Opinion
The Republic of Korea has extensive data (HeukToram) and maps related to soil attributes. Since the 1960s, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) has conducted nationwide soil testing and mapping for commercial fields. This Korean Soil Information System, which continues to expand through data collection by local Agricultural Technology Extension Centers (ATC), is the primary official resource for supporting growers with organic matter management and chemical fertilization. While the database provides broad national coverage and fulfills its initial purpose, its application is mostly limited to farm or field levels. Several challenges undermine the data’s reliability and broader applicability, limiting its contribution to regional and global databases. This opinion paper addresses issues related to impractical data utilization, human errors in soil test results, spatial inaccuracies in soil maps, and the limitation of attributes and field-level soil profiling. It also proposes actions to improve the effectiveness and scope of these databases.
Elbasiouny H, El-Ramady H, Elbehiry F, Rajput VD, Minkina T, Mandzhieva S. 2022. Plant nutrition under climate change and soil carbon sequestration. Sustainability. 14:914. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020914
10.3390/su14020914Friedlingstein P, O'sullivan M, Jones M, Andrew R, Hauck J, Olsen A, Peters G, Peters W, Pongratz J, Sitch S. 2020. Global Carbon Budget 2020. Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss. 2020:1-3. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3269-2020
10.5194/essd-12-3269-2020Jahn R, Blume HP, Asio VB, Spaargaren O, Schad P. 2006. Guidelines for soil description, 4th edition. FAO, Rome. https://www.fao.org/4/a0541e/a0541e.pdf
Lal R, Negassa W, Lorenz K. 2015. Carbon sequestration in soil. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 15:79-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2015.09.002
10.1016/j.cosust.2015.09.002Lee J, Necpalova M, Six J. 2020. Biophysical potential of organic cropping practices as a sustainable alternative in Switzerland. Agric. Syst. 181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102822
10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102822Li CS. 2000. Modeling trace gas emissions from agricultural ecosystems. Nutr. Cycl. Agroecosyst. 58:259-276. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009859006242
10.1023/A:1009859006242Oertel C, Matschullat J, Zurba K, Zimmermann F, Erasmi S. 2016. Greenhouse gas emissions from soils-A review. Geochemistry. 76: 327-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2016.04.002
10.1016/j.chemer.2016.04.002Smith P, House JI, Bustamante M, Sobocká J, Harper R, Pan G, West PC, Clark JM, Adhya T, Rumpel C, Paustian K, el al. 2016. Global change pressures on soils from land use and management. Global Change Biol. 22:1008-1028. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13068
10.1111/gcb.1306826301476van Groenigen KJ, Six J, Hungate BA, de Graaff MA, van Breemen N, van Kessel C. 2006. Element interactions limit soil carbon storage. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103:6571-6574. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0509038103
10.1073/pnas.050903810316614072PMC1458924- Publisher :Korean Society of Soil Science and Fertilizer
- Publisher(Ko) :한국토양비료학회
- Journal Title :Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
- Journal Title(Ko) :한국토양비료학회 학회지
- Volume : 57
- No :4
- Pages :455-461
- Received Date : 2024-09-23
- Revised Date : 2024-11-07
- Accepted Date : 2024-11-08
- DOI :https://doi.org/10.7745/KJSSF.2024.57.4.455
Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
