Metadata
Big-O plastic tile drains are commonly
accepted to be effective at moving water from
agricultural fields. This type of drainage can be
particularly important in regions like Delta, BC, where
precipitation in the spring and fall crop production
shoulder seasons can impede farm operations or force
farmers to compromise soil structure with the use of
heavy equipment on wet soils. With increasing
precipitation variability due to climate change, especially
during important shoulder seasons, drainage
management is of increasing importance. While it is
likely that the number of days farm equipment can be
used without damaging the soil, or “workable days,” can
be increased by tile drains, it is not clear how effective
this practice has been in Delta. It is also unclear how
important expensive pumps are, or how management of
vegetation post establishment affects such systems.
This project addressed these questions by evaluating
the performance of various tile drainage systems and
spacing in vegetable crop and blueberry fields across
Delta from the fall of 2015 to the spring of 2017.
accepted to be effective at moving water from
agricultural fields. This type of drainage can be
particularly important in regions like Delta, BC, where
precipitation in the spring and fall crop production
shoulder seasons can impede farm operations or force
farmers to compromise soil structure with the use of
heavy equipment on wet soils. With increasing
precipitation variability due to climate change, especially
during important shoulder seasons, drainage
management is of increasing importance. While it is
likely that the number of days farm equipment can be
used without damaging the soil, or “workable days,” can
be increased by tile drains, it is not clear how effective
this practice has been in Delta. It is also unclear how
important expensive pumps are, or how management of
vegetation post establishment affects such systems.
This project addressed these questions by evaluating
the performance of various tile drainage systems and
spacing in vegetable crop and blueberry fields across
Delta from the fall of 2015 to the spring of 2017.
Audience