GOVIND BALLABH PANT UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE & TECHNOLOGY
Academic year-2022-23
Principles and Practices of Water Management
(APA-604N)
Topic –Water Management in Paddy crop
Submitted to: Submitted
ubmitted by:
Dr. Gurvinder Singh Sateyndra Gangwar
Professor 53075
Id no.-53075
Department of Agronomy Ag.)1st year
M.Sc (Ag.
WATER MANAGEMENT IN RICE
Rice cultivation requires ample water. The daily consumptive use of rice
varies from 6-10 mm and total water is ranges from 1100 to 1250 mm
depending upon the agro climatic situation, duration of variety and
characteristics of the soils.
Average Water requirement – 1100 mm
Average Water requirement (SRI) – 700 mm
Stage-wise water requirement for paddy –
Stages of growth Water requirement Precentage of total
(mm) water requirement
Nursery 40 3.22
Main field preparation 200 16.12
Planting to panicle 458 37.0
initiation
Panicle initiation to 417 33.66
flowering
Flowering to maturity 125 10.00
Water Management for Different Ecosystem
System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
Irrigation only to moist the soil in the early period of 10 days .
Restoring irrigation to a maximum depth of 2.5cm after development
of hairline cracks in the soil until panicle initiation.
Increasing irrigation depth to 5.0 cm after PI one day after
disappearance of ponded water.
Transplanted lowland rice
Puddling and leveling minimizes the water requirement .
Plough with tractor drawn cage wheel to reduce percolation losses
and to save water requirement up to 20%.
At the time of transplanting, a shallow depth of 2 cm of water is
adequate because high depth of water will lead to deep planting
resulting in reduction of tillering.
Maintain 2 cm of water up to seven days of transplanting.
After the establishment stage, cyclic submergence of 5 cm has to
be continued throughout the crop period.
Moisture stress due to inadequate water at rooting and tillering
stage causes poor root growth leading to reduction in tillering, poor
stand and low yield.
Wet Seeded Puddled Lowland Rice
During first one week just wet the soil by thin film of water.
Depth of irrigation may be increased to 2.5cm progressively along
the crop age.
Provide adequate drainage facilities to drain excess water or
strictly follow irrigation schedule of one day after disappearance of
ponded water.
Last irrigation may be 15 days ahead of harvest.
Dry Seeded Un-Puddled Rice
For drill sown rice care should be taken to drain out excess rain
water during first 10-15 DAS and the water level in the field
should not be more than 2.5cm height during tillering stage.
Semi-dry rice
The crop is irrigated from 30-35 days onwards, utilizing water
impounded in the tanks.
Irrigation may be to a depth of 2.5 -5.0cm only. Follow the
schedule of one day after disappearance of ponded water in order
to save water.
Water Management Methods
Continuous Submergence
practiced due to the associated major advantages of increase in availability
of nutrients and less weed management problems.
Shallow submergence of water up to 5 cm depth throughout the crop period
is optimum for high yield.
Advantages –
Less weed problem.
Increased availability of nutrients such as P, Fe, Mn, Zn and silicon.
Regulation of soil temperature.
Intermittent Submergence
Under high humidity and low evaporative demand, the practice of
intermittent submergence i.e submergence during the critical stages of crop
and maintenance of saturation or drying up to hair cracking stage during the
rest of the crop stages.
Intermittent period varied from one to nine days depending on rainfall
pattern, depth of water table and soil texture.
This practice saves about 30% water
Components of Water Losses from Rice Field
Vapour losses are through evapotranspiration.
The liquid losses are deep percolation plus seepage and runoff of excess
water .
Percolation losses can be reduced by puddling and levelling of field.
Water Stress
Moisture stress occur at active tillering phase will reduce the yield by 30%.
Moisture stress occur at reproductive phase will reduce the yield by
50 - 60%.
Spray Cycocel @ 1000ppm , kaolin 3% or KCl 1% to overcome moisture stress
at different physiological stages of rice.
