In order to determine the influence of nitrogen on agronomic characters, forage yield and quality, a Kenaf was cultured on the volcanic ash soil at the Experimental Farm of Cheju national University under the seven levels of nitrogen rates(0, 50, 100, 150

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is known to produce the highest total digestible mutrients (TDN) yield among summer grain legumes in Jeju area but little is known about the effects of cultural practices on forage yield and quality. A determinate soybean cv. Baegunkong was planted on 5 June, 20 June, and 3 July and grown at four plant densities (30, 50, 70 and 90 plants m-2 in 1998 in Jeju to evaluate the effects of planting date and plant density on the yield and quality of soybean forage. Days to flowering decreased from 47 to 38 days, average plant height from 61 to 51cm and main stem diameter from 6.31 to 5.00mm as planting was delayed from 5 June to 3 July. Average plant height quadratically increased from 45 to 62cm as plant density increased from 30 to 90 plants m-2 . Planting date did not affect the average dry matter, crude protein, and TDN yields. The average dry matter and TDN yields displayed a quadratic response to plant density and the optimum plant density for both dry matter and TDN yields was estimated about 60 plants m-2 . Plant density had no effect on crude protein yield. Planting date did not significantly influence forage quality. The crude protein content was not significantly influenced by plant density. Increasing plant density slightly increased acid detergent fiber content but slightly decreased TDN content.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.), mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilcz.], cowpea [V. unguiculata (L.) Walp.], adzuki bean [V. angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi], maize [Zea mays L.], sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], sorghum ~times sudangrass [So bicolor intraspecific hybrid], and Japanese millet [Echinochloa crusgalli var. frumentacea (Link) W.F. Wight] were grown at two planting dates (18 June and 15 July) at Cheju in 1997 to select the best forage legumes adapted to Cheju Island for grass-legume forage rotation. Averaged across planting dates and cultivars, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and total digestible nutrient (TDN) yields were 5,646, 1,056, and 3,637 kg/ha for soybean, 4,458, 676, and 2,661 kg/ha for mungbean, 3,289, 553, and 2,055 kg/ha for cowpea, 3,931, 674, and 2,489 kg/ha for adzuki bean, 12,695, 969, and 7,642 kg/ha for maize, 17,071, 1,260, and 8,857 kg/ha for sorghum, 16,355, 1,163, and 8,543 kg/ha for sorghum ~times sudangrass hybrid, and 8,288, 929, and 4,091 kg/ha for Japanese millet. Soybean was higher in CP, ether extract (EE), and TON content but was lower in nitrogen free extract content compared with the three other legumes. The legumes had much higher CP (13.7 to 21.9%), EE (2.42 to 6.23%), and TDN (58.7 to 69.9%) content but lower in crude fiber (CF) content (17.3 to 25.3%) than did the grasses tested except maize which had relatively lower CF content but higher TDN content. These results suggest that soybean could be the best forage legume for grass-legume forage rotation in the Cheju region.

Four introduced forage rape (Brassica napus) cultivars, 'Akela', 'Ramon', 'Sparta', and 'Velox' and a leading rapeseed cultivar, 'Hallayuchae' were grown at nitrogen (N) rates of 0, 100, 250, 300, 350, and 400 kg/ha to (i) select forage rape cultivars adapted best to Cheju area, and (ii) determine the optimum N rate for the best cultivars. Days from seeding to flowering across the cultivars increased 190 to 195 days as N rate increased from 0 to 400 kg/ha. Average days to flowering of six cultivars ranged from 182 to 198 days. Plant height increased as N rate increased up to 300 kg/ha and then decreased with a further increase in N rate and ranged from 159 to 174 cm among the cultivars. The optimum N rate for the greatest dry matter yield of five cultivars ranged from 222 to 258 kg/ha. Sparta showed the greatest dry matter yield (35.79 Mg/ha), followed by Akela, Hallayuchae, Velox, and Ramon. As N rate increased, crude protein content linearly increased but crude fiber content declined curvilinearly. Akela and Sparta had higher protein content than the other cultivars did. The forage cultivars had lower crude fiber content than the oilseed cultivar Hallayuchae did. Our results demonstrated that Sparta was best adapted to Cheju area and the optimum N rate for Sparta was about 220kg/ha.

Four introduced forage rape cultivars 'Akela', 'Ramon', 'Sparta', and 'Velox' and a leading rapeseed cultivar Hall-ayuchae were seeded on 1 October 1994 on 20-cm rows at seeding rates of 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, and IS kg/ha to select the best adapted forage rape cultivars and to determine the optimum seeding rate in the Cheju area. Days to flowering of each cultivar was not significantly affected by seeding rate. Average plant height increased from 151 to 164 cm as seeding rate increased from 3 to 10 kg/ha and then decreased to 156 cm at 15 kg/ha. Stem diameter linearly decreased with increasing seeding rate. The optimum seeding rate for the greatest dry matter and protein yields of five cultivars ranged from 10.7 to 11.8 and 10.8 to 14.4 kg/ha, respectively. Dry matter yields of five cultivars ranged from 7.72 and 22.01 Mg/ha. Sparta produced the greatest dry matter yield, followed by Akela, Ramon, Hallayuchae, and Velox. Crude protein yields of five cultivars ranged from 0.29 to 1.08 Mg/ha. Sparta produced the greatest crude protein yield, followed by Akela, Ramon, Velox, and Hallayuchae. As seeding rate increased, crude protein content linearly increased but crude fiber content linearly decreased. The forage cultivars had higher crude protein and lower crude fiber than the oilseed cultivar Hallayuchae. Our results demonstrate that Sparta was the best adapted cultivar to Cheju area and the optimum seeding rate for Sparta was about 10 kg/ha.

Two determinate soybean cultivars, 'Baegunkong' and 'Namhaekong', were planted on 8 Jone, 23 June, and 8 July 1996 at Cheju at planting densities of 33, 43, 53, 63 plants per m2 to determine the optimum planting density of double crop soybean for recently recommended cultivars in Cheju area at various planting dates. The plant height, and the diameter and node number of main stems decreased as planting was delayed. The plant height increased but the stem diameter and node number decreased with increasing planting density. Pod number per plant was greater for Namhaekong than for Baegunkong and was not affected by planting date. Pod number per plant decreased but pod numbers per ~textrmm2 increased with increasing planting density. The number of seeds per pod was greater at the two later plantings and fewer at the highest planting density. 100-seed weight decreased with delaying planting. The seed weight was lighter at the highest planting density for Baegunkong but there was no difference for Namhaekong among the planting densities. The seed yield of Baegunkong was greater for 23 June and 8 July plantings (2,280 and 2,420 kg/ha) than for 8 June planting (1,450 kg/ha) while that of Namhaekong was greatest at 23 June planting (2,690 kg/ha) compared with 8 June and 8 July plantings (1,890 and 2,080 kg/ha). Across the planting dates and cultivars, seed yield increased from 1,860 to 2,290kg/ha as the planting density increased from 33 to 53 plants/~textrmm2 and then leveled off with a further increase in planting density.