This study was performed to examine the effect of the clay mineral illite on the improvement of soil and plant growth. Red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) was used as a test vegetable crop. The experiment was performed during six weeks in the plantation of the Chungbuk National University. Its seedlings were cultivated in the soil normally used for horticultural purpose. Among the seedlings germinated the healthy and regular size of seed were selected and cultivated in the plantation. They were treated with two forms of illite, particulate (PA) and powder (PW), at the following application rates: standard application[P1 (PA1, PW1), soil: illite = 1:20 (w/w)] and two times [P2 (PA2, PW2), 1:10 (w/w)] of standard application. Untreatment (P0) was used as a control soil. At six weeks of cultivation, their growth lengths were correspondingly increased as the application rate was increased ranging from P0, P1, and P2. Their growth length was a little greater with the application of powder illite (PW) than with the particulate illite (PA). Based on the plant analysis of root, leaf, and stem of red pepper, the uptake amounts of K, Ca, and Mg, were correspondingly increased, as the application rate was increased ranging from P0, P1, and P2 respectively. At the same application rate, their amounts taken up in the respective parts were higher with the application of PW illite than on the PA one. Especially the amounts of Ca and Mg were higher in the stem and leaf than root. Consequently, it appears that the illite treatment, especially, PW form of illite, enhance the growth of red pepper in the plantation during the six weeks of experiment.

The impact of 1 pound of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) on warming the atmosphere is almost 310 times that of 1 pound of carbon dioxide. Agricultural soil management is the largest source of N 2 O emissions, accounting for about 73% of total N 2 O emissions. This study was conducted to evaluate the nitrous oxide emission in the cultivation of soybean during the first year of No-tillage (NT) and Conventional-tillage (CT) practices, under the various conditions such as different kinds of fertilizers, soil temperature, and moisture level. In the experiment, we set CT and NT treatments into 4 different groups -control treatments (no fertilization), green manure treatments, chemical fertilizer treatments and organic manure treatments. In the case of chemical fertilizer treatments, N 2 O emission of NT treatment was 7.78 to 22.59% lower than CT treatment. In organic manure treatment, N 2 O emission of NT treatment was 6.62% higher than CT treatment in August. But In July and September, N 2 O emission of NT treatment was 9.50% 28.38% lower than CT treatment, respectively. Soil temperature was correlated with N 2 O emission positively. In the future, continued long-term research on influence of various environmental factors on the generation of N 2 O and the economic value of no-till farming is required.