Design and Management of Subsurface Drainage Systems to Meet Production and Environmental Goals

Gary Sands, Assistant Professor
Aida Mendez, Research Associate
Chang-Xing Jin, Research Associate
Lowell Busman, Regional Extension Educator—Water Management
Bradley Hansen, Assistant Scientist

Funding Source

University of Minnesota Water Resources Center; University of Minnesota Graduate School; Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station; Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; Minnesota Land Improvement Contractors of America; Prinsco, Inc.; Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.; Hancor; Hawkeye Tile; Agri-Drain Corp.

Objective

The objectives of this project are to determine the water quality, hydrologic, and agronomic impacts of controlled drainage and shallow drainage systems.

Need or Impact

Artificially drained agricultural lands in the upper Midwest have come under public scrutiny because of exacerbated nitrate-nitrogen loads to surface waters and the Gulf of Mexico. This research investigates the efficacy of two engineering measures for mitigating these nitrate-nitrogen losses. Results are helping drainage practitioners and policy experts make decisions about where to invest state water quality program dollars.

Project Status

Three years of data have been collected for two research experiments. Results show that seasonal water volumes and nitrate-nitrogen loads can be reduced by up to 40% through these measures. The research will continue for the foreseeable future.