Evalution of Drainage Tile to Alleviate Salt Building in Heavy Soils Irrigated with Brackish Water and Cropped with Rice and Soybeans

Authors

T. C. Keisling, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
J. T. Gilmour, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
H. D. Scott, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
A. M. Sadeghi, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
R. E. Baser, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Document Type

Technical Report

Publication Date

8-1-1984

Keywords

Drainage, salinity, mathematical modelling, rice, soybeans

Abstract

The use of tile drains for alleviating soluble salt accumulation on silt loam soil was investigated during 1984. Although the chemical analyses of the floodwater and tile drainage water were very similar suggesting that the floodwater was moving to the tile drain, the overall results so far indicate that this is not a feasible solution owing to lack of significant drainage. Application of DRAINMOD utilizing soil and weather data from Arkansas showed no significant effluent from the tile drains for our experimental site during rice production. This was attributed to the extremely slow saturated hydraulic conductivity values for this particular soil. However, more observations (concerning the operation of the tile field) are needed before it can be concluded that tile drain fields are not a viable solution to the problem.

Citation

Keisling, T. C.; Gilmour, J. T.; Scott, H. D.; Sadeghi, A. M.; and Baser, R. E.. 1984. Evalution of Drainage Tile to Alleviate Salt Building in Heavy Soils Irrigated with Brackish Water and Cropped with Rice and Soybeans. Arkansas Water Resources Center, Fayetteville, AR. PUB111.
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/awrctr/252

Report Number

PUB111