Project Summary

ABSTRACT:

Following a wet weather pattern since 1993 in the Red River Valley (RRV), located in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, excess moisture in the farmland has become the most limiting factor for crop production.  Subsurface drainage (SSD), a new technology for the RRV, has become a necessary and effective way to remove water, lower the water table and reduce soil salinity.  Due to concerns on water quality, especially nitrate losses from the SSD flow, controlled drainage (CD) can be used to reduce the total amount of drainage water and nitrate moving out of the field.  Subirrigation (SI), which adds water to the field during high water demand period, can increase crop yield.  In addition, the SI will use the ditch water next to the field as the waster source so that the phosphorous and sediment load in the surface water can be decreased through the field filtration process.  The dual CD and SI system is new to the RRV region, the design used in this project is suitable for the flat topography of the RRV region, and the day to day water management protocol is innovative and has not been studied before.  Field experiment with four treatments, undrained (UD), free drainage, CD, and CD+SI, will be conducted at Clay County, MN.  Water balance components, such as rainfall, irrigation, evapotranspiration, drainage, surface runoff, and soil moisture changes will be measured.  Water quality will be monitored at upper and downstream of the ditch.  Sugar beet, corn, and soybean yields will also be estimated for each growing season.  During the project duration, field days, workshops, and evaluation will be conducted annually to demonstrate the project progress.  It is expected that more people will be able to use CD and SI following the success of this project. 


Below is an aeriel view of the research site located in Clay County, MN.