• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2023

Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, one of the representative small rain regions, has developed a traditional irrigation farming system while overcoming and adapting to unfavorable agricultural environments from the days of the ancient nation of Jomunguk to the present. In 2018, its value was recognized and designated as Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System No. 10. This study was conducted with the purpose of examining the characteristics of the traditional irrigation farming system in Uiseong from the viewpoints of irrigation facilities, irrigation communities, and agricultural activities. The research results are as follows. Uiseong-gun has been expanding irrigation facilities for agriculture since long ago, and it has been investigated that a total of 6,227 irrigation facilities are currently distributed along the Wicheon water system that crosses Uiseong-gun from east to west. Irrigation facilities appear differently depending on the topography. The irrigation facility has a 'su-tong' as an irrigation passage and a corkscrew structure 'mot-tchong' as a water quantity control device, so the amount of water was adjusted as needed. Through this facility, surface water with warmer temperature is supplied to the farmland to prevent cold damage to crops. Uiseong has developed activities to organize irrigation communities in one village or several villages to secure agricultural water from an early age. Currently, this tradition continues, and a total of 213 irrigation communities manage 375 irrigation facilities (6.0% of all irrigation facilities). Through this organization, called Mong-ri-gye, water for agriculture is obtained, managed, and distributed equitably. In order to increase agricultural production, Uiseong implemented double cropping by converting rice fields and fields. In the case of Mt. Geumseong, double cropping of rice and barley was mainly carried out until the 1970s, but since the 1980s, double cropping of rice and garlic has been implemented with higher income. One of the unique features of the agricultural system of this region is the spectacular landscape that changes simultaneously from field to rice field in spring and from rice field to field in autumn.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.55-65
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• 2003

Pilot study was conducted to examine the effects of ponded-water depth and reclaimed wastewater irrigation on paddy rice culture. For the ponded-water depth effect, three treatments of shallow, traditional, and deep water depths were applied, and each treatment was triplicated. The irrigation water for the treatment pots was an effluent from constructed wetland system for sewage treatment, while the control pot was irrigated with tap water kept traditional ponded-water depth. Irrigation water quantity varied with ponded-water depth as expected and drainage water quantity also varied similarly, which implies that shallow irrigation might save irrigation water and also reduce environmental impacts on downstream water quality. Rice growth and production were not significantly affected by ponded-water depth within the experimental condition, instead there was an indication of increased production in shallow and deep ponded-water depths compared to the traditional practice. Raising drainage outlet to the adequate height in paddy dike might be beneficial to save water resources within the paddy field. There was no adverse effect observed in reclaimed wastewater irrigation on the rice production, and mean yield was even greater than the control pots with tap water irrigation although statistically not significant. Water-saving irrigation by shallow ponded-water depth, raising the outlet height in diked rice paddy fields, minimizing forced surface drainage by well-planned irrigation, and reclaimed wastewater irrigation are suggested to save water and protect water quality. However, deviation from traditional farming practices might affect rice growth in long term, and therefore, further investigations are recommended before full scale application.