An Analysis of the Drainage Requirements

and Hydrology of a Sugar cane field in

Guyana.
12th Annual Brace Research Day

Masters Thesis Research

Naresh Gaj
M.Sc. Student - Bioresource Engineering
McGill University
5th April, 2013
1
Outline
Brief Introduction
Research Objectives
Site Location
DRAINMOD Input and Output Variables
Field Instrumentation Layout
Preliminary Results
Conclusions

2
Brief Introduction
Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) is a major agricultural
crop in Guyana accounting for 3.8% of the country’s GDP.

Annual sugar production averages 238,000 tonnes (2005-

2012).

Sugar cane is planted and harvested on a narrow strip of

coastal lowland.

Drainage is achieved through a system of canals and dykes.

3
Research Objectives
1) To perform a water balance study on a 4.2 ha sugar cane
field at La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, Region
#4.

2) To calibrate and validate the performance of DRAINMOD

in simulating the drainage and hydrology of sugarcane
fields for long term climate trends.

3) To assess the adequacy of the drainage coefficient used for

the design of surface drainage in light of climate change.

4
Site Location LBI

Guyana Sugar Corporation

(Guysuco) Estate at
La Bonne Intention (LBI)
East Coast Demerara
Region #4.

5
Georgetown

Field CM 57

4.2 ha field CM 57

Side-line Drain
Middlewalk

6
DRAINMOD Input Variables
Main input Variables/Parameters
Soil data Hydraulic conductivity (ksat).
Soil Water Characteristics (SWC)
Weather data Daily rainfall
Daily min and max temperatures
Drainage system Drain size and spacing

Crop data Root depth versus time

7
DRAINMOD Output Variables

Evapotranspiration

Water table depth

Surface runoff

Drainage volume

8
 Field Instrumentation Layout
North
Cross canal
Side-line drain
Hydrometeorological
Station
BH#2

BH#1

Internal field drain BH#3

Pilot boreholes

Water Table Wells

Data Loggers Cross canal

Soil Moisture Sensors

Middlewalk
9
Preliminary Results
Pilot boreholes

20 cm Light brown cay 18 cm Light brown cay 27 cm Loose dark brown silty clay

Light brown clay 46cm Stiff dry brown clay

49cm Brown clay
34cm
with traces of red

42 cm Brown clay with Brown clay with traces of

Soft silty brown clay 36 cm
27 cm red silt grey silt

35 cm Yellow brown soft clay

13 cm Soft brown clay Soft brown clay with traces of red silt
46 cm
with reddish silt with reddish silt

BH #1 GWT at 80cm BH #2 GWT at 106cm BH #3 GWT at 64cm

10
 Preliminary Results
Atterberg’s Limit

Plot of Liquid Limit wL Plot of Plastic Limit wP

against Average depth against Average depth
0.00 0.00

-10.000.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20 -10.000.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60

-20.00 -20.00

-30.00 -30.00

-40.00 -40.00

Average depth (cm)

Average depth (cm)

-50.00 -50.00
BH 1 BH 1
-60.00 -60.00 BH 2
BH 2
-70.00 BH 3 -70.00 Bh 3

-80.00 Avg -80.00 Avg

-90.00 -90.00

-100.00 -100.00

-110.00 -110.00

-120.00 -120.00

-130.00 -130.00
Volumetric Moisture content (cm 3/cm 3 ) Volumetric Moisture content (cm 3 /cm 3 )

11
 Preliminary Results
Atterberg’s Limit

Plot of Natural Moisture Content w N Plot of Average wP, wN and wL

against Average depth against Average depth
0.00 0.00

-10.000.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 -10.000.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 1.20

-20.00 -20.00

-30.00 -30.00

-40.00 -40.00

Average depth (cm)

Average depth (cm)

-50.00 -50.00
BH 1
wP
-60.00 -60.00
BH 2
wN
-70.00 Bh 3 -70.00
wL
-80.00 Avg -80.00

-90.00 -90.00

-100.00 -100.00

-110.00 -110.00

-120.00 -120.00

-130.00 -130.00
Volumetric Moisture content (cm 3 /cm 3 ) Volumetric Moisture content (cm 3 /cm 3 )

12
Conclusions
 4 distinct layers of soil was logged from the pilot boreholes. A layer of silt/silty
clay exists at a depth of approximately 1.0 m below the ground level.

 The water table slopes from the middlewalk canal towards to sideline drain as
expected.

 The average liquid limit ranges from 1.0 to 0.75 cm3/cm3 generally decreasing
with depth.

 The average plastic limit is fairly constant at 0.5 cm3/cm3 throughout the recorded
depth.

 The average natural water content ranges from 0.6 to 0.7 cm3/cm3 over the given
depth.

13
References
1) Bowles, J.E. 1996. Foundation Analysis and Design. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill
Companies.
2) ASTM D4318. 2000. Standard Test Method for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit and Plasticity Index of
Soils. Pennslyvania, USA: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
International.
3) ASTM D2216. 1998. Standard Test Method for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture)
Content of Soil and Rock by Mass. Pennslyvania, USA: American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) International.

14
Thank You!
Questions?

15