The Argentine pampas plain is being affected by flooding due to excessive rainfall in recent years and rotations with low water consumption. You need to change in the current crop systems to increase water consumption to balance the water balance and reduce the depth of the water table.
Crop system depends on the water consumption for that first we have to find out the ET and individual crop water for each crop. Then according to the availability of water and area, you can think of crop rotation and planning.
Horacio, Depends on soil type, but please think of sugarcane and rice.. Best,
Vikram and Pradeep thank you very much for your answers. The crop systems of the Argentinean pampean region are based on soybeans, maize and wheat mainly. The soils are sandy loam with a water table between 1 and 2 m depth. We are planning to intensify rotation to increase water consumption by crops.
Greetings.
Rice could be one of the most water demanding crops. But it depends on variety, soil type and growing season. There are upland rice varieties grown under rainfed conditions and there are rice varieties that grow quickly as flood water goes up.
The crops should be both high water demanding and water logging tolerant. A crop should resist at least 2-3 days of water ponding due to flooding. Rice is best. Barley may be. Sugarcane is good but it is perennial crop which grows > one year may not be good for crop rotation within a year/two years. Please consult agronomists.
Horacio, your crop choice is not only a question of using high water consuming crops but depends on temperature and length of the growing period of the crop. For instance, rice is not likely to be suitable because temperature during the winter time in your hemisphere may not be sufficient. This will also apply to sugarcane, besides the fact that sugarcane may not get enough water during your summer. The rotation maize- soybean may give you the best results. I would eliminate wheat of your rotation but pay attention to the market consequences.
In addition to agronomic practices like growing high water demanding crops, planting on beds etc.., it is better to go for engineering structures like protection of flood from getting into agricultural land (by flood diversion) and construction of on farm drainage structures (surface and subsurface drainage structures) if economy, skill and machinery allows to do so. Engineering (modern plus traditional drainage techniques) and agronomic practices have to be combined if long range solution is sought.
Apart from having suitable crops to exploit the low water table depth f, laying down subsurface /surface drainage system leading to collection ponds is a good idea during rainy season. Fish and duck farming can be thought of in pond locations.
Many thanks Kassahum and Alex!!
What engineering techniques can be applied to prevent flooding in plains?
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