5 Ways Agricultural Land Drainage Helps Farmers
Managing the drainage on a piece of land is a vital function of what it means to manage a farm. But why do farmers pay so much attention to drainage and how exactly does proper draining benefit farms, farmers and us non-farmers alike? Here are just a few way.
- Proper draining increases yield potential: Soil that is well drained helps to maximize crop growth rates. It does so by ensuring that nutrients, oxygen and other elements reach the plants through the soil that is nurturing them. Soil that is too wet and full of water lowers a crop’s yield potential by creating anaerobic conditions. This excess or standing water can choke crops.
- Drainage reduces soil and nutrient loss from runoff and can help avoid soil erosion: Soil erosion is a huge issue when it comes to farming. Heavy rains and wind can pull nutrient rich soil away from crops that need them.
- Drainage can be collected and saved for future use during periods of dry weather: Another part of what is means to be a farmer is to plan for those times when the conditions are not perfect for growing crops. By controlling and redirecting drainage, farmers can use this water and the nutrients it contains during times when growing conditions are not ideal.
- Reduces variable costs: The purchasing of seed, fertilizer and other chemicals are all a part of the cost of maintaining a farm. In order for these supplies to work well, the soil must be stable and not apt to be carried away due to improper drainage conditions.
- Reduces machinery costs: Wet soils are more difficult to handle than soil that has the proper moisture levels. Well drained soils allow farm equipment to operate in an efficient way. This helps reduce fuel costs as well as wear and tear on machinery.
Our agricultural GPS systems can make sure that you optimize your drainage levels. Our GCS:Ditch helps build surface drains and ditches, displaying real time definition of optimum grade and depth based on existing ground. The system is quick, intuitive and helps operators decide on a grade and maximum digging depth. That is not all. We also have GPS construction, earthmoving, grading and accuracy systems that can aid the landfill, construction, surveying industries well.
Comment (1)
My favorite part was when you mentioned that having proper drainage in your farm can help maximize growth rates of crops, and I had not considered this before. My husband’s uncle lives on a farm and when we called him the other night he commented that he is looking for a service that could do agricultural construction in his land. I think that he might benefit from reading this, too, so he can hire this service to maximize his agricultural land drainage.
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