Sung Kyeom Kim

Impacts of climate change on the growth, morphological and physiological responses, and yield of Kimchi cabbage leaves

We evaluated the effects of interacting climate change factors on the morphology, growth, physiological responses, and yield of Kimchi cabbage leaves. Kimchi cabbage was cultivated under two climate change scenarios predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5. For the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 treatments, the air temperatures were maintained 3.4 and 6.0°C above the prevailing control air temperatures and the CO2 concentrations were maintained at 540 and 940 µmol·mol -1, respectively, using newly developed extreme weather growth-chambers. Control plants were grown outside during the autumn. The RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 treatments led to tipburn disorders and rough leaves. The light compensation and saturation points of control plants were greater than those of the treatment plants. The maximum carboxylation rate, maximum rate of electron transport, and triose phosphate utilization rate of the RCP 8.5 treatment plants were significantly lower than those of the control. The control plants had the greatest yield among the studied plants, with a 65% reduction in yield observed in the RCP 4.5 treatment plants. The RCP scenarios retarded the growth and assimilation rates, and negatively affected leaf morphology, photosynthesis efficiency, and yield. These results suggest that climate change scenarios may have a profound impact on the cultivation of Kimchi cabbage and that effective mitigation strategies may be needed to ensure that this economically important crop has the necessary resilience under such climate change.

Influence of Air Temperature and Soil Moisture Conditions on the Growth and Yield of Hot Pepper under a Plastic Tunnel Culture

This study was conducted to determine the effects of high temperature and deficit irrigation on growth and yield of hot pepper. Hot pepper was subjected to four irrigation treatments: fully irrigation (FI), 10, 20, and 30 days deficit irrigation (DI) combination with high temperature treatment. Control plants were grown natural environment and conventional culture methods. The plant height treated with high temperature was significantly higher than that of control plant. At FI combination with high temperature treatment, growth parameters such as stem diameter, leaf area, fresh and dry weight were the greatest. The yield was the greatest (2,036 kg/10a) under control, DI combination with high temperature treatment decreased by approximately 42% compare with FI combination with high temperature treatment. The number of abnormal fruits was approximately 38/plant under control, which was the smallest and that of 30 days DI combination with high temperature was higher 3.3 times compare with control. Flower abscission and calcium deficiency induced by DI treatments, especially those physiological disorder promoted by increasing DI treatments period. Results indicated that yield of hot pepper reduced by DI treatments, these results suggest that the growers should irrigate to proper soil moisture for preventing reduction of total fruit yield.