Waterlogging water is the saturation of
soil with
water.[1] Soil may be regarded as waterlogged when it is nearly saturated with water much of the time such that its air phase is restricted and anaerobic conditions prevail. In extreme cases of prolonged waterlogging, anaerobiosis occurs, the roots of
mesophytes suffer, and the subsurface
reducing atmosphere leads to such processes as
denitrification,
methanogenesis, and the reduction of iron and manganese oxides.[2]
All plants, including
crops require
air (specifically,
oxygen) to respire, produce energy and keep their cells alive. In agriculture, waterlogging of the soil typically blocks air from getting in to the roots.[3] With the exception of
rice (Oryza sativa),[4][5] most
crops like
maize and
potato,[6][7][8] are therefore highly intolerant to waterlogging. Plant
cells use a variety of signals such the oxygen concentration,[9] plant
hormones like
ethylene,[10][11] energy and sugar status[12][13] to acclimate to waterlogging-induced oxygen deprivation. Roots can survive waterlogging by forming
aerenchyma, inducing anaerobic metabolism and changing their root system architecture.[14]
In
irrigated agricultural land, waterlogging is often accompanied by
soil salinity as waterlogged soils prevent
leaching of the
salts imported by the irrigation water.
From a
gardening point of view, waterlogging is the process whereby the soil hardens to the point where neither air nor water can soak through.
Waterlogging water is the saturation of
soil with
water.[1] Soil may be regarded as waterlogged when it is nearly saturated with water much of the time such that its air phase is restricted and anaerobic conditions prevail. In extreme cases of prolonged waterlogging, anaerobiosis occurs, the roots of
mesophytes suffer, and the subsurface
reducing atmosphere leads to such processes as
denitrification,
methanogenesis, and the reduction of iron and manganese oxides.[2]
All plants, including
crops require
air (specifically,
oxygen) to respire, produce energy and keep their cells alive. In agriculture, waterlogging of the soil typically blocks air from getting in to the roots.[3] With the exception of
rice (Oryza sativa),[4][5] most
crops like
maize and
potato,[6][7][8] are therefore highly intolerant to waterlogging. Plant
cells use a variety of signals such the oxygen concentration,[9] plant
hormones like
ethylene,[10][11] energy and sugar status[12][13] to acclimate to waterlogging-induced oxygen deprivation. Roots can survive waterlogging by forming
aerenchyma, inducing anaerobic metabolism and changing their root system architecture.[14]
In
irrigated agricultural land, waterlogging is often accompanied by
soil salinity as waterlogged soils prevent
leaching of the
salts imported by the irrigation water.
From a
gardening point of view, waterlogging is the process whereby the soil hardens to the point where neither air nor water can soak through.