Waterlogging

Waterlogging is the saturation of agricultural soil with water to the point that air is excluded from the root zone, most often caused by poor drainage, over-irrigation or heavy rainfall on flat or low-lying land, which suffocates most crop plants' roots and, over time, can also drive salinization as the water evaporates and leaves salts behind. Field drainage, whether by open ditches, subsurface tile drains or raised planting beds, is the standing agricultural response.