Kijin Park

Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Red Pepper, Chinese Cabbage, and Potato Fields in Gangwon-do, Korea

The level of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a long-lived greenhouse gas, in atmosphere has increased mainly due to anthropogenic source, especially application of nitrogen fertilizers. Quantifying N₂O emission from agricultural field is essential to develop national inventories of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission. The objective of the study was to develop emission factor to estimate direct N₂O emission from agricultural field in Gangwon-do, Korea by measuring N₂O emissions from potato (Solanum tuberosum), red pepper (Capsicum annum L.), and Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) cultivation lands from 2009 to 2012. Accumulated N₂O emission was 1.48±0.25 kg N2O-N ha -1 for red pepper, 1.27±0.27 kg N₂O-N ha -1 for potato, 1.49±0.06 kg N₂O-N ha -1 for Chinese cabbage cultivated in spring, and 1.14±0.22 kg N₂O-N ha -1 for fall Chinese cabbage. Emission factor of N₂O calculated from accumulated N₂O emission, nitrogen fertilization rate, and background N₂O emission was 0.0051±0.0016 kg N₂O-N kg -1 N for cropland in Gangwon province. More extensive study is deserved to be conducted to develop N₂O emission factor for upland crops in Korea through examining the emission factors from various regions and crops because N₂O emission is influenced by many factors including climate characteristics, soil properties, and agricultural practices.

Alleviating Effect of Salicylic Acid Pre-treatment on Soil Moisture Stress of Waxy Corn

Soil moisture shortage can reduce yield of waxy corn because maize is one of the sensitive crops to the drought stress. Farmers cannot irrigate due to limited water resource and irrigating facilities although applying water is the most effective practice to solve the drought problem. The study was conducted to investigate the pre-treatment effect of salicylic acid on reducing drought damage of waxy corn (Zea mays L.). Salicylic acid at concentration of 0.2 mM was applied at seven-leaf stage or ten-leaf stage three times. Drought stress was imposed by withholding irrigation from 11 days before anthesis to 10 days after anthesis. Application of salicylic acid significantly increased ear length by 11.0~12.3% and yield by 8.8~11.3% compared with non-treated control, indicating that the drought injuries of waxy corn can be alleviated through pre-treatment of salicylic acid at the vegetative stage.

Anthocyanin-rich grain corn hybrid variety ‘Saekso 2’

We report the development of new anthocyanin-rich grain corn hybrid variety ‘Saekso 2’. The seed parent, HA3 and the pollen parent, HA4 was developed from breeding materials collected from China in 2008 and from Canada in 2000, respectively. The hybrid was made in the winter of 2010/2011 and evaluated in Hongcheon for 3 years. After evaluation, the selected variety was named ‘Saekso 2’ and was approved for a variety registration in 2017. Anthocyanin content of Saekso 2 in grain was 685 mg/100g and was much higher than that of Saeko 1(0mg/100g). Since regional tests was conducted in only Gangwon province, it is recommended only in that region for commercial cultivation. For the highest content of anthocyanin, it is best to harvest grains at around 45 days after silking. Saekso 2 is the first hybrid bred specifically for processing for high anthocyanin production.