(peaking at NDVI 0.970 and NDRE 0.695). By monitoring NDVI and NDRE variations, farmers can gain valuable insights to optimize resource allocation (reducing costs and environmental impact), improve crop yield and quality (maximizing yield potential), and address rural challenges in South Korea. This study demonstrates the promise of drone-based VIs for revitalizing open-field agriculture, boosting farm income, and attracting young talent, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future for rural communities. Further research integrating additional data and investigating physiological mechanisms can lead to even more effective management strategies and a deeper understanding of VI variations for optimized crop performance.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.372-378
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• 2015

Growing crops under different soil textures may affect crop growth and yield because of soil N availability, soil N leaching, and plant N uptake. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of three different soils (sandy loam, loam, and clay loam) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) yield, nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE), and water use efficiency (WUE) by subsurface drip fertigation in the greenhouse. Three different soil textures are sandy loam, loam, and clay loam with 3 replications. The dimension of each lysimeter was $1.0m(W){\times}1.5m(L){\times}1.0m(H)$. Cucumber was transplanted on April $8^{th}$ and Aug $16^{th}$ in 2011. The subsurface drip line and tensiometer was installed at 30 and 20 cm soil depth, respectively. An irrigation with $100mg\;NL^{-1}$ concentration was automatically applied when the tensiometer reading was 10 kPa. Volumetric soil water content for cucumber cultivation was the highest in 30 cm soil depth regardless of soil texture and was lowered when soil depth was deeper. The volumetric soil water contents at soil depths of 10, 30, 50, and 70 cm were the highest at clay loam, followed by loam, and sandy loam. The growth of cucumber at the $50^{th}$ day after transplanting was the lowest at sandy loam. Cucumber fruit yields were similar for all three soil textures. The highest amount of water use at sandy loam was observed. Nitrogen and water use efficiencies for cucumber were higher for clay loam, followed by loam and sandy loam, while the amount of N leaching was the greatest under sandy loam, followed by loam, and clay loam. Overall, growing cucumber on either loam or clay loam is better than sandy loam if subsurface drip fertigation is used in the greenhouse.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.67 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2022

This study was conducted by directly sowing Asemi in late April at 30 × 10 cm intervals to determine the optimal irrigation method and irrigation amount to maximize the use of limited agricultural water and to increase the yield when growing rice in a desert climate. Conventional irrigation (Conv.), surface drip irrigation (Sur), subsurface drip irrigation (Sub.), and sprinkler irrigation (Spr.) methods were used. The following amounts of irrigation were tested based on field capacity (0.33 bar): 80% (V/V, FC80), 100% (FC100), and 120% (FC120), and data for 2 years were averaged. The total amount of irrigation by irrigation method was the lowest, at 627 ton/10 a, for Sub. irrigation with the FC80 treatment, which was 60.4% less than the amount of irrigation with the FC120 treatment (1,584 ton/10a). Sub. irrigation with the FC120 treatment gave the greatest amount of rice, at 665 kg/10 a, and this condition obtained a yield of 88.1% (754 kg/10 a) of the yield obtained with the conventional treatment. Therefore, when planting rice in a desert climate, subsurface drip irrigation at 120% of field capacity is considered advantageous to increase water use efficiency and crop yield.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.227-234
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• 2018

The smart irrigation system using ICT technology is crucial for stable production of upland crops. The objective of this study was to develop a smart irrigation system that can control soil water, depending on irrigation methods, in order to improve crop production. In surface irrigation, three irrigation methods (sprinkler irrigation (SI), surface drip irrigation (SDI), and fountain irrigation (FI)) were installed on a crop field. The soil water contents were measured at 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm depth, and an automatic irrigation system controls a valve to maintain the soil water content at 10 cm to be 30%. In subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI), the drip lines were installed at a depth of 20 cm. Controlled drainage system (CDS) was managed with two ground water level (30 cm and 60 cm). The seasonal irrigation amounts were 96.4 ton/10a (SDI), 119.5 ton/10a (FI), and 113 ton/10a (SI), respectively. Since SDI system supplied water near the root zone of plants, the water was saved by 23.9% and 17.3%, compared with FI and SI, respectively. In SSDI, the mean soil water content was 38.8%, which was 10.8% higher than the value at the control treatment. In CDS, the water contents were greatly affected by the ground water level; the water contents at the surface zone with 30 cm ground water level was 9.4% higher than the values with 60 cm ground water level. In conclusion, this smart irrigation system can reduce production costs of upland crops.