Master Seminar on

Chemistry of Water-logged Soils & Their

Impact on Agriculture

Presented by Guidance of
Dharam Raj Dr. Munish Kumar
Id. No. CA-12322/22 Professor & Head, SCWM

Department of Soil Conservation & Water Management

Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and
Technology, Kanpur- 208002, Uttar Pradesh
 “No grain is ever produced without water, but too
much water tends to spoil the grain and inundation is
as injurious to growth as dearth of water”

-Narada Smriti XI, 19; circa 3000 BC

Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Content
 Introduction

 Characterization

 Distribution

 Impacts on Agriculture

 Management Strategies

 Conclusion
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Introduction
Water-logged or Wetland soils that are saturated with
water for a sufficiently long time annually to give the soil
the distinctive gley horizons resulting from oxidation-
reduction processes:
(a) A partially oxidized: A horizon high in organic
matter,
(b) A mottled zone in which oxidation and reduction
substitute.
(c) A permanently reduced zone which is bluish
green. Robinson (1949)
 Types of Water-logged Soils
1. Riverine flood water-logged soil (In the rainy season, flood
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur

may come to nearby land from the River having excess flood
water).

2. Oceanic flood water-logged soil (Ocean water spreads in the

nearby land and causes water-logging).

3. Seasonal water-logged soil (Run off water accumulates in the

lowlands and depressions in the rainy season).

4. Perennial water-logged soil (Deep water, swamp etc. get rain

water, runoff water& seepage water from canal causing
perennial water-logging).

5. Sub-soil waterlogging (High water table in the rainy season

is normally unsuitable for root growth).
Sahu, A. S., & Bengal, N. W. (2018).
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Characterization of wetland soils
 The following are the classes of depth to
wet state:
 Class 1: not wet above a depth of 400cm.
 Class 2: not wet above a depth of 100cm.
 Class 3: not wet above a depth of 50cm.
 Class 4: not wet above a depth of 25cm

Mostly wetland soils belongs to class 4, but

under certain conditions class 3, class 2 and
class 1 would come under deep water &
floating rice.

V. N. Sahai (2006)
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Factors affecting formation of water-logged soil

 Climatological: Rainfall and

Flood water.
 Irrigation: Uncontrolled,
unwanted.
 Drainage: Poor drainage.
 Topography: Depressed land.
 Land shape: Saucer shaped
land become water-logged.
 Height of ground water table:
Higher.

Smieja-Krol et al., (2022)

 Characteristics exhibits in water-logged soil
 Greater amount of soil solution.
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur

 Reduced oxygen level.

 Reduced aerobic microbial activity.
 Changed the Soil structure.
 Reduced the soil temperature.
 Reversible pH change.
 Fe and Mn create toxicity in plant.

Das et al., (2000)

 Present scenario in India
States Water-logged soil States Water-logged soil (ha)
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur

(ha) Maharashtra -
Andhra Pradesh 10654
Manipur 8517
A.P. -
Meghalaya 1606
Assam 46021
Bihar 188070 Mizoram -
Chhattisgarh 521 Nagaland -
Goa - Odisha 242838
Gujarat - Punjab -
Haryana and - Sikkim -
Delhi Rajasthan 4108
H.P. -
Tamil Nadu -
J&K -
Tripura 14721
Jharkhand 3321
Karnataka - U. P. 131428
Uttaranchal -
Kerala -
M.P. 333 West Bengal 240480

Total = 0.99 Mha ICAR (2019)

Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Properties of water-logged soil
Physical
i. Oxygen depletion Electro-chemical
ii. CO2 accumulation i. Soil-pH (Reduced)
iii. Compaction ii. Increase specific
iv. Increasing BD conductance
v. Massive structure iii. Decrease redox
vi. Lowering diffusion potential (Eh)Eh)
coefficient of gases

Water-logged
soil

Biological Chemical
i. Reduced aerobic i. Soil reduction
microbial activity ii. Micronutrient
ii. Mineralization toxicity
iii. Immobilization
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Redox Potential
 Redox potential (Eh) is the measurement of the tendency how oxidized or
reduced(anaerobic) the soil is well as electron availability in the soils.

