Effect of different puddling levels on moisture variations and bulk density of three dominant soil textures in paddy fields of Guilan province

Puddling is the most common method of land preparation of paddy fields in lowland rice cultivation. Puddling affects the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and these changes are effective on rice growth. The soil that is more susceptible to changes in structure is easier to puddle. This research was aimed to investigate the effects of different puddling levels on moisture content and bulk density of three dominant soil textures of paddy fields in Guilan province. The experiment was designed as factorial with completely randomized blocks having three replications. Undisturbed soil samples were taken from 3 different soils (silty clay, clay loam and loam) with cylindrical samplers with diameter and height of 50 cm. The soil samples were puddled by a laboratory apparatus. The puddling treatments were: P0 (no puddling), P1 (low puddling), P2 (medium puddling) and P3 (high puddling). Soil moisture content and bulk density of all soil samples was measured every 24 hrs for six days. Analysis of variance showed that puddling had significant effect (p < 0.05) on soil moisture content and bulk density. The water content of the puddled layers decreased with an increase in settling time. During drying period, P0 dried faster than P1, P2 and P3. In P0 to P3 treatments of the loamy soil, the moisture content decreased about 22.6, 16.3, 14.8 and 9.6% after 144 hrs past puddling, respectively. The trend was similar for other two soils. Measurement of bulk density in 0-15 cm depth showed that P1 caused bulk density of silty clay and clay loam soils to decrease 23.8 and 22.8%, respectively; however, it caused the bulk density of loamy soil to increase 4.1%. Bulk density increased with time in all the three soils. Bulk density increased with depth and this increase was higher for lower puddling levels. It seems that higher puddling levels are more suitable for paddy fields preparation because they loose water more slowly. To determine what puddling level is appropriate for different soil textures, parameters such as water infiltration, water retention and amount of water used should be investigated.