Woonho Yang

Impacts of Climate Change on Rice Production and Adaptation Method in Korea as Evaluated by Simulation Study

Air temperature in Korea has increased by over the last 100 years, which is nearly twice the global average rate during the same period. Moreover, it is projected that such change in temperature will continue in the 21st century. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impacts of future climate change on the rice production and adaptation methods in Korea. Climate data for the baseline (1971~2000) and the three future climate (2011~2040, 2041~2070, and 2071~2100) at fifty six sites in South Korea under IPCC SRES A1B scenario were used as the input to the rice crop model ORYZA2000. Six experimental schemes were carried out to evaluate the combined effects of climatic warming, fertilization, and cropping season on rice production. We found that the average production in 2071~2100 would decrease by 23%, 27%, and 29% for early, middle, and middle-late rice maturing type, respectively, when cropping seasons were fixed. In contrast, predicted yield reduction was ~0%, 6%, and 7%, for early, middle, and middle-late rice maturing type, respectively, when cropping seasons were changed. Analysis of variation suggested that climatic warming, fertilization, cropping season, and rice maturing type contributed 60, 10, 12, and 2% of rice yield, respectively. In addition, regression analysis suggested 14~46 and 53~86% of variations in rice yield were explained by grain number and filled grain ratio, respectively, when cropping season was fixed. On the other hand, 46~78 and 22~53% of variations were explained respectively with changing cropping season. It was projected that sterility caused by high temperature would have no effect on rice yield. As a result, rice yield reduction in the future climate in Korea would resulted from low filled grain ratio due to high growing temperature during grain-filling period because the fertilization was insufficient to negate the negative effect of climatic warming. However, adjusting cropping seasons to future climate change may alleviate the rice production reduction by minimizing negative effect of climatic warming without altering positive effect of fertilization, which improves weather condition during the grain-filling period.

Changes in Carbon Amount of Soil and Rice Plant as Influenced by the Cultivation of Different Green Manure Crops

A green manure crop were used in many ways, such as for reducing chemical fertilizer, improving physical and chemical properties of soils, protecting soil loss, and creating landscape when its grown in agricultural land. Experiments were conducted to find out carbon emitted with applying green manure crops in paddy field. Amounts of carbon absorbed in the green manure crops during the winter were 1.22 ton in hairy vetch, 1,24 ton in barley, and 1.54 ton in hairy vetch/barley. The soil carbon content was the highest at days before transplanting of rice and decreased after days after harvesting the plant. Soil carbon contents were higher with hairy vetch or barley treatment than with hairy vetch/barley treatment. The content of emitted methane () was the highest at 7 days after transplanting rice plant, and was 17 ~ 25 times higher with green manure treatments than with chemical fertilizer application. The emission was the highest with hairy vetch treatment and than followed by hairy vetch/barley and barley treatments. The content of carbon absorbed in rice plant increased during the cultivation period but was not different with the applications of different green manure crops. The yield amounts of rough rice and rice strow were 5 ~ 13% higher with the green manure treatments than the chemical fertilizer application. In particular, they were the highest with hairy vetch/barley treatment as 14.07 ton .

Yield of maize ( Zea mays L.) logistically declined with increasing length of the consecutive visible wilting days during flowering

Under future climate conditions, the frequency and severity of drought are expected to increase. Maize (Zea mays L.) is susceptible to drought, especially at flowering. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of consecutive days of visible wilting (DAW) during tassel emergence using two types of Korean maize hybrids, Gwangpyeongok (Gwp; normal) and Ilmichal (Ilmi; waxy). Traits related to plant growth and yield were measured at harvest. Drought stress during tassel emergence significantly reduced the number of green leaves per plant. Silking was delayed due to drought stress during the stage of tassel emergence, although anthesis was only slightly affected, which resulted in an increase in the anthesis-silking interval (ASI). For each DAW, ASI increased by 1.6 days and 0.8 days for Gwp and Ilmi, respectively. The number of green leaves and ASI showed strong correlation with DAW length and grain yield, which suggested that those factors may be selective traits for drought tolerance at flowering. The filled grain number per plant declined logistically with increasing DAW due to reductions in kernels per row and percentage of filled grains. The filled grain number per plant significantly declined starting at 5 and 10 DAW in Gwp and Ilmi, respectively, which indicated that drought stress effects are dependent on drought severity and the genetic characteristics of specific hybrids. Probit analysis revealed that DAW causing 50% reduction in maize grain yield was about 4.7 and 6.3 days in Gwp and Ilmi, respectively, which resulted in about 13.6% and 9.2% reduction in grain yield per day of DAW, respectively. These results indicate that Gwangpyeongok is more sensitive to drought stress during flowering than Ilmichal.

