Soluble salts are dominant form at reclaimed tidal saline soil, which can be improved by leaching with excessive irrigation water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation on soil salinity and corn (Zea mays) growth at reclaimed tidal saline soil. A field experiment was conducted at Saemangeum reclaimed tidal land in Korea, during two successive growing seasons between 2013 and 2014. During the growing season, three different irrigation practices were applied as following; (1) irrigation at −35 kPa, (2) irrigation at −50 kPa, and (3) no-irrigation. Soil salinity was significantly decreased with increasing irrigation rates. Soluble cations were statistically decreased with irrigation; especially the depression of soluble Na was greater than other cations. Corn growth was significant with irrigation practice and the length of stem, panicle number, and stem thickness was statistically greater compared to the control. Although the germination rate was more than 95% in all treatment, withering rate was great in both growing seasons, which was significantly decreased with irrigation practice. Our results indicated that salt control is critical at reclaimed tidal saline soil and irrigation practice based on soil potential could be one of the best management options to alleviate salt damages for stable crop production at reclaimed tidal saline soil.

This study investigated the changes in yields, antioxidant compounds, and antioxidant activities among 11 adzuki bean cultivars cultivated in a paddy field with somewhat poorly drained soil. The adzuki bean cultivars were cultivated in the paddy field from 2015 to 2016 in Milyang, Gyeongsangnam, Korea. Average soil moisture content was 16.5% in 2015 and 31.0% in 2016 at the experimental site during adzuki bean cultivation. As the soil moisture content increased, most of the adzuki bean cultivars showed deceases in stem height, first setting pod node, number of pods, 100 seed weight, and yield. Chungju-pat produced the greatest yields among the 11 cultivars in 2015 and 2016, whereas Hongeon had the smallest yields. Adzuki bean yields after paddy field cultivation was lower for all cultivars than for adzuki bean yields from the same cultivars after upland field cultivation. Chungju-pat and Chilbo-pat showed the smallest decreases in yields after paddy field cultivation, whereas Hongeon and Kumsil showed the greatest yield reductions. There were no significant differences in proximate composition. Some mineral components (P2O5, Ca, and Mg) were statistically different across cultivars. Chungju-pat had the highest Ca and Mg contents, but antioxidant components (polyphenol and flavonoids) and antioxidant activities (ABTS and DPPH) were highest in Saegil and lowest in Jungbu-pat. PCA and clustering analyses, based on the growth, yield, and antioxidant component measurements, performed to identify which variables contributed the most to separating adzuki bean cultivars or to grouping cultivars with similar characteristics. These analyses showed that the antioxidant components and antioxidant activities had the most influence on grouping cultivars together. Among the 11 cultivars, Saegil was statistically different from the other cultivars, but the other 10 cultivars were not significantly different under paddy field cultivation. Soil moisture content affected adzuki bean yield and antioxidant component contents. An increase in soil moisture led to a decrease in yield, but an increase in antioxidant components. These results provide information that will improve the selection of an appropriate adzuki bean cultivar for use in paddy fields.

Crop production in rice paddy fields is of great importance because of declining rice consumption and the low self-sufficiency ratio for field crops in Korea. A controlled drainage system (CDS) is recognized as an effective means to adjust water table (WT) levels as needed and control soil water content to improve the soil environment for optimum crop growth. The present study evaluated the effects of a CDS on soil characteristics, including soil water distribution and soybean development in paddy fields. The CDS was installed with two drain spacing (3 m and 6 m) at the experimental paddy field at the National Institute of Crop Science, Miryang, Korea. It was managed with two WT levels (0.3 m and 0.6 m) during the growing season. Soil water content, electrical conductivity and plant available nitrogen content in the soil were significantly greater in the 0.3 m WT management plots than in the 0.6 m plot and the control. At the vegetative stage, chlorophyll content was significantly lower with higher WT control because of excess soil moisture, but it recovered after the flowering stage. Soybean yield increased with WT management and the 0.6 m WT treatment produced the greatest grain yield, 3.38 ton ha-1, which was 50% greater than that of the control. The CDS directly influenced outflow through the drains, which significantly delayed nutrient loss. The results of this study indicated that WT management by CDS can influence soil characteristics and it is an important practice for high yielding soybean production in paddy fields, which should be considered the crop growth stages for stable crop production.

This study investigated the changes of antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activity of adzuki bean by drainage methods in poorly drained sloping paddy field. The soil moisture contents of under pipe and open ditch drainage on very poorly drained paddy soil were 18.52±4.58 and 19.01±4.25%, and imperfectly drained paddy soil were 14.87±4.82 and 18.64±3.85%, respectively. Moisture, protein, fat and ash contents of adzuki bean with drainage methods were 10.10~11.60, 14.13~21.75, 0.02~0.73 and 2.81~3.45 g/100 g, respectively. The total polyphenol, flavonoid and tannin contents, and radical scavenging activity of adzuki bean showed significant differences by drainage methods. The total polyphenol, flavonoid, and tannin contents by drainage methods were 2.73~4.14 mg GAE/g, 1.07~1.43 mg CE/g, and 1.27~1.84 mg TAE/g, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were 2.84~4.47 and 5.11~6.74 mg TE/g, respectively. The antioxidant compounds and radical scavenging activity of the adzuki bean by drainage methods were frequently affected soil water.