Did You Know....

Today more than ever, drainage pays in the following:

INCREASED CROP YIELDS - Good drainage is an investment towards improved crop yields. With soil conditions improved, more water, fertilizer and air available to the roots to encourage optimum plant growth.

ENERGY SAVINGS - Well drained soils require less horsepower to work and smaller equipment operates with greater fuel efficiency when excess water does not have to be moved during field operations. In fact, it has been shown that the cost of drainage projects can often be recouped very quickly in fuel savings and lower capital investment in equipment.

SOIL AERATION & WARMING- Good drainage aerates the soil, providing several benefits. Release of nitrogen from organic matter is accelerated and soil warms up faster since heat is not required for surface evaporation allowing earlier plantings for a longer growing season.

BETTER SOIL STRUCTURE - Good drainage prevents unnecessary soil damage such as compaction, smearing and crusting. Working wet fields with heavy soils causes reduced yields and damage to soil structure which may take years to reverse. Also equipment which becomes bogged down means costly, time - consuming delays and often expensive damage to the machinery.

FERTILIZER EFFICIENCY - Good drainage helps make any fertilizer work better. Increased fertilizer usage is no alternative to good drainage; they must be used hand-in-hand. Healthier soil increases the effectives of fertilizers and, at today's constantly climbing costs, it is imperative that the maximum benefit is derived from every ounce applied.

CROP QUALITY - Regardless of the crop, healthy roots support healthy plants and well drained soil is generally a poorer environment for plant disease pathogens than wet soil. Also there is a direct relationship between drainage and root development. For example, most forage crops will yield about 15% more with a substantial increase in quality if the soil is well drained.

LONGER HARVEST SEASON - Good drainage provides more time to harvest the crop. Surface water drains quickly and extends the harvest period. Also, deep rooted crops will stand better while waiting to be harvested. These are big advantages in late crops such as some varieties of corn.

DROUGHT PREVENTION - Good drainage promotes root growth as plants reach for the capillary water in soil. In land that is not drained, capillary water is available only near the surface so root systems are shallow. When dry weather arrives, shallow roots cannot supply enough water to the plant to keep it healthy. Deep rooted crops also withstand wind and stand better at maturity as well.

BENEFITTING BOTH THE LANDOWNER & TENANT - Regardless of the arrangement between the landowner and tenant, a drainage system plan can reap benefits for both for many years to come.

ESTATE PLANNING - Transfer wealth while utilizing drainage as a tax write off expenses.