Puddling (agriculture)
Puddling is the tillage of rice paddies while flooded, an ancient practice that is used to prepare for rice cultivation. Historically, this has been accomplished by dragging a weighted harrow across a flooded paddy field behind a buffalo or ox, and is now accomplished using mechanized approaches, often using a walking tractor.
Puddling reduces the percolation rates of water by churning the clay particles and making them close many of the soil pores.
