DRAVID HOSEIN AND

DENICIA DUMONT
WATER LOGGING
&
SOIL COMPACTION

WHAT IS WATER
LOGGING?
Waterlogging refers to the saturation of
soil with water. Soil may be considered
waterlogged when the ground water in the
water table is too high to allow a
premeditated activity such as agriculture
to take place

CAUSES
Waterlogging occurs whenever the soil is
so wet that there is insufficient oxygen in

Plants vary in their demand for oxygen.

There is no static level of soil oxygen that
can identify waterlogged conditions for all
plants, a plants demand for oxygen in its
root zone will vary with its stage of
growth.

Key points
Waterlogging occurs when roots cannot
respire due to excess water in the soil
profile.
Water does not have to appear on the
surface for waterlogging to be a
potential problem.
Improving drainage from the inundated
paddock can decrease the period at
which the crop roots are subjected to
anaerobic conditions.
While raised beds (see Raised Bed
Cropping fact sheet) are the most


Lack
of oxygenAND
in the
root zone of plants causes their root
SYMPTOMS
CAUSES
tissues to decompose. Usually this occurs from the tips of
roots, and this causes roots to appear as if they have been
pruned. The consequence is that the plants growth and
development is stalled. If the anaerobic circumstances
continue for a considerable time the plant eventually dies.
Most often, waterlogged conditions do not last long
enough for the plant to die. Once a waterlogging event has
passed, plants recommence respiring. As long as soil
conditions are moist, the older roots close to the surface
allow the plant to survive. However, further waterlogginginduced root pruning and/or dry conditions may weaken
the plant to the extent that it will be very poorly
productive and may eventually die.

Many farmers do not realise that a site is

waterlogged until water appears on the
soil surface however, by this stage, plant
roots may already be damaged and yield
potential severely affected

 EFFECT AND IMPACTS

OF WATERLOGGING
Suffocation of Plant roots.
Fall of productivity by about 20% in
those areas affected.
Pasture loss through drowning.
Fungal disease.
Nitrogen deficiency.
Access problems for machinery/stock.
Erosion in higher rainfall areas and soil
structure decline, as soil is
washed away

 WATERLOGGING CAUSING
EXCESS WATER TO SURFACE

Countries affected by
waterlogging
Pakistan
Australia
Trinidad & Tobago
Guyana

 DISCUSSION
Fungal disease can be brought about by waterlogging and can
infect agricultural crops which can further lead to the disease
spreading to the consumer of the crops. Low levels of oxygen in
the root zone trigger the adverse effects of waterlogging on
plant growth. When plants are growing actively, root tips begin
to die within a few days of waterlogging. The shallow root
systems that then develop limit the uptake of nutrients
(particularly nitrogen) and water, particularly when the soil
profile starts to dry in spring. As a result plants may ripen early
and grains may not fill properly.
Nitrogen is lost from waterlogged soils by leaching and
denitrification (degassing). Denitrification leads to the gaseous
loss of nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere, which is a
major greenhouse gas. These losses, together with the lowered
ability of plants to absorb nutrients from waterlogged soil,
cause the older leaves to yellow. Waterlogging also directly
reduces nitrogen fixation by the nodules of legume crops and
pastures.

The livelihood within a community can be jeopardized if

agricultural land within a community is water logged as
the soil become nitrogen deficient, nitrogen is need for a
plants proper growth. There crops yield are lowered in
quality as well ah greatly delayed.

how CAN WATERLOGGING CAN BE

SOLVED?
Solving waterlogging
Drainage can be improved on many sites and is the first
thing to consider once a waterlogging problem has been
identified. Options might vary from shallow surface drains
(i.e. Spoon- and W-drains) to more intensive drainage
using wide-spaced furrows, to the intensive drainage form
of raised beds. The efficiency of surface drainage
increases in that order as does the degree of
management. Consult your local adviser for further advice.

WHAT IS SOIL COMPACTION?

Soil compaction is when the soil particles are pressed together, increasing
the pore space between them.

CAUSES
There are several forces, natural and man-induced, that compact a
soil. This force can be great, such as from a tractor, combine or
tillage implement, or it can come from something as small as a
raindrop. Listed below are several types of soil compaction and
their causes.
Raindrop impact This is certainly a natural cause of compaction,
and we see it as a soil crust (usually less than 1/2 inch thick at the
soil surface) that may prevent seedling emergence. Rotary hoeing
can often alleviate this problem.

Tillage operations
Continuous moldboard plowing or disking at the same depth
will cause serious tillage pans (compacted layers) just below
the depth of tillage in some soils. This tillage pan is generally
relatively thin (1-2 inches thick), may not have a significant
effect on crop production, and can be alleviated by varying
depth of tillage over time or by special tillage operations.
Wheel traffic This is without a doubt the major cause of soil
compaction. With increasing farm size, the window of time in
which to get these operations done in a timely manner is
often limited. The weight of tractors has increased from less
than 3 tons in the 1940's to approximately 20 tons today for
the big four-wheel-drive units. This is of special concern
because spring planting is often done before the soil is dry
enough to support the heavy planting equipment.

Minimal Crop Rotation The trend towards a limited crop

rotation has had two effects:
1.) Limiting different rooting systems and their beneficial
effects on breaking subsoil compaction.
2.) Increased potential for compaction early in the cropping
season, due to more tillage activity and field traffic.
CONSEQUENCES:
-Compacted soil is dense and has low porosity. Compaction
preferentially compresses large pores, which are very
important for water and air movement in the soil. Infiltration is
then reduced and erosion is increased.
Compaction causes an increase in the soils penetration
resistance. There is little root penetration in soil above 300 psi
(pounds per square inch), except if there are cracks and
macrospores in the soil that can be followed by plant roots.
More energy is expended when tilling compacted soil.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO

REDUCE AND PREVENT
SOIL COMPACTION?
Avoid working wet soil. Soil is most susceptible to
compaction when its saturated and cannot
absorb any more water. Use the quick field test
method above to access the soil conditions,
andbegin planting or working the soil only if the
proper conditions exist.
Reduce tillage. Crop residue can intercept
raindrops and prevent the soil surface from

Compaction affects nutrient uptake. Denitrification rates can

increase in compacted soil due to limited aeration. Manure
ammonia volatilization losses have been found to increase
when liquid manure is surface applied to compacted soils
because of reduced infiltration. Phosphorus and potassium
uptake can be reduced if root growth is inhibited.
Use the right implements. The degree of compaction is
determined by the moisture content of the soil, as well as
the weight of the equipment in the field. Reduce the weight
on each axle, choose wider tires and adjust air pressure to
reduce the load on the soil surface.
Introduce rotary hoeing - this method can help alleviate this
problem.

COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY SOIL

COMPACTIONS
Netherlands
Europe

 CITATION
Compaction-Soil Management
Series 2. University of
Minnesota Extension, BU-7400