Farmers in highlands in South Korea pile up 20 to 30 cm of saprolites, mostly granite-or granitegneiss-weathered materials, on surface of arable lands every three to five years to compensate eroded soil and sometimes to discontinue soil-borne diseases. Immediate increases of infiltration and percolation rates are expected with coarse textured saprolites while soil drainage becomes poorer in a long-term. In this study, we analyzed mineralogical characteristics and micro-morphology of plow pan to investigate processes making impermeable layers. Soil samples were collected from plow pan, usually located at approximately 20 cm soil depth and at the lower part of piled saprolites, in arable lands in Hoenggye 5-ri, Daekwanryeong-myeon, Gangwon-do (N37.7, E128.7) in which saprolites were added 2, 4, and 8 years ago; saprolites were transported from similar areas. The saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased over time. Based on soil thin section pedography, quartz and feldspar accounted for a majority of minerals. The size of feldspar decreased and macropores became filled with clay or silt particles over time, which implies that macropores were packed with particles weathered from feldspar. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that intensity of feldspar decreased over time and the reverse was true for kaolinite and illite, indicating that feldspar and mica weathering induced formation of kaolinite and illite. Conclusively, deteriorated drainage by formation of impermeable layers in farms with piled saprolites was caused by accumulation of clay minerals such as kaolinite and illite in macropores; illite and kaolinite can be formed by weathering of mica and feldspar, respectively.Key words: Surface-piled saprolite, Soil mineral, Micromorphology

In highland crop fields, saprolite is piled up approximately every three years as deep much as 20 to 30 cm because farmers expect that adding new materials may improve productivity and mitigate hazards by continuous cultivation of a single crop. Piling saprolite, however, has been reported to induce poor soil drainage. Effects of deep ploughing with a spading machine and an excavator were studied in sites located in Daekwanryeong-myeon, Pyeongchang in which soil physical properties were deteriorated by piled saprolite. The soil made of parent material of Samgag series was piled up over surface soil of Haggog series naturally developed in the area. Carrot was cultivated in the field. Productivity and growth factors of carrot were compared among control and deep ploughing by a spading machine and an excavator. Effective soil depth extended to 60 cm or greater by 60 cm deep ploughing by an excavator or 50 cm deep ploughing by a spading machine. On the other hand, effective soil depth was within 50 cm at control plot. Productivity of carrot responded to amelioration of soil physical properties. The productivity was greater in deep ploughing treatments than that of control or 30 cm ploughing. It suggested that increased productivity by deep ploughing was mainly related to breaking plough pan which inhibited extension of rooting zone.

We have five soil series of pan soils in South Korea out of 391 series: Gangreung, Bugog, Yeongog, Jangweon, and Pogog. Productivity decreases in pan soils as pan horizons impede percolation and capillary rise of water and interrupt root extension. This study was performed to investigate pedogenic processes of pan soils mainly located in footslope and river terrace by analyzing physicochemical properties and soil micro-morphology. Korean pan soils belong to Alfisols, Ultisols, or Inceptisols and have udic or aquic soil moisture regime, mesic temperature regime, and mixed mineral substances. Texture of pan horizons selected for the present study was mainly silty clay loam with clay contents ranging from 26.3 to 45.3%. Bulk density of the pan horizons ranged from 1.4 to 2.1 Mg m -3 and their soil structure were subangular or angular structure. In terms of micromorphological structure, Bt horizon of Gangreung series was formed as platy and striated b-fabric structure possibly affected by uplift of coastal terrace following clay sedimentation by flood. Jangweon series showed micro-morphology of massive structure and crystallic b-fabric as macropores between coarse debris established by debris fall in slope were filled with silt-sized particles. The Bt horizons having massive structure and striated b-fabric in Yeongog, Pogog, and Bugog series implies that those horizons experienced horizontal mass flow after clay accumulation.

Bad drainage problems from paddy fields adjacent to roads are caused by higher constructed roads which change topography of paddy fields to concave topography and artificial pan to prevent road erosion when road constructions are occurred. This study investigated effects of topography changes on soils by road constructions. Soil samples were investigated by physico-chemical analyses and micromorphology analyses from representative soil profile of Sachon series and soil samples. The characteristics of Sachon series that were adjacent to roads were fewer redoximorphic features (RMF) and increase in grey layers than the original Sachon series. The characteristics of Yecheon Series were shown from Jeollanamdo -Suncheon > Chungchungnamdo -Cheonan > Gangwondo -Wonju. Mosaic speckles were shown from micromorphological analyses because of repeat of shrink and expansion by wetting and drying. The location of graying in soil clods were found from coarse stone blocks to fine stone blocks and color changes of composed particles were also found.

This experiment was conducted in Suwon and Iksan city from 2012 to 2014 to evaluate soil erosion and nutrient loss from irrigated paddy fields during cropping period. Rainfall amount and rainfall erosivity of EI 30 were, on average, 1,026 mm and 3,922 mm ha . Amount of soil loss, however, depended on areas and year influenced by variation of rainfall amount and intensity. Interestingly, soil erosion in Iksan in 2012 was remarkably greater than those in other periods due to heavy rainfall between late May and June with soil flake dispersion right after the rice-planting season.