{"id":1615,"date":"2024-10-07T22:29:42","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T03:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iai.int\/alimentos-e-inundaciones\/"},"modified":"2025-06-15T23:19:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T04:19:18","slug":"alimentos-e-inundaciones","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iai.int\/en\/alimentos-e-inundaciones\/","title":{"rendered":"Food and floods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Shallow groundwater and agricultural land management in the Pampas.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
\"graffff\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

This figure shows annual transpiration rates in the Argentinean Pampas (circles and lines) under two land uses: perennial alfalfa pasture, widespread until the early nineties, and annual wheat-soybean-maize rotations, the dominant land use today. Transpiration rates (right-hand axis) are higher under pastures than under annual crops (1200 vs. 800 mm\/year, on average). A 100-year simulation of the depth to the ground water-table under these regimes of evapotranspiration is shown by the bars whose height indicates how often in these 100 years a given groundwater level is reached (frequency on the left-hand axis). The model shows that pastures maintain ground water tables more commonly at greater depths (average -4.4 vs. -2 m) and result in less frequent flooding (2 vs. 47 events).<\/p>\n\n

In the flat landscapes of the Pampas, shallow groundwater can waterlog soils making them unsuitable for crop production. In wet years, it can reach the surface causing floods. When maintained at deeper levels, groundwater acts as a reservoir that supports crop yields even in dry years. The balance between water loss by plant transpiration and its accumulation in shallow groundwater is affected by farming decisions. Understanding water partitioning between plants and groundwater can guide decisions on planting cover crops to manage groundwater. Landscape zoning to exclude vulnerable areas from annual cropping can maximize agricultural benefits from groundwater while minimizing flood risk. Land use decisions need to consider the fate of water in the landscape to improve productivity and benefit from ecosystem services.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

Science Snapshots 7 \u2013 The Story<\/h4>\n\n

El suelo sedimentario de la llanura pampeana almacena el exceso de precipitaci\u00f3n de los a\u00f1os h\u00famedos en forma de agua subterr\u00e1nea. Si dicho excedente se incrementa, el nivel de las aguas subterr\u00e1neas puede hacerse tan somero que llegue a inundar la tierra. En los ciclos de inundaciones, los procesos de generaci\u00f3n y retracci\u00f3n llevan varios. \nLa inundaci\u00f3n m\u00e1s reciente, en 1997-2003 cubri\u00f3 el 27% del oeste de la regi\u00f3n pampeana, cuando los niveles promedio de las aguas subterr\u00e1neas subieron 2,3 metros, causando grandes p\u00e9rdidas econ\u00f3micas. Estas inundaciones c\u00edclicas, que afectan 16 millones de hect\u00e1reas, suelen atribuirse a variaciones en la precipitaci\u00f3n, pero un equipo dirigido por Esteban Jobb\u00e1gy de la Facultad de Agronom\u00eda, Universidad de Buenos Aires, descubri\u00f3 que el uso de la tierra tiene un papel central. La cantidad de agua que usan las distintas plantas es diferente, y bajo una producci\u00f3n de cultivos anuales, los campos permanecen desnudos sin plantas que usen agua durante una parte del a\u00f1o. La alfalfa, con sus ra\u00edces profundas y su permanencia durante todo el a\u00f1o mantiene los suelos secos, mientras que la rotaci\u00f3n de cultivos de grano permite que el exceso de agua se acumule. Adem\u00e1s, para cada cultivo hay un rango \u00f3ptimo de profundidad del agua subterr\u00e1nea que les permite el mejor crecimiento. Fuera de ese rango, el estr\u00e9s ya sea por sequ\u00eda o por anegamiento disminuir\u00e1 la productividad. Como el estr\u00e9s por anegamiento produce el cierre estom\u00e1tico en las plantas, el uso de agua se reduce y la probabilidad de inundaciones aumenta.<\/p>\n\n

