Tile Drainage in Wisconsin: Maintaining Tile Drainage Systems

Abstract

Tile drains play an important role in Wisconsin’s agricultural production systems. Drains alleviate saturated soil conditions, maintaining optimal root zone moisture for plant growth. Saturated soils can kill or damage crops by depriving roots of oxygen. Saturated soils also delay field access and can increase soil compaction if fields are worked. Water-logged soils can cause denitrification, the process where soil bacteria convert nitrate to nitrogen gas, thereby decreasing available nitrogen for plants. Regular maintenance of tile drains is an important management practice to ensure agricultural productivity on tile-drained land in Wisconsin.