Statistical assessment of the late marginal heading date for normal maturation of temperate japonica rice in South Korea

The late marginal heading date (LMHD) for normal maturation has been assessed to infer the range of late transplanting date and applicability of a new cropping system. A minimum threshold temperature for grain filling can be used to determine the late marginal heading date that would allow normal maturation. In this study, a statistical procedure was developed to determine the threshold temperature for 40 days of the grain-filling period. The threshold temperature was chosen to be the minimum temperature at which grain-filling ratio and weight are minimally affected. To identify the threshold temperature, grain-filling ratio and weight, which were observed at two sites for 2 years in Korea, were compared with a range of cumulative temperature during 40 days in the late season. As a result, cumulative temperature of 800℃, which is equivalent to, on average, 20℃ during 40 days of grain-filling period, was determined to be the threshold temperature for normal grain filling in the late season. The LMHD for normal maturation was also determined from cumulative probability density function of dates from which the threshold temperature of 800℃ was met during the last 15 years as well as 33 years. Our results suggested that it would be better to use the cumulative density function of those dates derived from the last 15 years rather than 33 years because current climate conditions could be better represented by the density function derived from recent years.

Alternative Herbicides to Control Herbicide-Resistant and Troublesome Weeds in Paddy Fields

This study was conducted to select alternative herbicides to control herbicide-resistant and - troublesome weeds in rice fields, Korea. The resistant Echinochloa oryzicola to ACCase inhibitor was tested by herbicides registered to control Echinochloa oryzicola. And the resistant and troublesome weeds to sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides, ALS inhibitors, were tested by widely using herbicides to control the resistant weeds in Korea. The oxadiazon, pyrazolate, pretilachlor and benzobicyclone+thiobencarb effectively controlled resistant Echinochloa oryzicola to ACCase and ALS inhibitors at 0.5 leaf stage of the, Herbicides containing mefenacet or fentrazamide controlled effectively by the 2 leaf stage. In controlling other SU resistant weeds including Sagittaria trifolia and Ludwigia prostrate, benzobicyclon and mesotrione performed well all tested weeds, and carfentrazone and pytazolate were effective to broadleaf weeds. Sagittaria trifolia and Ludwigia prostrate, which were suspected to be resistance to SU herbicides, were well controlled by carfentrazone and pytazolate.

Re-examination of the Standard Cultivation Practices of Rice in Response to Climate Change in Korea

The impact of climate change has been simulated or estimated to bring about yield decline and quality deterioration of rice in Korea, a temperate country. To cope with these negative impacts, here we propose likely changes in the standard cultivation practices of rice in consideration of the current information on the progress/prediction of climate change and related physiological aspects of rice. Shifting grain-filling period could be a promising choice to optimize temperature for rice grain-filling, a crucial growth stage to productivity, hence providing rice plants with sufficient duration and solar radiation for the period. This choice, however, shortens days to flowering by the additive combined effects of high temperature by delayed transplanting, temperature rise itself by climate change, and accelerated phase change of rice by high temperature and short day-length. These combined effects may delay the time of transplanting in a great extent, hence reducing biomass accumulation of rice before flowering.In these conditions, recovering decreased biomass production is the key concern for rice productivity. This includes raising healthy seedlings by omitting the covering process, dense planting, and nutrient management to enhance plant’s uptake activity. Current standard water management, especially mid-term drainage and intermittent irrigation, would have more importance in the future since they mitigate methane emission from the paddy. Field monitoring for weeds and pests would be an important first step to identify newly developing or thriving species for establishing subsequent controlling strategies. Earlier weed control should be emphasized through adjusting time of herbicide application.

