A lysimeter study on the effect of watertable on cassava grown on peat

S. L. Tan and K. Ambak

Abstract

The effect of static watertable on cassava planted on peat was studied in lysimeters. Highest dry root yield was recovered from the watertable fixed at 15 cm below the soil surface. This yield was significantly different from yields obtained at water tables fixed at 30,45,60 and 7-5 cm depths. Similarly. plant dry weight (minus storage roots) was significantly higher at the watertable fixed at 15 cm depth than all the other watertables. Harvest index was not affected by the depth of the watertable. It was also apparent that under these artificial conditions, subsidence of peat during the crop cycle increased with the depth of the watertable. Cassava shows adaptive ability to grow on peat with different depths of watertable. When watertable was high, the storage roots concentrated near the soil surface. When watertable was low, root growth extended downwards towards the water.

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