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Webcast covers ag drainage management

Much of the Corn Belt is dependent upon subsurface (tile) drainage to be productive. Even the best corn growing soils are poorly drained and could not be used for crop production before tile drainage was installed. In the latest presentation in Focus on Corn, "Ag Drainage Management Practices and Results," Harold Reetz, principal of Reetz Agronomics and executive director of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition, discusses the mechanics, practices, and benefits of drainage water management systems. DWMs can be a positive management practice for reducing loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from crop fields, increasing nutrient use efficiency and reducing potential for contamination of downstream water resources. Field studies by the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition and various university, industry, and farmer cooperators found that DWM reduced nitrate loss by 34 percent. In addition, it reduced water loss by 35 percent and increased crop yield by 1.5 percent over 20 locations in 5 states.

This presentation is open access through March 31 and can be viewed at www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/corn/AgDrainageManagement. Other Focus on Corn presentations can be viewed at www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/foc. Focus on Corn is a publication of the Plant Management Network, whose mission is to enhance the health, management, and production of agricultural and horticultural crops.

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