14. Understanding drainage Do’s and Don’ts
- 1. @WheatPete Drainage Dilemmas & Decisions Jesse Tait, Tait Farm Drainage Peter Johnson, Real Agriculture Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario (LICO)
- 2. @WheatPete What is Drainage?? Water Management!
- 3. @WheatPete Drainage: Water management ◼ Water movement in soil ◼ Ground water recharge ◼ Phosphorus movement
- 4. @WheatPete Increased Productivity! ◼ Corn – 29% ◼ Soybeans – 26% ◼ Winter Wheat – 38% ◼ Spring Wheat – 33% ◼ White Beans – 21% Source: Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario www.drainage.org Why Drainage?
- 5. @WheatPete 5 AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE: HOW DOES IT WORK?
- 6. @WheatPete 6 Earlier Planting DatesBarley Corn Soybeans Expected No. of Field Workdays on Drained Soil Expected%ofMaximumYield AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE: WHY DO FARMERS DRAIN?
- 7. @WheatPete 7 AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE: WHY DO FARMERS DRAIN? IMPROVED DROUGHT RESISTANCE
- 8. @WheatPete Do’s and Don’ts ◼ Tile spacing, location and design ◼ Locating existing systems and making cost effective decisions ◼ Plugged Tile ◼ Compaction and wet spots ◼ Nutrients, Erosion, Wetlands ◼ Future designs and implementation
- 9. @WheatPete Tile spacing location and design 5 M 10 M Extra Tile Runs Tile With The Contour
- 10. @WheatPete Tile spacing location and design 8 M 12 M 8 M 10 M Tile With the Contour
- 11. @WheatPete Main Sizes and Municipal Drains 8” Tile Backed up 750’ from Outlet New Municipal Drain Hook-up
- 12. @WheatPete Locating existing systems and making cost effective decisions • Locate and Saved 61 000’ on 92 acres • Installed 107 100’ New • Updated and installed new mains with erosion control for above 50 acres • Farm is systematic at 20’-25’ spacing • Cost equivalent to a 33’ spacing farm
- 13. @WheatPete Compaction and Wet Spots ◼ Water is a contributor to compaction ◼ Headland Drainage ◼ Spacing of Tiles/Splitting tile ◼ Surface Water Management ◼ Cover Crops on problem areas ◼ Backfill Material
- 14. @WheatPete Plugged Tile • Roots • Wheat • Alfalfa/Grass • Cover crops • Iron Ochre • Algae • Sediment
- 15. @WheatPete Nutrients, Erosion & Wetlands • Erosion Control • Vegetated Buffer Strips • Saturated Buffers • Bio-Reactors • Ox-Bow • Controlled Drainage
- 19. @WheatPete Erosion Control Erosion Control Works!
- 20. @WheatPete Controlled Drainage Water level Sensor Slide Gate Valve 12v Actuator Rain Gauge Solar Panel Battery & Controller
- 21. @WheatPete Future of Drainage • Contoured • Contoured Controlled/Sub Irrigated • Ox-Bow • Vegetated Buffers • Riparian Zones • 24h Retention Zones • Bio-Reactors • Saturated Buffers
- 22. @WheatPete Conclusions CONTRACTOR Question your contractor ◼ Just because they have always done it that way, doesn’t mean it is CORRECT CONTROL Water Management is the future of Ag Drainage and the only way forward