Field-level drainage requirement of pre-rice mungbean crop in a waterlogged-prone environment

Date

9-1989

Abstract

Enormous bunded rainfed rice areas can be successfully planted to a prerice crop if waterlogging damage during the early wet season is prevented.

Controlled studies quantified the relative effect of excessive moisture on mungbean due to short-term flodding or high water table, different soil types, growth stages and planting methods. Yields were reduced 33-62% when the water level reached the soil surface but were only slightly reduced (8-27%) when the water table level reached 5cm below the soil surface. Clay soil had more influence on grain yield than clay loam and loamy sand. Mungbean was more susceptible to waterlogging at flowering stage than during vegetative. Broadcast seeding into the soil surface had an advantage in terms of grain yield, total biomass, plant height and leaf area per plant compared with that of seeding below the soil surface.

In general, lowering the water level from 5cm above soil surface to the soil surface 0 cm did not significantly increase grain yield. However, keeping the water table level 15 cm below the base of the stem gave similar grain yield to freely drained. This reveals a possible clear goal for the ridging practice of keeping the free water level at 15 cm or below. At least when seeding is done at 2.5 cm.

Simple surface drainage techniques can be used by farmers to elevate the crop above the zone of saturation during waterlogging. Planting in furrows, hilling-up to create drainage furrows and planting in furrows on broad bed with shallow furrows were unsuccessful. On the other hand, planting on ridges formed by the plow dramatically improved growth and yield of mungbean when subjected to waterlogging. This method is practical for farm-scale use with animal or tractor-power and showed potential in stabilizing prerice mungbean yields at much higher levels. However, ridging did not reduce yield potential in nonstressed environment. Further, geometry did not affect plant productivity.

In terms of economic performance, higher gross income of ridge than that of flat soil planting was obtained under all environments. However, net income of ridge systems was higher than that of flat soil planting which gave low or negative net income under stress condition. Under nonstress condition, net income was higher in flat soil planting partly because of the lower labor cost it incurred.

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Master of Science in Agronomy

College

Graduate School (GS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Dennis P. Garrity

Committee Member

Restituta P. Robles, Diosdado A. Carandang, Benjamin L. Cariaso

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 996 1989 A42 A63

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