The flat sedimentary soils of the Pampas store rainfall surplus of wet years as groundwater. If such surpluses increase, the groundwater table can become so shallow that the land floods. Cyclic floods have taken several years to develop and retreat. The most recent 1997-2003 flood covered 27% of the western Pampas as average groundwater levels rose 2.3 meters, causing great economic loss. This cyclic flooding, which affects 16 million hectares of land, is often attributed to rainfall variations, but a team led by Esteban Jobb\u00e1gy at the Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires, found that land use plays a critical role. Different plants use different amounts of water, and under annual crop production, fields remain bare without any plant water use for part of the year. Deep-rooted, year-round alfalfa keeps soils drier while rotating grain crops let surplus water accumulate. Each crop also has an optimum range of groundwater levels at which it grows best. Outside that range, stress from either drought or water-logging will reduce productivity. As stress from water logging shuts plants down, water use is reduced and flooding becomes even more likely. \n \nIn the early nineties, it became more profitable to grow grains than to produce meat. Widespread soybean-wheat-corn rotation, grown year after year, increased flooding frequency and reduced both the number of years and the area suitable for farming. The team therefore explored land use alternatives within a grain production system using a simple simulation model, field observations of groundwater use and depth, and interviews with farmers.<\/p>\n\n

\"Green-chart-Spanish\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Frequency of waterlogging can be reduced and the number of years suitable for farming increased by 40% by planting pastures or cover crops (alfalfa, ryegrass) tolerant to water-logging during periods of high flood risk. These crops are productive and their transpiration helps keeping the water tables down. \nA new, flexible groundwater-based decision making strategy is now being adopted by farmers, accompanied by a collaborative web-based groundwater monitoring initiative (link below). As part of the partnership developed with scientists, farmers provide detailed yield maps and observations of water table.<\/p>\n\n

Further reading<\/h4>\n\n

Arag\u00f3n R., EG Jobb\u00e1gy, E. Viglizzo (2010): Surface and groundwater dynamics in the sedimentary plains of the Western Pampas (Argentina). Ecohydrology, online, DOI: 10.1002\/eco.149<\/p>\n\n

Nosetto M.D., E.G. Jobb\u00e1gy, G.A. Sznaider, R.B. Jackson (2009): Reciprocal influence between crops and shallow ground water in sandy landscapes of the Inland Pampas. Field Crops Research, 113: 138-148<\/p>\n\n

Jobb\u00e1gy E.G., M.D. Nosetto (2008): Como hacer de las napas un aliado. Pautas y criterios para el monitoreo de niveles fre\u00e1ticos en sistemas de producci\u00f3n agr\u00edcola en la regi\u00f3n pampeana. Revista CREA 328:32-38<\/p>\n\n

Global Change Science Snapshots are intended to inform IAI clients and the interested public about important results of international research carried out under IAI auspices. \nEditorial Board: Christopher Martius, Ione Anderson, Paula Richter, Holm Tiessen \nDesign: Shadi Ardalan \nCite as: IAI (2010): Food and floods. Shallow groundwater and agricultural land management in the Pampas. Science Snapshots 7 \nFunded by IAI, NSF under\u00a0CRN 2031<\/a>, and by IDRC. \nProject web page<\/a> \nCollaborative website maintained by\u00a0INTA, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, IyDA (a private company), and farmers.<\/a> \nDownload PDF<\/a> \nDownload PDF in Spanish<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shallow groundwater and agricultural land management in the Pampas. This figure shows annual transpiration rates in the Argentinean Pampas (circles and lines) under two land uses: perennial alfalfa pasture, widespread until the early nineties, and annual wheat-soybean-maize rotations, the dominant land use today. Transpiration rates (right-hand axis) are higher under pastures than under annual crops […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_theme","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1615","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFood and floods - IAI - Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iai.int\/en\/alimentos-e-inundaciones\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Food and floods - IAI - Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Shallow groundwater and agricultural land management in the Pampas. 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