Spikelet number per unit area(SPN) is a major determinant of rice yield. Nitrogen nutrition status and biomass during reproductive stage determine the SPN. To formulate a model for estimating SPN, the 93 field experiment data collected from widely different regions with different japonica varieties in Korea and Japan were analyzed for the upper boundary lines of SPN responses to nitrogen nutrition index(NNI), shoot dry weight and shoot nitrogen content at panicle initiation and heading stage. The boundary lines of SPN showed asymptotic responses to all the above parameters(X) and were well fitted to the exponential function of f(X)=alphacdot1- etacdotexp(gamma;cdot;X) . Excluding the constant, from the boundary line equation, the values of the equation range from 0 to 1 and represent the indices of parameters expressing the degree of influence on SPN. In addition to those indices, the index of shoot dry weight increase during reproductive stage was calculated by directly dividing the shoot dry weight increase by the maximum value (800 extrmg/m-2 ) of dry weight increase as it showed linear relationship with SPN. Four indices selected by forward stepwise regression at the stay level of 0.05 were those for NNI (INNIP ) at panicle initiation, NNI(INNIh ) and shoot dry weight(IDWh ) at heading stage, and dry weight increase(IDW ) between those two stages. The following model was obtained: SPN=48683ㆍ IDWH 0.482 ㆍ INNIp 0.387 ㆍ INNIH 0.318 ㆍ IDW 0.35 ). This model accounted for about 89% of the variation of spikelet number. In conclusion this model could be used for estimating the spikelet number of japonica rice with some confidence in widely different regions and thus, integrated into a rice growth model as a component model for spikelet number estimation.n.n.

Critical nitrogen concentration (Nc), which is defined as the minimum % N in shoots required to maintain the maximum growth rate of top dry weight (W) at any time, was determined for rice plant. Using two rice varietal groups, japonica varieties and an indica ~times japonica "Dasanbyeo", 18 data points fulfilling the statistical criteria for determining Nc were obtained through eight N-fertilization experiments over two years at Suwon (37~circ 16'N), Korea. Nc dilution curve for each variety was obtained by fitting the Nc-W relationship to power function. However, The critical nitrogen curves for the two variety groups were not different statistically. Thus, a Nc dilution curve was fitted for the Nc data points pooled over the two variety groups and proposed in rice as: Nc=4.08, where W＜1.73 t h a-1 , Nc=5.197 W0.425 3/ (R2 =0.964), where 1.73 t h a-1 ＜W＜12 t h a-l . The Nc for W＜1.73 t h a-l were estimated as a constant value of 4.08%, the mean value of the maximum N concentration for N-limiting condition and the minimum N concentration for N non-limiting condition. The model for Nc is applicable to diagnosing the nitrogen nutrition status during the rice growth period from emergence to heading stage. The Nc curve well discriminated the 144 data points between the N limiting and the N non-limiting groups regardless of varieties, cultural methods, and years.-limiting groups regardless of varieties, cultural methods, and years.

High temperature during sprout emergence period of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a major limitation to the yield of fall-grown potato in Korea. To explore the possibility of improving the yield of fall-grown potato through recycled paper mulching, the changes of soil environment and the growth and yield of potato cv. Daeji as affected by three mulching treatments of non-mulched control, recycled paper mulching (RPM), and black polyethylene film-mulching (BPFM) were examined over two fall seasons at Suwon, Korea. The mulching materials were a recycled mulch paper with 110 g/m2 and a thickness of 0.1 mm, which was manufactured from old corrugated containers for this experiment and a commercial black polyethylene film with a thickness of 0.01mm. On an average throughout the growing period, the soil temperature with RPM at the 5-cm depth was lower by 0.4-1.1~circC than that of the control. The maximum temperature during daytime in RPM was lowered by approximately 1 to 5~circC according to the weather condition during emergence period, the difference being great on a fine day. The soil temperature with BPFM was much higher than the control. The effect of the mulching treatments diminished as the canopy became developed. The mulching treatments were more advantageous than the control in the conservation of soil water. Moreover, RPM and BPFM efficiently suppressed the occurrence of weeds until the potato harvest. RPM improved the emergence significantly due to lower soil temperature, whereas BPFM showed much poorer emergence than the control. Growth after emergence and yield were significantly higher in RPM than in the control and BPFM. It was concluded that the significantly improved yield in RPM compared to that in the control was mainly due to the improvement of the sprout emergence and tuber growth accompanied by lower soil temperature and better conservation of soil water.

To explore the feasibility of recycled paper mulching in spring-grown potato the changes of soil environments and the growth and yield of potato under non-mulched control and three mulching treatments of recycled paper (RPM), transparent polyethylene film (TPFM), and black polyethylene film (BPFM) were examined over two spring seasons in 1998 and 1999 at Suwon, Korea. The mulching materials were a recycled mulch paper with 110 g/m2 and a thickness of 0.1mm, which was manufactured from old corrugated containers for this experiment and the commercial polyethylene films with a thickness of 0.01mm. RPM lowered the average soil temperature at 5-cm depth during the potato growing period by 03~circC compared with the control, whereas TPFM and BPFM raised it by 2.0~circC , and 1.8~circC , respectively. On a sunny day during sprout emergence, RPM reduced the maximum soil temperature by about 5~circC , while TPFM and BPFM enhanced it by about 11~circC and 6.0~circC , respectively. The temperature difference between the control and the mulching treatments decreased with the development of canopy. All the mulching treatments had an advantage in preserving the soil moisture over the control. RPM and BPFM resulted in the effective control of weed by obstructing light transmission onto soil surface, but TPFM had no control effect of weed. Sprout emergence started two to three days earlier in TPFM and BPFM, but one day later in RPM than in the control due to the altered soil temperature by the mulching treatments. However, the final percentage of emergence was notably lower in TPFM than that in the control because of too high soil temperature during daytime, but was not different among the control, RPM, and BPFM. During the early stage of potato growth, the shoot and root growth under RPM was lower compared with the control, but afterwards, RPM outpaced the control. In 1998 experiment, the tuber yield under RPM and BPFM were significantly higher than those of the control and TPFM. In 1999 experiment, there was no significant difference in tuber yield between RPM and the control.