Assignment

on
Submerged Soils: Definition, Importance
and Properties

2019

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
SWAMI KESHWANAND RAJASTHAN AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITY
BIKANER
Definition of Submerged Soils:
Submerged soils are soils that are saturated with
water for a sufficiently long time in a year to give the soil
the following distinctive gley horizons resulting from
oxidation-reduction processes:
(i) A partially oxidized ‘A’ horizon high in organic matter.
(ii) A mottled zone in which oxidation and reduction alternate
and
(iii) A permanently reduced zone which is bluish green in
colour.
The soil is intermittently saturated with water, oxidation of
organic matter is slow and it accumulated in the “A” horizon.
In the second horizon, Fe and Mn are deposited as rusty
mottles or streaks if the diffusion of O2 into the soil is slow, if
the diffusion is rapid, they are deposited as concretions.

*Kinds of Submerged Soil:

There are different kinds of submerged soil, of which
(i) continuous submerged soils and
(ii) alternate submerged soils are important for rice
cultivation.
Continuous submergence at a static 2.5-7.5 cm depth provides
the potential to produce optimum rice yields. Generally
continuous submergence at 15 cm depth or more has the
potential to produce yield similar to those at 2.5 cm water
depth. However, in some dry seasons a 15 cm depth or more
may reduce grain yield.
Importance of Submerged Soils:
Rice is the only major food crop that can be grown under
various degrees of submergence.
Submerged conditions exhibit the following
characteristics:
(a) Greater amount of soil solution,
(b) Reduced oxygen level,
(c) Reduced aerobic microbial activity and
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(d) An altered chemical status of the soil.
The rice plant absorbs nutrients and grows under these
specific complex conditions.
Generally systems of rice cultivation in India and
especially in West Bengal can be classified into two major
types:
(i) Semi-dry systems—where rice is grown primarily as a rainfed
crop especially in uplands. The yields under such conditions are
normally low,

(ii) Wet-system, practiced in low lands or where irrigation is

available.

In this system of rice cultivation, the production is very high. Soil

submergence for rice cultivations is thus essential.

Properties of Submerged Soil:

A. Physical Properties:
1. Diffusion of Molecular Oxygen and Development of
Aerobic Anaerobic Layer:
When a soil is submerged, water replaces the air in the pore spaces.
Except in a thin layer at the soil surface, and sometimes a layer
below the plough sole, most soil layers are virtually oxygen-free
within a few hours after submergence. The oxygen-diffusion in the
water layer above the soil is very slow and the rate of
O2 consumption is reduced soil is high.

Some O2 trapped in blocked pore spaces is rapidly utilized by

facultative anaerobic organisms.

two distinctly different layers being formed in a submerged soil: an

oxidized or aerobic surface layer where O2 is present and a reduced
or anaerobic layer in which no free O2 is present (Fig. 22.1)

The thickness of the aerobic surface layer is determined by the ratio

of O2 supply from the atmosphere to the O2 consumption in the soil.

Oxygen reaching the submerged soil surface is utilized in

several ways:
(a) As an electron acceptor by soil micro-organisms in their cell
respiration,

(b) In the chemical oxidation of ferrous iron (Fe2+) and manganous

manganese (Mn2+) and
(c) For biological oxidation, such as oxidation of NH4+ —N to NO3-
—N and S2- and S° to SO42-.
If the demand of O2 exceeds the supply, a thin oxidised surface
layer, an mm thick or so, is formed. A soil rich in organic matter or
readily decomposable organic residues has a thin oxidized layer. In
soil poor in organic matter as in laterites where percolation rates
are high, the oxidized layer may be several cm thick.
Accumulation of Carbon dioxide:
Soil gases like CO2 and methane (CH4) accumulate due to
submergence, and also may escape as bubbles if pressure builds up.
It has been recorded that during the first three weeks submergence
some soils may generate CO2upto2.5 t ha-1.
The higher pCO2 in acid soils than in neutral soils can be
explained by the presence of higher proportion of
H2CO3 as follows:
(H2CO3)/(HCO3–) = (H+)/K
The decrease in pCO2 after one to four weeks of
submergence may be due to the following reasons:
(i) Escape from the soil,

(ii) Diluting effect of methane (CH4) produced in the later period of

organic matter decomposition,
(iii) Reduction of CO2 leaching losses and removal of CO2 as
insoluble carbonates.
2. Aeration Status of a Submerged Soil:
Immediately after submergence, the normal process of gaseous
exchange between soil and air is restricted.

