In all cases, control weeds and plant early using appropriate varieties, high seeding rates and plenty of nitrogen. Avoid growing crops that are susceptible to waterlogging. Often the losses are not attributed to waterlogging, which mainly affects the roots. Waterlogging can kill the plant's roots resulting in it taking up less water and nutrients. Leaching and denitrification reduce the amount of nitrogen available to the crop and cause nitrogen deficiency, which is seen as a yellowing of the older leaves in winter.
Nitrogen deficiency increases the stress on the plants.
Root and leaf diseases and weeds increase under these conditions. When waterlogged soils dry out later in the season, the crop's root system is still confined to the surface soil because of the earlier damage. These shallow roots cannot take up nutrients from drying soil near the surface, nor reach nutrients and water deeper in the profile. Waterlogging also kills crops rapidly if the soil contains any salt. Waterlogging is most damaging to crops in soils with a shallow, sandy topsoil over a clayey subsoil.