Waterlogging (agriculture)

[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 crop, require air (specifically, oxygen) to respire, produce energy, and keep their cells alive.

[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.

Crop yield (Y) and depth of water table (X in dm ). At shallow depth the yield reduces.
Antique Dutch windmills used to pump water into the embanked river to prevent waterlogging of the lowlands ( polders ) behind them.