This article investigates the effects of thermal memory and the moving line thermal shock on heat transfer in biological tissues by employing a generalized form of the Pennes equation. The mathematical model is built upon a novel time-fractional generalized Fourier’s law, wherein the thermal flux is influenced not only by the temperature gradient but also by its historical behavior. Fractionalization of the heat flow via a fractional integral operator leads to modeling of the finite speed of the heat wave. Moreover, the thermal source generates a linear thermal shock at every instant in a specified position of the tissue. The analytical solution in the Laplace domain for the temperature of the generalized model, respectively the analytical solution in the real domain for the ordinary model, are determined using the Laplace transform. The influence of the thermal memory parameter on the heat transfer is analyzed through numerical simulations and graphic representations.

Typhoons, which are a common natural disaster in Korea, have seen a rapid increase in annual economic losses over the past decade. The objective of this study was to utilize historical crop insurance records to predict fruit drop rates caused by typhoons from 2016 to 2021. A total of 1848 datasets for the fruit drop rate were generated based on the impact of 24 typhoons on 77 cities with typhoon damage histories. Three different types of measures—the average value, the maximum or minimum value, and the value at a specific point during the typhoon—were applied to four meteorological factors, yielding a total of twelve variables used as model inputs. The predictive performance of the proposed models was compared using five evaluation metrics, and SHAP analysis was employed to assess the contribution of predictor variables to the model output. The most significant variable in explaining the vulnerability to typhoons was found to be the maximum wind speed. The categorical boosting model outperformed the other models in all evaluation metrics, except for the mean absolute error. The proposed model will assist in estimating the potential crop loss caused by typhoons, thereby aiding in the establishment of mitigation strategies for the main crop-producing areas.

Korea produces comparatively less summer-cultivated paprika from August to September due to unfavorable environmental circumstances, particularly high temperatures that begin in late June. As a result of this, managing a greenhouse climate well during the hot season is essential to boosting paprika production and ensuring its sustainability in relation to agricultural expansion. This study aims to analyze the efficient use of environmental characters and to minimize prediction errors with the help of data collected from an advanced environmental controlled system installed in a greenhouse, along with frequently used machine learning techniques, as a sustainable method to adopt. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based sustainable methods were used for evaluating the cumulative paprika fruit count (P_n.f) based on the greenhouse environmental data using multiple linear regression (MLR), support vector machine (SVM), ensemble tree bagging (ET Bagged), and Random Forest (RF). The twenty-one potential indicators/input parameters, comprised of relative humidity, humidity deficit and temperature-related variables, were utilized. A number of statistical tests, including R-square (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE), were employed to further bolster the performance efficiency of the computed prediction models. To determine the precise impact of the input parameters, parametric and sensitivity tests were also carried out. The findings show that the suggested models meet all the accuracy-related acceptance criteria. SVM and RF, however, perform better than MLR and ET Bagged. The models’ robustness and dependability are asserted not only by simple correlation but also by the physical and logical relationships between the sensitive elements and the dependent variable. The significance of our work lies in the use of SVM and RF models for the efficient handling of environmental factors, and the findings also advise greenhouse growers on how to modify these climatic variables for greenhouses.

This study evaluated wild Allium species as functional food ingredients and investigated the quality, antioxidant properties, and taste profiles of Cheongpomuk, a traditional Korean mung bean starch gel, supplemented with Allium spurium powder. A. spurium exhibited the highest total polyphenol content among the three species screened. Cheongpomuk samples were prepared with 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12% A. spurium powder and analyzed. Increasing the powder concentration raised moisture content and lowered pH. Lightness decreased, while greenness and yellowness increased. Texture analysis revealed reduced hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and gumminess and increased adhesiveness with increasing powder concentration. Antioxidant properties, including total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, ABTS and DPPH scavenging activities, increased in a concentration-dependent manner, with the highest values observed in the 12% treatment. Electronic tongue analysis indicated enhanced sourness, saltiness, and umami with increasing powder addition, while the 6% treatment exhibited a relatively balanced profile. Overall, A. spurium powder improved the antioxidant potential of Cheongpomuk but negatively affected texture at higher levels. The 6% treatment provided a formulation level that balances enhanced functionality with acceptable quality characteristics; however, further studies are warranted.

Strawberry cultivation generates substantial amounts of agricultural by-products, including spent substrates and plant residues, particularly in hydroponic production systems. However, information on the generation scale, disposal practices, and resource utilization potential of these by-products remains limited. This study investigated the generation scale, disposal practices, and chemical characteristics of by-products from hydroponic strawberry cultivation in two major strawberry-producing regions of Korea, Nonsan in Chungcheongnam-do and Jinju in Gyeongsangnam-do. Based on national statistics and field surveys, annual by-product generation was estimated at 605,400 kL of spent substrates and approximately 25,729 t fresh weight and 6,003 t dry weight of plant residues. Disposal practices varied regionally: in Jinju, over 80% of by-products were recycled as compost or feed, whereas in Nonsan, recycling rates were lower and much was untreated or dumped. Analyses of 463 pesticides and seven heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, As, Cd, Hg) confirmed concentrations below permissible limits, ensuring safety for recycling. Inorganic analyses showed high levels of N, Ca, P, and K, suggesting potential use as alternative fertilizers. Unlike other greenhouse crops that generate residues mainly at harvest, strawberries produce by-products continuously, requiring decentralized and long-term management. These findings highlight the potential of strawberry by-products for resource utilization and their contribution to environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture when supported by pretreatment, monitoring, and integrated management. These results provide the first comprehensive assessment of the generation scale, disposal practices, and chemical safety of strawberry by-products in Korea, demonstrating their potential as alternative nutrient resources for circular agriculture.

This study was conducted to establish a standardized process for plug seedling production of Chinese chives for hydroponics. The research aimed to determine the germination characteristics and to investigate the effect of sowing amount and leaf cutting on growth during plug cultivation. The results showed that 'Speedgreen' had the highest germination rate, while the traditional variety 'Dume' exhibited a significantly lower germination rate. The germination rate of the 'Speedgreen' was 92% in 3 days, while the 'Greenbelt' reached 66% on the 3rd day and 83% on the 6th to 7th day, and then stopped increasing. The germination rate of 'Dume' was very low, less than 1% until the 7th day and about 24% on the 14th day. The mean germination time (MGT) was 2.28 to 1.38 days for the 'Speedgreen' and 'Greenbelt' as commercial varieties, but 9.22 days for the 'Dume'. The coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) and germination index (GI) were also the best for the 'Speedgreen'. In the results of the water absorption characteristics of the seeds, the maximum water absorption rate of the 'Dume' was about 85%, while the 'Speedgreen' and 'Greenbelt' reached 97%. In a study on increasing the number of tillers, the increase in the number of leaves was not proportional increment to the seeding amount, and the increase in the number of leaves due to cutting treatment tended to increase as the cutting height increased. It would be good to sow about 8 to 10 seeds per cell in the plug tray. In particular, stem cutting as a treatment to induce increased tillering was deemed effective when performed at a point at least 5 cm above the subterranean part of the chive and that treatment will increasing fresh weight.