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A Hydrologic Carbonate Chemistry Model Of Flooded Rice Fields, James A. Ferguson, John T. Gilmour

Technical Reports

Many flooded rice fields in Arkansas are irrigated with subterranean waters saturated or supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate. Deposition of calcium carbonate from these waters largely occurs near field inlets and in flow areas (1). When sufficient amounts of calcium carbonate accumulate, soil pH rises and zinc deficiency occurs in rice seedlings grown on the affected soil (2). The use of zinc fertilizers has provided a short-term solution to the problem (3), but does not provide a water management alternative which would slow, stop or reverse the localized accumulation of calcium carbonate and concomitant soil pH increase.