The net result is that the concentration of O2 in the soil is reduced

to a very low value, while that of soil gases, notably CO2 is increased,
especially if conditions are favourable for biological activity.
Soil Compaction:
In compaction, soil solids are re-arranged with compression of
liquid and gaseous phases accompanied by volume change. Soil
compaction affects the water retention characteristics, water intake
rates, and gaseous exchange.
In compacted soil, bulk density, micro-voids, thermal conductivity
and diffusivity and nutrient mobility increases and on the other
hand, macro-voids, hydraulic conductivity and water intake rates
decrease. Generally medium textured soils are most susceptible to
compaction.

Puddling:
Puddling, an intensive wet land cultivation, breaks the natural
aggregates to finer fractions. It decreases the apparent specific
volume and hydraulic conductivity, creates an anaerobic
environment and affects redox (Eh) and pH values.
B. Electro-Chemical Changes in Submerged Soils:
The main electro-chemical changes in submerged soils are:

(i) Decrease in redox potential (Eh).

(ii) Increase in pH of acid soil and decrease in pH of alkaline soils,

(iii) Increase in specific conductance,

(i) Redox Potential (Eh) of Submerged Soil:

It differenciates a submerged soil from an
upland soil .The aerobic soils are characterised
by high positive potential in the range +500 to
+700 millivolts.
Whereas the submerged soil have potential of -
300 to -400 millivolts depending upon the type
of soil organic matter ,fe and Mn content ,ph and
temperature.
When a soil is submerged the reduction of soil takes
place and the reduced soil contains reduced counter
parts of NO3–, SO42-, Mn4+, Fe3+ and CO2: NH4+, H2S, Mn2+,
Fe2+ and CH4. The reduction of different soil components
takes place in a sequential form; nitrates are reduced
first followed by manganic (Mn4+) and so on.
Some of the oxidised soil components that undergo
reduction after O2 is depleted are reduced sequentially as
follows:
 (ii) Soil pH: The overall effect of submergence is to increase
the pH of acid soils and to decrease the pH of alkaline
soils. Thus submergence makes the pH values of acid
soils (except those low in iron) and alkaline soils
converge to neutral soil pH 7.0
(iii) (iii) Specific conductance:
The specific conductance of the solution of most soils increases after
submergence; attain a maximum, and declines to a fairly stable
value, which varies with the nature and properties of the soil

Nitrogen transformation-
In rice culture nitrogen is most limiting nutrient.
Mineralization of nitrogen-
Under anaerobic soil conditions mineralization of nitrogen
is limited to ammonification stage due to depletion of oxygen which
is essential For the activity of nitrifiers.
Therefore mineralization of nitrogen in waterlogged rice soils may
be considerably higher than under than under well drained
conditions.
Loss of nitrogen –

Denitrification-
It is one of the major causes of nitrogen loss from a flooded
soil.on waterlogging when the oxygen concentrationin a soil
falls below 0.1 ppm in the soil solution ,facultative anaerobic
micro-organisms use oxidised forms of nitrogen as electron
acceptors in their respiration and reduce them to N2 to N2O.
Denitrifying bacterias are-Pseudomonas,Bacillus.
Volatilization of N-
It is a non biological loss of NH4+

When ph >8 ,nitrogen is lost in form of NH3 in alkaline

medium .
It increase in poor drainage e.g. rice field.
About 60% of nitrogen loss in India is due to volatization
;hence in alkali soil the nitrogen application is raised at least
by 25%.
Leaching loss:-
Leaching or drainage loss mostly of nitrate fertilizer.
Mostly occurred in humid area
PHASPHOROUS TRANSFORMATION:-
Waterlogging increasesthe availability of native and applied P
as compared to upland soils ,it is now well established.on
flooding ,water and acid soluble P uptake by rice plant is
enhanced.concentration of available P first increased and then
decreased in all soils but peak values and times varied
markedly with the soil properties.