Agricultural Drainage Tile Brochure

 GPS installed Tile can be quickly located for future reference if/when required

• Digitally generated colored Tile maps showcase every completed project
• Accurate tile installation utilizing a Wolfe 600 Parallel Link Plow; with extended low ground pressure oscillating wide tracks, 7 degree side tilt, and software which auto calculates & installs pipe on grade, will help reduce variables

Any size job can be completed. We started small but now we can do them all. 

We can resolve any drainage issue you are encountering 

We are able to explore and evaluate drainage systems

Recreational and/or Conservational 

A saturated buffer is a vegetated, riparian buffer in which the water table is artificially raised by diverting much of the water from a subsurface drainage system along the buffer to reduce nitrate loading to surface water through enhanced denitrification -Practice Overview for CPS Saturated Buffer (Code 604) 

Small areas of native prairie species strategically placed in row crop fields - Prairie Strips - Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance 

The denitrifying bioreactor is a structure containing a carbon source, installed to reduce the concentration of nitrate nitrogen in subsurface agricultural drainage flow by enhanced denitrification - Practice Overview for CPS Denitrifying Bioreactor (Code 605) 

An oxbow wetland is a meander of a stream, river or creek, that has become separated from the flow of water. Oxbow wetlands store excess water that might otherwise lead to flooding, filter water to improve water quality and provide habitat to a variety of wildlife - What Is an Oxbow? | The Nature Conservancy

Grassy or native vegetation next to streams that traps sediment from surface runoff, stabilizes stream banks, and provides habitat for wildlife - Stream Buffers - Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance 

An embankment, ridge, or ridge-and-channel built across a slope to slow water runoff, therefore reducing soil erosion and phosphorus loss - Terraces - Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance 

Constructed at the end of a slope, an embankment collects water where gullies normally form during major rain events. This slows the water flow, allowing sediment to settle before draining through an outlet - Water and Sediment Control Basins

• Reduces financial risk
• Allows for maximum yield potential by optimizing input costs 
• A proper drainage system will improve crop yields by 20% to 25% on average
• It takes roughly three years to get a drainage system to run properly, because the soil needs time to adjust and allow water to migrate through the soil profile

• Removing excess water helps soil absorb heat quicker which not only allows for earlier and quicker planting but also an extended harvest period. Earlier planting means quicker germination and more time for the crop to fully mature
• Once you incorporate drainage and remove that excess moisture in the spring, nine times out of ten your soil temperature will go up, which means you are able to get into the field sooner
• These conditions can help plants grow healthier which promotes increased resistance to weeds and disease

• A proper drainage system lowers the water table. Crop roots then grow deeper to seek water. In turn, the roots have a greater source of nutrients available to them
• Allowing that root to drive down through the soil profile during spring time naturally, means you’re not only going to get a better crop stand, greater root strength and density but also a healthier crop. If you can get roots to grow deep enough, they are able to find moisture in July and August when there’s usually a shortage
• The lower water table of tiled ground causes roots to naturally grow deeper. Should you experience a dry period, the deep roots are still able to reach water and nutrient
• Think of your soil like a sponge that is still damp. Tiling only removes excess water. It doesn’t reduce the amount of water available to plants.
• Well-drained soil encourages deep and healthy root systems. In a drought, roots can penetrate down deeper in the soil profile seeking out that moisture at 48 inches plus, which is where the moisture is going to be in a drought. If the field weren’t tiled, root development would be limited to less than 12 inches and the roots would plateau horizontally

• Properly drained fields experience faster drying times. Dryer soils allow for operation of large machinery sooner without the risk of compacting ground. Standing water can cause some of the worst soil compaction due to the excess water rearranging the granular structure of the soil. Tile alleviates the hydraulic pressure caused by excess water and wont allow for granular restructuring.(Rearrangement of soil particles and reduction in macro-porosity and total pore space by stresses)  
• Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) refers to the ease with which pores in a saturated soil transmit water. They are based on soil characteristics observed in the field, particularly structure, porosity, and texture. 
• A deep-rooted cover crop such as Brassica Radish, Triticale or Cereal Rye helps to break up compaction deeper into the soil profile. While crops with a more fibrous root system such as Oats, Turnips, and Red Clover will help break up crusting toward the top of the soil profile.  
• The ability to drain your ground faster allows more room for water absorption during rainfall. This reduces runoff and in turn saves you from surface erosion and preserves your soil structure and fertility.
• When you have that subsurface drainage in place, it’s allowing that moisture to percolate through the soil profile, so you don’t have that surface runoff during a heavy rainfall.

