Crop protection strategies in organic horticulture aim to prevent insect pest and plant disease problems through utilization of non-chemical based control means. In order to develop a model for management of plant diseases and insects in organic cucumber cultivation, we compared efficacies between chemical pesticide spraying system and biological control means in semi-forcing and retarding cucumber cultivation during 2005 and 2006. Conventional chemical spray program using various chemical pesticides was applied 5 - 10 days intervals, while two different non-chemical pesticide application programs using two formulated biopesticides Topseed™ and Q-fect™， Suncho™, and Sangsungje™(biocontrol agents 1) and using egg-yolk and cooking oil(EYCO)， Bordeaux mixture, Suncho™, and ‘Sangsungje™(biocontrol agents 2) were applied 5 - 7 days intervals during entire cucumber cultivation period. Efficacy of both biocontrol agents programs was effective to comparable to conventional chemical pesitice spray program to control plant diseases such as powdery mildew and downy mildew as well as insect pests such as aphids and thrips which are known as major threats in cucumber organic cultivation. In this study, we established and evaluated an effective and economic crop protection strategy using various biological resources can be used to control plant diseases and pests simultaneously in organic cucumber cultivation field.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of soil covering materials such as rice bran, rice hull and saw dust on garlic growth through a field experiment in wintertime. Rice bran was the smallest in term of particle size, but it recorded the highest level of bulk density. The missing plant rate after winter season was relatively high, 59.3%, and that of soil covering materials stood at the low level of 10%. Other growth factors recorded the highest level during application of rice bran. In terms of chemical properties of soil-covering materials, rice bran recorded the highest level of 1.84, 2.34 and 0.16% in the content of N, P, and K, respectively. The subsoil temperature was higher by application of rice bran as compared to that of other materials which stood at the lowest temperature (-90 C).