Drain Tile Install on Farm

Another fall, another drain tile installation. This time we are adding a drainage system to a spot on the farm that frequently sees water damage. Even a potential total crop loss in the lowest spots of the field. This is going to be a great improvement to the farm for many years to come. Our neighbors purchased their own Wolfe tile plow a few years ago. They’ve been doing some work for us along with their own projects. The video below uses a drone to show the scope of this install.

Drain tile not only helps the lowest, most effected spots in the field. There will also be yield losses that are less visible until results are seen at harvest. Crops can get hurt in greater areas surrounding the spot that holds standing water for days. Bringing up the average of all these yields is great, but yield isn’t the only benefit.

Benefits of Drain Tile

Inputs like seed and fertilizer can end up being wasted or not fully utilized when the crop is damaged water. A well drained field is also better prepared to handle heavy rains. I like to think of drain tile as getting the sponge ready for the next round of water. The field is able to drain more efficiently between rain events which means the next event can soak in the ground more easily. Water running across the top of saturated ground is where erosion and other issues come into play. Top soil, nutrients, fertilizer, and crop residue can end up leaving the field in these conditions.

I like to say drain tile is cheaper than dirt. Costs vary, but tile for us might cost around $800-1,000 per acre to install. The end result is more production from the same input cost on the same land. The more expensive way to get more production is with more land. Land currently costing $8,000-12,000 an acre in our neighborhood.