• Air is essential in the soil for higher quality of growth for the crop. Tiling ventilates the soil and allows the microorganisms to flourish so they can decompose organic material
• Soil is comparable to your own lungs, it expands and contracts because of weather and living organisms affecting it. Adding tile allows for air to permeate above and below the soil for optimum yield potential
• This can really affect soybean development. The soybean plant, and a few other species of legumes, can create up to 50% to 90% of their required Nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria Rhizobium. The bacteria and plant benefit each other: The bacterium creates a structure called a nodule on the roots that convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form that is usable by the plant. The soybean plants provide the bacterium with a home and energy source needed for continued fixation.
• Researchers have found that reduced oxygen concentrations in soil due to wet conditions can cause stomatal closure of plants, which causes stress because plants cannot transpire water at an optimal rate although water is available. Some researchers have reported that the soil oxygen deficiency can cause stomata closure even when no plant water stress exists. Stomata closure reduces the transpiration rate and yield, because transpiration and yield are strongly and linearly correlated.

• Proper field drainage results in correct soil granulation. The porous soil helps retain levels of water and air necessary for optimal crop growth
• Fertilizer will seep down and be absorbed vertically through the soil to enrich it otherwise it might be washed away due to surface runoff or suffer photolysis(The sun breaking down the fertilizer)
• Waterlogging can also impact the availability of nitrogen in the soil. Excessive water can leach nitrate nitrogen beyond the rooting zone of the developing plant, particularly in well-drained lighter textured soils. In heavier North Dakota state soils, nitrate nitrogen can be lost through denitrification. Research conducted in other states found losses from denitrification between 1% and 5% for each day that the soil remains saturated.
• If your fields aren’t draining properly, the voided space throughout the soil profile is filled with moisture, which limits oxygen and the growth of microorganisms. Once you get rid of that excess moisture, you can start to talk about your true soil structure and the ability for plant material to decompose which will lead to better soil structure and more nutrients. This can help plants grow deeper roots, as well as increase nutrient uptake and plant stability
• Soil pH is balanced easier with tile because of improved soil structure which leads to uniform absorption of macro/micro base elements 
• We need enough tile to allow excess soluble salts to flush out of the soil; tile also reduces the ponding that causes increased levels of CO2 and bicarbonates. Reduced salinity levels

• Properly drained fields allow crops to fully mature by harvest season, which reduces drying time. If you’re able to get into the field earlier, your crop can mature faster, which means you’re able to harvest at a lower crop moisture
• Tiling can help crops grow and mature faster, and can reduce the amount of time needed for drying in the fall.

• Tiling adds value to your land, making subsurface drainage an excellent investment. You’re going to recoup that investment threefold through the increased value and productivity of your land. Solving a variable like wet weather using tile is a good financial decision
• Year over year, if you have excess moisture, you’re losing crop from the moment you start planting. You’re losing on your seed, fertilizer, chemical, and labor investment, so by removing that excess moisture, you’re creating an optimal environment for plants to grow
• Lower machinery costs due to more favorable field working conditions
• Take your non-productive wet land and turn it into a consistently producing income generating asset
• Tile will help you utilize past, present, and future crop inputs

• Main and Lateral Depth
• Lateral Spacing/Size
• Tile Connection Placement
• Multiple Drain Configuration/Construction Options
• Design Preferences
• Coefficient and Capacity Requirements 
• Drainage Law and Regulations Drainage Theory and Philosophy…
• We utilize Pingliangtai & Mesopotamian archaeological discoveries as well as modern technologies