To restore reclaimed land, it needs to be supplemented with organic matter; this is especially true for Korea, where organic matter constitutes only one-tenth of conventional agricultural soils. The giant Miscanthus, a perennial grass known for its extensive biomass, shows signs of being an excellent source of organic matter for restoring reclaimed land. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the feasibility of using the giant miscanthus as an organic resource within the context of re-using reclaimed land for agricultural purposes (i.e., potato cultivation), and (ii) determine the optimum fertilization rate for the potatoes while the giant miscanthus is being used as an organic resource. Our results show that after 180 days, giant miscanthus lost 23–47% of its original dry weight, with the extent of the loss dependent on soil salinity. Nutrient concentrations (Mg2+, Na+) continued to increase until the end of the study period. In contrast, potassium (K+) and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) decreased until the end of the study period. Specifically, after 180 days, low salinity topsoil treatments had the lowest C/N ratio. In the first year, 150 % of standard N rates were required for the potatoes to achieve maximum productivity; however in the 2nd year, standard rates were sufficient to achieve maximum productivity. Overall, this implies that even though the application of giant miscanthus did eventually improve soil quality, increasing crop yields, N fertilization is still necessary for the best outcomes.

Background : Despite the presence of various bioactive compounds in ginseng, there is lack of study on the variations of bioactive compounds in ginseng according to the cultivation of soil and the applied fertilizer types (or amount). Therefore, this study aims to examine the variations of 37 fatty acids (FA) and 8 vitamin E (Vit-E) vitamers in 6-year-old ginseng root cultivated in different soil types with different fertilizers regimes. Methods and Results : The profiling of 37 FAs and 8 Vit-E vitamers in 6-year-old ginseng roots was measured by gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector, and then these results were statistically analyzed with chemometrics. The FA and Vit-E content in ginseng roots varied significantly with respect to soil cultivation conditions due to organic fertilizer types and amounts used. Unsaturated FA in ginseng is approximately 2.7 fold higher than the saturated FA. Linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids were the most abundant FAs found in the ginseng roots. Also, the major Vit-E vitamer found in ginseng root is α -tocopherol. In particular, the application of rice straw compost or food waste fertilizer was increased to create nutritionally-desirable FAs and bioactive Vit-E in ginseng root. In addition, phytonutrient profiling coupled with chemometrics can be used to discriminate the cultivation conditions of ginseng. Conclusion : This preliminary study extends our understanding about the variations of FA and Vit-E in ginseng root depending on cultivation conditions. Hence, these results can be useful as basic information for reliable ginseng production containing high amounts of phytonutrients in a paddy-converted field.