The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is getting money to help analyze different weather and soil events.
Satellite data will be used to demonstrate the potential benefits of managing water flow from fields using tile drainage.
“On farm fields with shallow slopes, scientists have confirmed that in a drought year, holding the water back by restricting the outflow with valves at the end of tile drains, corn yield can be increased by as much as 25%," said Mark Emiry, President of OSCIA. "Our analysis has confirmed that the economic payback from adoption of controlled tile drainage benefits can range from $18-$48 per hectare per year. In addition, Nitrate-N and Phosphorus output from tiles can also be reduced, calculated to be worth over $25 per ha in nutrient savings, certainly a win for improved water quality as well.”
The money is coming from the federal government, a total of $340,000, to help develop the tools that farmers can use.