 Its measured in mili-volt (mV).

In aerobic soil, which has an oxidizing environment, has an Eh of +800 mV;

And in anaerobic soil, which has a reducing environment, has a negative

Eh which can reach -300 mV.

 Oxygen is found in soils at a redox potential of about +800 mV. When

soil is placed in a closed container, oxygen is used by aerobic organisms as
a terminal electron acceptor until all of it is depleted. As this process
occurs, the redox potential of the soil decreases, and other compounds
can be used as terminal electron acceptors.
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Nitrogen movement in water-logged soil
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Crop yield (t ha-1) and losses (%) under water-logging

Joshi (1994)
 Critical redox potential values of some important
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur oxidized components in waterlogged soil

Reduction Redox potential (mV)

Das (2009)
Chandra Shekhar Azad U.A. & T. Kanpur Management of water-logged soil

 Mechanical drainage
 Controlled irrigation.
 Flood control measures
 Plantation of trees having
high transpiration rate.
 Check the seepage in the canals
and irrigation channels.
 Selection of crops and their
proper varieties.
 Sowing on bunds or ridges.
 Nutrient management.
 Land leveling.
 Crop tolerant varieties…
Crops Tolerant Varieties Adaptability
pH Ec ( dSm-1 )

Rice CSR10,12,13, 9.8-20.2 6-11

CSR19,23,27,30,36. 9.4-9.8 6-11
CSR-1,2,3,4,SR26, - 6-09
Sumati.

Wheat KRL1-4,3- <9.3 6-10

4,210,213,WH157 <9.3 6-10
Raj3077,KRL19
Barley DL200,Ratna,BH97,DL 8.8-9.3 6-10
348
Indian Pusa Bold, Varuna 8.8-9.2 6-8
Mustard Kranti, CS52, CS330 - 8.8-9.3 6-9
(raya) 1, CST 609B 10, CS54 8.8-9.3 6-9

Gram Karnal Chana, <9.0 <6.0

Sugarcane Co453, Co1341, <9.0 <6.0
CSSRI(2006)
 Sowing on raised bed in waterlogged
soil
Raised bed

GRDC (2005)
 Leveling of
Ezigrader Laser Land Leveler
land

Furrow Grader and leveler

Terra-Track 24
Bio-drainage

What is bio-drainage?
Pumping of excess soil water by deep-
rooted plants using their
bio-energy

io-Criteria of drainage
plants :
• Fast growing
• Luxurious water consumption

CSSRI Tech. Bull. (2008)

 Different Bio-drainage plants

Pong mia
Syzygium cuminii
a pinnata

Eucalyptus
tereticornis

Terminalia arjuna
Casuriana glauca
 Corrugated
pipes with filter
 Survival of
plants
Hypertrophic Mangrove
lenticels at
Aerenchyma the stem base
formation
of young
of Maize
Apple plants

Maize Formation of
adventitious
roots at the soil
surface by
plants

Sunflower
Jackson (2003)
 Decrease in methane emission from waterlogged soils
resulted nutrient management by sulphur containing
nitrogenous fertilizers

Ammonium sulphate Urea

 Application of sulphate containing fertilizers control CH4

release
from waterlogged soil Cai et al. (1997)
 Conclusions
 Water-logging causes lowering of redox
potential, neutralized soil pH, N, P, K
deficiency and micronutrient toxicity.

 Except rice, yield of other crops severely affected by

waterlogging and submergence.

 Waterlogging can be efficiently control by forming

different land configuration, mechanical as well
as bio-drainage, controlling irrigation and
different flood control measures.

 Tolerant or resistant varieties and proper nutrient

management would be much more effective
during management of waterlogged soil.