By Chris Kick and Kapil Arora et.al
Field tile drainage is a critical component of Iowa agriculture – making fields more accessible and reducing the amount of surface runoff and waterlogging that would otherwise occur.
Nearly one-third of Iowa farmland is currently tiled. But an ongoing challenge is replacing old tile systems and installing new tile where none exists.
Recognizing the need for modern tiling and the scientific precision involved with today’s systems, a group of ag engineers started the Iowa Drainage School in 2007.
The program was started by Greg Brenneman and Kapil Arora, field agricultural engineers with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and Matt Helmers, water quality specialist. They saw a need to educate those directly involved with tile installation – from commercial installers to farmers.
Seventeen years later, the program is still in high demand and has trained more than 500 participants, with each class representing an estimated 50,000 acres of influence per year.
“We’re very proud of the program we developed and the way that it continues to evolve,” said Arora. “Field tile installation continues to be a significant part of crop production in Iowa and it greatly reduces crop damage due to waterlogging which we would otherwise experience.”
This year’s class will be offered Aug. 20-22 at the Borlaug Learning Center in Nashua. Participants will gain first-hand knowledge of surveying a field, laying out a system, calculating tile line sizes and spacing using field data, making tile line connections and setting up drainage.
Farmers gain knowledge
Ray Slach and his neighbor, Jim Paulsen, completed the drainage school a little over a decade ago, soon after they purchased their own tiling machine. Both are crop farmers in Johnson and Cedar counties. With very little experience installing tile, Slach said the class was useful – and he actually completed it two years in a row.
“What we learned was phenomenal,” Slach said. “We were never in the tiling business so didn’t know about soil density and how water flows through it, or how close to space tile lines. It really taught us how to calculate water flows and what size tile to use, among other things.”
Working together, the two neighbors were able to tile their own farms as well as some additional local farms. The benefits include earlier entry for planting and harvest, and the potential for higher yields.
Slach said he would recommend the drainage school to other farmers – even if they’re having someone else handle installation.
“The school is very beneficial if farmers are doing their own drainage installation or even if they are hiring it done,” he said. “It’s good to have some common knowledge of what you truly need and what tile can do for you.”
Slach is a featured speaker at this year’s drainage school, where he will lead the safety session. Several years ago, he struck a gas line while tiling, and he will share lessons learned from that experience.
Making Advancements
The school was started by Iowa State University, and has frequently included faculty from South Dakota State University, University of Missouri and University of Minnesota. It provides participants an interactive, educational experience in modern tile installation, with the opportunity to network with others from the tile industry, as well as instructors.
Arora said when the program started, laser technology was common. Today, most of the machinery is guided by GPS and is more sophisticated and accurate. Today’s program also has an increased emphasis on water quality and conservation, including practices such as controlled drainage structures, saturated buffers and wetlands.
“We still teach the same basic principles as when we started, but we do involve more modern technology and discussion into innovation today,” said Matt Helmers. “We also demonstrate software that wasn’t available when we first started.”
The three-day course walks participants through the whole process – from design to pricing and installation. Participants are divided into small groups and given their own field in which to design a system.
The participants gather data for their own fields and in the end, each group gives a presentation to the entire class.
Diverse participants
Classes include a diverse cohort of people including farmers, as well as county supervisors, drainage district officials and drainage engineers, equipment manufacturers, watershed coordinators and representatives from state agencies.
The program draws people from across Iowa, as well as other states and countries.
One of the topics discussed is how to communicate with neighbors and other landowners. Because water often moves across multiple farms, farmers can benefit by cooperating and working together.
A unified drainage system can be installed and maintained when there is a mutual understanding of the benefits.
“It’s important to talk to as many neighbors as possible and figure out their future plans,” said Arora. “As long as good communication keeps happening, people can often work things out.”
The tile school also covers some of the legal and liability considerations of tile installation, and on the last day, experts discuss water quality and environmental concerns with field tile.
Current opportunities
The program is offered every other year and participation is usually capped at around 35 participants each year, according to Helmers, to ensure adequate chances for personal interaction.
Interest is strong each year and the sessions are newly updated as the science evolves.
“I think the main reason the program is in demand is because there are new individuals interested in drainage, and there is a real need for educational and networking opportunities,” Helmers said. “Hopefully as a result, we improve the drainage in Iowa and surrounding regions, along with educating participants on how water quality practices can be incorporated in drainage systems.”
Registration for the Aug. 20-22 program is $425 per person before midnight, Aug. 9. Late registration is $475 and must be received by midnight, Aug. 16. Class size is limited, and pre-registration is required. Registration includes meals indicated on the agenda, refreshments, a course notebook and drainage reference materials.
Additional program information and online registration is available at https://www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/ids/register/.
For assistance with registration or to ask questions, contact Registration Services at 515-294-6222 or registrations@iastate.edu
Source : iastate.edu