More in Drainage

Jun. 7, 2011

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Soil Crusting from Rapid Drying may Cause Emergence Issues

After all the rain and cold weather during the end of May, the forecast calls for us to turn a corner and finally get some warm temperatures moving into June. The increase in temperature will certainly be welcomed to help dry soils out and get planters back in the field, but this rapid warm-up may cause some issues for crops already in the ground....More
Jun. 1, 2011

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Saturated Soils Early can Lead to Season-Long Problems for Corn

Heavy rains in some parts of Kansas in mid- to late May have saturated some cornfields and even flooded fields for a day or more. Periods of early season flooding or soil saturation can sometimes cause immediate problems for small corn plants, says Kraig Roozeboom, K-State Research and Extension crop production specialist....More
May 31, 2011

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Flooding and Waterlogging Will Affect Crop Development

Excessive rainfall this spring, following an unusually wet winter, has resulted in extensive flooding in many regions of North Dakota. Even soils that are not visibly flooded quickly become saturated after a rain because there is little evapotranspiration occurring as a result of the low temperatures and lack of an established crop....More
May 10, 2011

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Planting Corn or Soybeans Into Wet Soils Can Cause Sidewall Compaction

Conducting fieldwork after wet weather can cause soil compaction, and in particular sidewall compaction in the seed furrow, says DeAnn Presley, Kansas State University Research and Extension soil management specialist. This is especially true if the weather then turns dry after planting, she adds....More
May 4, 2011

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Weed-Control Tips For Wet Soils

Plain and simple, farmers are behind the eight ball this spring with planting. On a five-year average, nearly 40% of the corn is planted by now. But as of Monday – a soggy spring caused by record winter snowfalls and pelting rains – USDA pegs that number at only 13%....More
Apr. 29, 2011

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Applying Anhydrous Ammonia in Wet Soils

Wet soil conditions are causing concern for anhydrous ammonia application this spring, says Fabian Fernandez, University of Illinois Extension specialist in soil fertility and plant nutrition....More
Apr. 1, 2011

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Don’t Destroy Soil | Good Soil Structure is the Root of Productivity 1

Boosting crop yields starts at ground level – with soil structure. Soil’s composition and microorganism density help determine its productivity....More
Feb. 1, 2011

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Water Quality, Drop by Drop | Water-Quality Improvements Work Best From the Soil Up

Rick Juchems hopes that growers can be in the driver’s seat on water quality improvements rather than government. That’s not been the case during the six years he’s tracked the Chesapeake Bay’s nutrient-management problem. As past president of the Iowa Soil and Water Conservation district commissioners, he hears about it at national conservation meetings as evidence that “a lot that needs to be done.”...More
Oct. 25, 2010

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Bank On It | Two-Stage Drainage Ditches Reduce Erosion, Nutrient Runoff and Maintenance 1

Kevin Willibey’s ditch copied Mother Nature; her floodplains, that is. His drainage ditch used to flood over its banks after big rains, loosen its soil, and the banks would collapse into the ditch. The northeastern Indiana grower, along with engineers and the Nature Conservancy, has tested a new ditch design with more gradual sloping sides that mimic a natural floodplain (see related gallery)....More
Oct. 1, 2007

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Corn and Soybean Digest

Stream Of Dreams

Craig Recker won a yield contest without a speck of commercial fertilizer. His New Vienna, IA, neighbors couldn't...More