Agronomic Characteristics and Herbicidal Response of Barnyard Millet Strains Under Paddy Rice

ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to determine the agronomic characteristics for selection of the excellent barnyard millet and the herbicidal response for their weediness prevention in paddy rice. IT170609, IT195422 and EV2012 have produced more dry matter com pared to other barnyard millets tested. In varietal characteristics by heading date, IT170609 showed medium maturing type and IT195422 and EV201 had late maturing type. The germination rate of IT170609, IT195422 and EV2012 on temperature was higher than Echnochloa oryzicola of native species, and it was definitely distinctive at 20 and 25 o C . In the herbicidal response for their weediness prevention in paddy rice, imazosulfuron+benzobicyclone+ penoxsulam SC showed control effect the extend of over 90% to IT170609, IT195422 and EV2012. Cyhalofop-butyl EC, penoxsulam SC and metamifop EC were very effective by 6～7 leaf stage of barnyard millets tested.Key words: agronomic characteristics; barnyard millet; herbicidal response; weediness.

Impact of the consecutive days of visible wilting on growth and yield during tassel initiation in maize ( Zea Mays L.)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a major crop with different uses but shows significant susceptibility to drought stress. Recent climate change has caused prolonged drought stress, but in most countries maize production relies on rain-fed cultivation. This study was to investigate the impact of the consecutive days of visible wilting (DAW) during tassel initiation (V6) using two types of Korean maize hybrids, Gwangpyeongok (GWP) and Ilmichal (Ilmi). The traits related to plant growth and yield were measured at harvest. Drought stress during tassel initiation linearly reduced plant elongation and dry matter accumulation with the length of DAW increasing but did not affect the leaf number per plant. Our results from the simple linear regression analysis indicated that silking of GWP and Ilmi would be delayed by 0.78 and 0.61 days per DAW, respectively, which was similar to anthesis. Still, little change was observed for interval between anthesis and silking under the same condition. The kernels per row were very dependent on the length of DAW but the rows per ear were not. The percentage of filled grains and the 100- grain weight were significantly reduced only at 15- or 20-DAW and more markedly so in Gwangpyeongok at 20-DAW. The filled grain number per plant showed a gradual logistical decline mainly due to decreases in the kernels per row. All these reductions may be because initiation and growth of tassel, ear, and kernels and internode elongation beginning around V6 are sensitive to water deficits. Probit analysis revealed that the DAW to cause 50% reduction in plant grain yield was about 12 and 20 days in GWP and Ilmi, resulting in about 4.5 and 2.7% reduction a day of DAW, respectively. These results indicate that Gwangpyeongok may be more sensitive to drought stress during tassel initiation than Ilmichal.

Importance of National Crop Productivity in View of CO 2 Balance

Crop production in a country is very crucial not only in a country`s crop self-sufficiency, but also in carbon recycle. Crop can capture and store the emitted by cereal food consumption. However, imported cereal food is not concerned in carbon recycle and this hinders the accurate estimation of carbon recycle. Korea imports major grain products including wheat, corn, soybean, and rice and about 90% of the grain composition consists of carbohydrate, protein and lipid. Carbon portions in carbohydrate, protein and lipid are 45, 53, and 77%, respectively. When the carbon portions are digested and converted into completely, one ton of rice, wheat, corn, and soybean can release 1.51, 1.63, 1.56, and 1.56 tons of to the atmopshere, respectively. Based on this premise, the evolved calculated from imported grains for the last 4 years in Korea was over 21 MT of . This amount is equivalent to 4.8 billion US dollars in the conception of carbon tax. These results suggest that a decrease in a cereal import(i.e, an increase in a country`s crop self-sufficiency) can lower release to the atmosphere.

Effects of No-tillage Dry-seeding on Rice Growth and Soil Hardness

No-tillage dry-seeding of rice can offer potential benefits by reducing time and labor cost compared with conventional tillage practices. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of no-tillage dry-seeding on rice growth and soil hardness in comparison with other rice cultivation methods, machine transplanting and wet-hill-seeding on puddled paddy. The seedling stand fell within optimum range for both no-till dry-seeding and wet-hill-seeding on puddled paddy. Plant height, number of tillers and SPAD values in no-tillage dry-seeding cultivation were higher than those observed in other methods. There were no significant differences in grain yield of rice among three cultivation methods. The quality characteristics of milled rice grown in no-tillage dry-seeding were similar to those grown in other cultivation methods. Soil hardness in top 10 cm depth was significantly higher in no-tillage dry-seeding than other cultivation methods, while soil hardness below 10 cm depth was highest in machine transplanting cultivation. Results indicate that no-tillage dry-seeding practice is comparable to conventional tillage system in terms of seedling establishment, growth, yield and grain quality.