Waterlogging

Waterlogging presents the situation whereby the underground water comes on the surface of land and in certain cases, it gathers on the bottom level of lands it’s going to assume the form of streams. In simple words, we can say that waterlogging is saturation of Soils with Water.

After Reading this article, you will learn about. a) What is Waterlogging? b) How water logging occurs. c) Causes of water logging d) Effects of waterlogging and e) Prevention of water logging.

Waterlogging! Image Credits: agric.wa.gov.au

  Waterlogging can lead to:

• Production loss
• Poor trafficability
• Loss of nutrients
• Soil structure decline

HOW WATER LOGGING OCCURS:

Waterlogging occurs whenever the soil is so wet that there’s low oxygen within the pore area for plant roots to be able to adequately respire. there’s no universal level of soil oxygen which will determine waterlogged conditions for all plants.

Waterlogging is also a natural condition of the soil. It happens once precipitation exceeds the flexibility of some oils to empty a quantity of water away. it’s typically perceived that waterlogging could be a surface water downside that surface drains can overcome.

However, in several things, water work is attributable to the profile (that below the bottom surface).

CAUSES OF WATER LOGGING:

• Waterlogged soil provides glorious breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and cause malaria.
• It causes a loss of crop yield.
• When the wet soil is totally saturated, plant roots cannot absorb water
• Where land is completely wet, salinity causes the destruction of vegetation and crops
• Destruction of roads occurs because of the reduced bearing capability of wet soil.
• The rise of water through capillary within the buildings causes wetness and so causes diseases.
• This additionally causes losing plasters and look of salt patched on the walls of the buildings.
• The impossibility of tillage (Kasht-Kari) Operations.

EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

AN ABSENCE OF SOIL AERATION (AIR OR A GAS): 

In wetlands, the soil pores inside the root zone of crops (grains, plants) are saturated and air circulation is brought to an end. Waterlogging, therefore, prevents the free circulation of air within the root zone. Thus, water work adversely affects the chemical processes and also the bacterial activities that are essential for the correct growth of a plant.

A DECREASE IN CROPS GROWTH:

When waterlogging occurs, the water table reaches near the root zones of the crops. The soil pores become fully saturated and the normal circulation of air in the root zones of the crops has stopped and the growth of the crops decreased.

                                           

   Stun corns due to waterlogged soil

WEED GROWTH:

There are sure kinds of plants and grasses that grow quickly in wetlands. In wetlands, these plants contend with the specified helpful crop. Thus, the yield of the specified helpful crop is adversely affected.

ACCUMULATION OF SALTS:

As a result of high water level in wet areas, there’s an upward capillary flow of water to the land surface whenever water gets gaseous. The upward moving water brings with it soluble salts from salty soil layers well below the surface. These soluble salts carried by the upward moving water are left behind within the root zone once this water evaporates. Therefore, the buildup of those salts within the root zone of the soil could have an effect on the crop yield significantly.

PREVENTION OF WATER LOGGING:

Suitable options depend on the severity, position in the landscape and land use (a type of crops)

• Do nothing, simply avoid wet areas once seeding, spraying, and harvesting. this can be
  solely suggested for tiny areas.
• Use additional tolerant crops or pastures, sow early and increase seed rate
• Alter chemical element management to suit the wet scenario
• Use shallow surface drain on soggy or inundated areas
• By using surface water management up slope to forestall waterlogging occurring or reducing the amount of waterlogging
• Use raised beds on high condition flats, with shallow surface avoidance.
• Efforts ought to be placed in to construct cement concrete beds. And walls of the irrigation canals to save lots of the conterminous lands from waterlogging.
• Any on the banks of rivers long non-moving trees ought to be planted and banana. A lining of channels (main canal, branches, and field channels).
• Provision of surface drains for the avoidance of fresh water.
• Implementation of well comes each in depth and native.

Originally Published On Everyday Science