Water
Waterlogging in cotton, maize and wheat
Water stays around the roots for too long after irrigation or rain, so the roots run out of air and the crop yellows and falls behind. Plants wilt even though the soil is full of water. A meta-analysis by Tian et al. (2021) puts the average yield loss at 32.9%, with cotton hit hardest at 59.95% and wheat least at 25.53%.
Crops: Cotton, Maize, Wheat, Rice
When it is dangerous
It is dangerous from emergence to flowering. Seedlings die and seeds rot at emergence, and losses at budding and flowering are higher than during vegetative growth: 41.9% against 34.75% (Tian et al. 2021). The risk is high on irrigated land with furrow irrigation, poor drainage and leaching irrigations, especially in Khorezm, Karakalpakstan and the lower Amu Darya.
Causes
- Irrigation above the norm
- Downpours and prolonged rain
- A high groundwater table
- Poor drainage or compacted soil
- Flat relief where water collects in low spots
Signs on the field
- Standing water or saturated soil
- Lower leaves turning yellow
- Plants wilting in wet soil
- Adventitious roots at the stem base
- Stunted growth
How ClusterOS notices it
The main source is the Sentinel-1 radar satellite: it sees standing water and saturated soil through clouds, before the crop starts to yellow. Rainfall, soil moisture from weather data and water that stays on the field for many days in a row confirm the signal; optical Sentinel-2 images add detail when skies are clear. Wet fresh tillage, roads and short floods are separated by how many days the water stays and how the field looked before. The satellite cannot measure the lack of air at the roots itself – only a check of roots and soil on the field confirms it.
What to do
- Check drainage and irrigation rates
- Make sure excess water can drain off the field
- If you suspect waterlogging, check roots and soil on site: smell, root colour, water depth
- Log irrigations and leaching irrigations
Questions
What is the difference between waterlogging and flooding?
Flooding is water from outside that covers the field within hours and then recedes. Waterlogging builds up more slowly: water stands for weeks after irrigation, rain or because of high groundwater. How many days the water stays is what tells them apart.
Why do plants wilt when there is plenty of water?
Water pushes air out of the soil and the roots suffocate. Without oxygen they take up less water and nutrients, so the plant wilts as if in drought. The difference is that the soil is wet.
Learn about this risk on your fields before it becomes a loss
We will show ClusterOS on your own fields: history since 2019, crop stage and all 24 risks.
Other risks in «Water»
Scientific basis
- Bailey-Serres J., Voesenek L.A.C.J. 2008, Annual Review of Plant Biology, DOI: 10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092752
- Tian L. et al. 2021, Frontiers in Plant Science 12:634898, DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.634898
- Ibrakhimov M. et al. 2007, Irrigation and Drainage Systems, DOI: 10.1007/s10795-007-9033-3