Jacki Langlois

 Used in ancient Babylonia and Egypt  First introduced in the United States in 1838  John Johnston brought the practice from Scotland  His farm was near springs and had abundant wet soil

 He ordered clay tiles to be made  When he retired he had laid 72 miles of tile on 320 acres  Increased his wheat yield from 12 bushels to 60 bushels per acre

 Many states offered government incentives to improve land for farming  Indiana prompted an Act of Congress in 1850  Swamplands would be sold at discount if farmer drain the land & bring it into productivity  1930s: Civilian Conservation Corps started to establish the tile network throughout the Midwest  Much is still in use today

 Many fields have low spots or depressions where water ponds.  Subsurface drainage removes excess water from the soil profile  Excess water causes decreased oxygen in soil  Low oxygen is bad for roots  25% reduction in yield after corn roots have been submerged for just 2 days  45% loss after 5 days  80% after 7 days

 Improve the soil environment for:  vegetative growth, reduce erosion, and improve water quality Regulating water table and ground water flows Intercepting and preventing water movement into a wet area Removing surface runoff Leaching of saline and sodic soils  Drainage is primarily a concern in the periods prior to the growing season  January to April  Optimum planting time for Corn in IL is April 15

This photo was taken 12 hours after a 2" rainfall. The tile lines are clearly visible and the field is quickly recovering from the excess moisture.

 To maximize benefits, need management system:  Proper fertilization  Improved crop varieties  Higher plant populations  Earlier planting  Weed and insect control  Improved harvesting methods

 Need a topographical survey of field  Ideal soils for subsurface drainage are medium textured and well structured (large and small pores)  Water is removed from large pores  Small pores hold and store water for plant use  Clay soils restrict movement of water and require close drain-line spacing  Sandy soils allow wide drain-line spacing but may lack fine pores for water storage

 Soil permeability measured by how well water or air moves through the soil  Measured in inches per hour  in for slow permeable soils  in for moderately permeable soils

 Select the pattern best fit to the topography  Random: suitable for rolling land with isolated wet areas (glacial till soils)  Parallel: used on flat, regularly shaped fields and on uniform soil  Herringbone: for less permeable soils found in narrow depressions  Double main: this pattern is sometimes chosen where the depression area is wet because of seepage coming from higher ground.

 Tiles are made of clay, concrete, and corrugated plastic tubing  Tiles need to be placed 2 – 4 feet deep  There are multiple types to tile plows available:  Small 3pt. Tile plow  Large 3pt. Tile plow  ‘Walking Beam’ Large Pull type with tandem axle

 Lays 3”-4” tile  Pulled by a 2wd tractor  inexpensive

 Pulled by 4wd tractor  Inexpensive  Easier to use on short tile runs

 Best grade control

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 For the $200/A investment, IRR ranges from 10-27% and the payback period from yr  Contractor installedSelf installed

 Loss of wetlands  Species population decline  Nitrate leaching into tile drains  Pesticides – usually in low concentrations  Downstream water temperatures

 Problems with salinity?  Leach it out using tile drainage system  Relieve iron-deficiency chlorosis in soybeans  Soils warm faster and are drier  Increase nitrogen fixation by soybeans  Keeps soil pores open for N gas in soil

 Crop production potential increases  Less soil runoff & Better soil structure  Better root development  Tiled land values increase  Higher soil temperatures  Opportunities for no-till or strip till systems  External benefits that can be attributed is more that $15 per acre  Water quality: less surface runoff, erosion, and phosphorus losses

 There are many patterns to tile drainage  The benefits of tile drainage out weigh the disadvantages  A drier, warmer soil allows for timelier planting, better root growth, and in turn higher yields

Thanks!