Win-Win with Controlled drainage!

By: Vinayak Shedekar

Controlled drainage (drainage water management) is often called a Win-Win practice due to its benefit to downstream water quality as well as crop yields (if practiced during growing season). The growing season of 2023 was probably a good season to test if and how controlled drainage can help boost or sustain crop yields? Our recent article in Ohio’s Country Journal demonstrates how controlled drainage may have played a role in conserving some moisture during the early season drought in Ohio. Further, we give some guidance to producers on how they can use the yield monitor data from their fields and estimate the effect of controlled drainage within the zone of influence of controlled drainage. Full article can be accessed at: https://ocj.com/2023/11/did-controlled-drainage-help-your-2023-crop-yield/

Dr. Norman Fausey, Retired USDA-ARS scientist demonstrates management of a controlled drainage structure

Conservation design options for drainage ditches

A new article (by our collaborators Jon Witter, Jessica D’Ambrosio, and Justin McBride) featured in Ohio’s Country Journal, “Ditch Design Options“, has just been released! This article briefly describes ditch design options, considerations, and tradeoffs.

Be sure to visit the Conservation Ditches section of our website for more information about these ditches.