Abstract
Waterlogging and surface water stagnation are the serious impediments for the irrigated agriculture. Trees, which can tolerate waterlogging and possess high transpiration capacity can act as biodrains to solve these problems. Water balance studies conducted for five years in big lysimeters showed that Eucalyptus plants can biodrain 5.03, 5.14, 6.96 and 8.01 times the potential evaporation in the second, third, fourth and fifth year respectively. The corresponding maximum biodrainage capacity of Bamboo was 2.09, 2.73, 5.73 and 6.30 times the potential evaporation, respectively. Their water use efficiency decreased with increase in water supply. Higher amounts of moisture in the root zone did not show any adverse effect on their growth. Eucalyptus and Bamboo are excellent species for removing excess water and controlling water stagnation in land locked low-lying areas and disposal of wastewaters through land application.
Keywords