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2025 Vol.52, Issue 3 Preview Page

Food & Chemistry

Monitoring soil characteristics of the Saemangeum reclaimed agricultural soils for enhancing upland crop productivity
Ju-Hyung Shin12†
,
Yun-Gu Kang1†
,
Jun-Yeong Lee1
,
Jiwon Choi1
,
Ji-Hoon Kim1
,
Jun-Ho Kim1
,
Taek-Keun Oh1*
1Department of Bio-Environmental Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
2Department of Environmental Management, Saemangeum Project Office, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Gimje 54397, Korea
*Corresponding Author
†These authors equally contributed to this study as first author.
1 September 2025. pp. 223-231
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Abstract

Reclaimed agricultural soils, which accounts for 7.1% (112,464 ha) of Korea’s agricultural land, is increasingly required to support upland crop cultivation amid national efforts to enhance grain self-sufficiency. However, both low-fertility and high-salinity of these soils significantly hinder crop productivity. This study aimed to assess the physicochemical properties of reclaimed agricultural soils from 69 locations in the Saemangeum reclaimed area to provide foundational documents for improving upland crop productivity. Soil samples were collected in 10 cm increments down to a 70 cm depth and analyzed for bulk density, moisture content, porosity, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and exchangeable cations (i.e., K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+) content. The averaged bulk density (1.44 g·cm-3) and porosity (45.76%) at a depth of 0 - 30 cm met the appropriate range for upland crop cultivation, although localized compaction requires attention. Gravimetric and volumetric moisture contents exceeded the optimal standard, ranging from 20 to 25%, suggesting the need for periodic monitoring. Soil pH and EC values increased with the deepening of soil depth but generally remained within sustainable ranges (pH, 6.0 - 7.0; EC, ≤ 2.0 dS·m-1). However, the Saemangeum reclaimed agricultural soils had the excessive K+ and Mg2+ concentrations and insufficient Ca2+ level, which may impair crop productivity. These findings highlight the necessity of targeted soil amelioration strategies, especially Ca2+ supplementation and Na+ mitigation, for sustainable crop cultivation in reclaimed agricultural soils.

Keywords
crop productivity
exchangeable cations
reclaimed agricultural soils
soil survey
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Information
  • Publisher :Institute of Agricultural Science, Chungnam National University
  • Publisher(Ko) :충남대학교 농업과학연구소
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Journal Title(Ko) :농업과학연구
  • Volume : 52
  • No :3
  • Pages :223-231
  • Received Date : 2025-05-28
  • Revised Date : 2025-06-12
  • Accepted Date : 2025-06-13
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7744/kjoas.520302
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