Two-phase flow numerical simulation of infiltration and groundwater drainage in a rice field

Farming of rice normally uses a substantially larger amount of water than other cereal grain crops mainly due to the traditional flooding of rice fields. Flooding of the fields result in a seepage flow condition whereby infiltration occurs at a potential rate. The potential infiltration rate obstructs the free movement of pore-air through the ground surface and gradually compresses the pore-air between the infiltrating wetting front and the groundwater table under which subsurface drains are installed. The Galerkin finite element method (FEM) simulation of two-phase flow of air and water in the porous media of the rice field shows that the subsequent increase in the pore-air pressure makes the pore-air act as a link phase which transfers the effects of the processes taking place in the wetting front above and the saturated zone below the groundwater table. This phenomenon is clearly demonstrated when the results of the two-phase flow simulation are compared to the corresponding single-phase flow simulation which neglects the effect of the pore-air. It is concluded that the 'ponding' which appears in rice fields can partly be explained by the resistance offered by the pore-air to the percolation process. The study demonstrates that flooding of rice fields during most of its growth time is not necessary rather it is enough to keep the ground surface just saturated and the rest of the water can be saved.