Presentation on

Crop management under excess water

Prepared by
Dinesh Marasini
Kailash Raman Bhatta
Dhurba Regmi
Mahesh Kunwar
Prakash Gurung

Presented by
Dinesh Marasini
Excess water is a condition of land in which the soil profile is saturated with water
either temporarily or permanently

soil pores in the crop root zone are saturated with water

 results in restriction of the normal circulation of air

Areas with water table within 2 m below the ground surface are considered as
prone to waterlogging and those with water table within 2-3 m are considered to
be at risk Waterlogging

reduces the agricultural and economic value of land causing yield reductions or at
times, total crop failures
Cause of excess water
Excess water is a drainage problem

Drainage problems can be caused by low water outflow due to low

infiltration rate , flat terrain, lack of outlet or restricted outlet in the
soil

In irrigated agriculture, drainage should be part of the overall design

and implementation to avoid problems of waterlogging
Effect of flash flood(short term flood)
1. Soil
Lack of aeration: due to saturation of soil
Reduced soil temperature
Salinization
Inhibiting activity of soil bacteria
De-nitrification
Retards cultivation
Cont……
2. Crops
Aquatic weeds
Diseased crops
Loss of cash crops
Low yields
Oxygen depletion
Cont……
3. Inputs
Fertilizers loss
Poor germination
Effect on irrigation layout
Effect on cultural operation
Additional cost of labour and plant protection
Effect of flooding
1. Increase in Saline and Alkaline Elements in Soil or Increase in Salinity
Ground water comes up and salt in lower level of soil comes to the surface
When concentration of soluble salts in the soil is more than 0.1, growth of
plants stops

2. Hindrance in Air Communication

Excessive water replaces air in pores of the soil so roots of plants and
beneficial organisms do not get sufficient air for breathing and living

Growth of plants is stopped and disease severity increases

In waterlogged soil, diffusion of gases through soil pores is so strongly

inhibited by water content that plant fails to match the needs of growing roots.
Cont….
3. Reduction in Temperature of Soil
Seeds do not settle properly and growth of plants is affected.
Activeness of organisms is also reduced.
4. Shallowness of Roots
Due to excess water and shortage of air, roots do not go deep and they
remain on the upper surface
Plants are not able to get nutritive elements in sufficient quantity

low root development which cause in lodging of plants

Plant grown in water logged condition show nitrogen and phosphorus
deficiencies due to restricted root development
Cont…
5. Marshy Land:
Land becomes marshy due to stagnant water for a long duration
only grass can grow there
land does not remain useful for agriculture.
6. Low nitrogen availability
absence of oxygen in water­logged soil, process of de-nitrification starts

Availability of nitrogen in soil decreases

Leaching of nitrate nitrogen

Cont….
7. Acidity of Soil
Positively charged Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+ ion sticking to soil colloids are
washed up which increases acidity of soil

8. Attack of diseases
Flooding increases the incidence of soil-borne fungal diseases
Phytophthora (wilting), Pythium (damping-off) and anaerobic bacteria
are common problems in practical farming 
Management of water -logged soils

Levelling of land
Drainage
Controlled irrigation
To check the seepage in the canals and irrigation channels
Flood control measures
Plantation of tree having high transpiration rate
Selection of crops and their proper varieties
Nutrient management in water-logged soils 
Deep placement
Slow and controlled release fertilizers
Management of Excess Water in Crop Field

Improving Land Drainage

Drainage is necessary in heavy clay soils
Good drainage help to reduce toxic substance in the soil
Extent of drainage depends on stages of growth like early flowering
have been reported to be more susceptible to water logged conditions
Types of drainage to be applied in the field are
Sub-surface drainage
Surface drainage
Tillage
Tillage operation should not be performed in the submerged condition
because tillage increases the compactness of the soil reducing the soil
holding capacity and increases the soil erosion

Crop selection
tolerance period for excess water stress varies according to plant type
Most annual crops can tolerate 3-7 days of water stress;
forage legumes tolerate 9-14 days stress;
forage grasses can tolerate excess water for 10-49 days
Plant Breeding
Development of crop varieties which can tolerate the excess water
condition for more duration
Incorporation of aerenchyma tissues in the plant
 swarna sub-1
 IR64 sub-1
 Samba sub 1 are submergence tolerateable varieties of rice
Thank you