The provincial agricultural agency announced plans to integrate newly established temperature and moisture benchmarks into its smart control platform, known as 제빛나, by late November. The upgrade aims to curb the physiological disorder known as fruit splitting, or yeol-gwa, which damages yields across the region's Redhyang mandarin crops.
Data Collection Across Jeju Orchards
Researchers at the agricultural institute tracked environmental and growth indicators across 21 Redhyang cultivation facilities on the island. By comparing farms experiencing high rates of fruit splitting against those with minimal damage, the institute isolated specific climatic triggers during different developmental stages.
Fruit splitting occurs when internal expansion outpaces the stretch capacity of the fruit skin, a process heavily influenced by erratic water uptake and temperature swings. The study revealed that high daytime temperatures during the early fruit-setting stage in May and June increase splitting rates. Similarly, elevated nighttime temperatures combined with unstable water supplies during the fruit enlargement period from July through September worsen the condition.
Specific Environmental Thresholds for Farmers
For May and June, the agency recommends maintaining average daytime indoor temperatures between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius. For July and August, the recommended average nighttime indoor temperature sits between 25 and 26.4 degrees Celsius.
Water management guidelines focus on maintaining consistent soil moisture to prevent drought stress followed by sudden absorption. The institute advises growers to keep soil adequately and evenly supplied until the ripening phase. Specific targets require keeping soil moisture tension between 0 and -20 kilopascals and volumetric water content between 28 and 33 percent, measured at a depth of 20 centimeters beneath the soil surface.
Integration into the 제빛나 Smart System
The newly developed thresholds will be structured into a comprehensive growth management model and uploaded to the Jeju smart control and integration platform, 제빛나, by the end of November.
“Because cultivation environments vary by farm, objective management standards that can be referenced in the field are essential,” Kim stated, emphasizing the goal of making data utilization accessible for daily cultivation decisions.
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