Crop Nutrients and Drainage

We live in a world that is growing in population by hundreds of thousands daily. Our food demand is higher than it’s ever been. What fuels this? The answer is simple: produce. In order to meet such demands, proper irrigation is critical. Since its introduction to the Midwest in the mid 1850’s, field tile has proven to be a beneficial way to systematically drain water in fields to maintain the health of soil and access to water, thus leading to healthy crop. 

How Drainage Works

One of the key components of field tile is subsurface drainage and the formulas used to control it. When the underground water table is too high, surface level flooding occurs. Meanwhile, underground, the root of the produce isn’t able to absorb the oxygen it needs to live, and can drown. When perforated pipe is placed below the soil surface, it allows for excess water to be drained from the root zone to ensure greater crop health. Tile is designed to allow water to enter the pipe and then flow at a specified grade to an outlet. When these strategically placed pipes are installed, they can benefit specified wet areas. They can also be installed in a pattern to drain an entire field. When the process is complete, the water table is lowered, and greater soil aeration is achieved. 

The Role of Soil Nutrients

Nutrients are undoubtedly crucial for the success of all crops. Through proper filtration, nutrients should be readily available for crops. In the Midwest, we grow corn and soybeans. Both require specific soil nutrients for growth, and these nutrients are classified by need as either macro or micro nutrients. It takes many different quantities of each to optimize growing conditions. 

The three major macro-nutrients for just about any crop are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, primarily because they make up the air that crops absorb. Carbon allows plants to go through photosynthesis, while hydrogen and oxygen, among other things, are the two elements found in water.

The Connection between Nutrients and Drainage

Oxygen is highly important to plant life, and this is where proper drainage comes into play. If a field is over-saturated with water for a few days, plants can drown due to lack of oxygen. Field tile drainage ensures water tables are maintained at a safe level to avoid drowning, ensuring that crops get plenty of oxygen. Nitrogen is highly discussed in the farming industry because it’s tied to higher yields. Nitrogen can be found naturally all around a plant - in the air, and in the soil. Although nitrogen is abundant, plants can only process it in its nitrate form, which plants absorb through soil. This highlights the importance of sustainably designed drainage projects as an overly-active drainage system washes away a lot of the nutrients necessary for plants to thrive.

The Importance of System Design

Irresponsible, unsustainable drainage projects have their downsides. Although they encourage the removal of excess water, they also can cause increased removal of nitrates. As previously mentioned, these nutrients are critical to high yields, and their absence leads to malnourished crops. Nitrate and other fertilizer components can be trapped and carried away in the water flow, reducing the nutrients in the soil accessible to the crops for which they were intended. Responsible drainage project address these risks through design and expert installation. They incorporate tools of the trade that allow for water table management, rather than crude drainage systems that wash away water and everything else with it.