What it does

Soils that are too soft have poor crop emergence and poor stand establishment.

Why and where it occurs

The problem of soil being too soft occurs in wet direct seeded systems where insufficient time is given for the soil to settle between final wet land preparation (e.g., puddling) and sowing.

How to identify

Check the field for the following symptoms:

• Poor crop emergence in direct seeded fields
• Plants fail to emerge, as seeds sink too deep and have problems of reaching the soil surface

The pattern of damage across the field can be general, but often occurs in low spots of the field with standing water.

How to manage

Soil consistency is primarily important just at the time of crop emergence.

A general rule of thumb is that the field is ready to be sown when a small “V” channel made in the soil with a stick holds it’s shape. If the small “V” collapses quickly, it is likely that the soil is still too soft for sowing.

Learn more

View full fact sheet:
Soil too soft on IRRI Rice Knowledge Bank