Farm Horizons
•
Feb. 8, 2016
•
Page 12
Best practices for agricultural
drainage tile placement
By Tara Mathews
Correspondent
Agricultural drainage tile has been used in crop fields
for centuries and can benefit to crops in many ways, including faster drying time, higher crop yield, and fewer
20492 County Road 9
Lester Prairie, MN 55354
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Jeff & Lisa
Bayerl
drown-out spots.
Though the drainage tile is beneficial for many farmers’ crops, it can be detrimental to wetlands and wildlife,
just as much.
Although it’s a delicate balance between keeping farmers’ fields dry enough for crops and keeping wetlands
safe, it is achievable through careful planning and placement of drainage tiles, which is why there are state and
federal regulations regarding the matter.
Steps to tiling
The University of Minnesota Extension Office recommends first contacting the local soil and water conservation district, natural resources conservation services, and
watershed administrative unit before making any plans
for agricultural drainage tiling.
After contacting those local resources, a farmer should
determine what their crop response might be for the area
to be tiled, the impact of a system on convenience of field
operation, and changes to input and other costs associated with a drainage system.
The Wright Soil and Water Conservation District
(WSWCD) recommends also contacting the local United
Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) prior to any
agricultural drainage project, to verify the project will
meet state and federal regulations.
“The landowner must use a certain amount of judgment
to determine if it’s necessary. For example, if the area to
be tiled drowns out regularly or has wetland vegetation
such as cattail growing in it, the landowner should definitely stop in to discuss their project in more detail,” Andrew Grean, Wetland Specialist at WSWCD explained.
“On the other hand, if the area to be tiled is located on top
of a hill that is clearly upland with no wetlands nearby,
they can most likely
proceed with their
project without worrying about breaking
Livestock
any wetland laws. The
only way a landowner
Hauling
can be 100 percent
certain is to stop in
Flat Bed
and talk with us.”
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