Thinking about drainage after this season’s extremely wet start? Check out these two upcoming events

Image: Attendees of the 2023 Drainage Research Forum in Crookston checking out a subsurface tile drainage lift station

UMN Extension is co-sponsoring two upcoming drainage field day events on how conservation drainage principles can help you get the most out of your drainage system. In a spring like the one we had this year, on-farm drainage can be a savior and help you get out on your fields a few days earlier. It is easy to forget that we just got out of three years of drought across much of the state. Luckily, conservation drainage can help you strike a balance between moving water off your field and keeping water (and nutrients) in place when we are not so rained out.

Conservation drainage is kind of like 4R management - but for your water. It follows the “golden rule of drainage” that is to drain all the water you need to produce a healthy crop and not one drop more. Practices like controlled drainage (also known as drainage water management) have been around for decades and remain a tried and true way to manage tile drainage discharge. Across the midwest, we have found that controlled drainage reduces tile nitrate loading by an average of 40%. In Minnesota, much of this benefit happens during the spring snowmelt period. With proper management, you can produce a healthy crop while keeping more nutrients in the field and conserving some soil moisture for the next growing season.

Want to learn more? Check out these events!

Minnesota Drainage & Conservation Summit

This is a NEW EVENT that showcases on-farm conservation drainage success stories across the state of Minnesota. Our host for this year’s inaugural event is Nordick Farms in Wilkin County, Minnesota. The program will provide practical guidance on how to use on-farm drainage practices to meet crop yield, water management, and environmental stewardship goals.

Date and Location: 

August 22, 2024 - Rothsay, MN 

Agenda:

• 8:30 am Registration Opens
• 9:00 am Drainage Presentations
• 12:00 pm Lunch Provided
• 1:00 pm On-farm field tours (Ends at 3:00 pm)

Program cost: 

This event is free to attend. Lunch is provided.

Registration:

Register by August 12th to guarantee lunch and a spot on the bus for the field tour: Register here

Drainage Research Forum

This annual event shares the latest in drainage research and is jointly sponsored by University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and South Dakota State University. This event is intended for all drainage stakeholders, including state and federal agency staff, county supervisors, crop consultants, academics, contractors, farmers, and others interested in drainage issues and research topics in the upper Midwest.

Date and location:

September 5, 2024 - Ames, IA

Agenda:

• 9:00 am Registration Opens
• 9:30 am Welcome
• 9:45 am Bioreactors & Saturated Buffers
• 11:30 am Nutrient Reduction Strategy Science Assessment Updates
• 12:15 pm Lunch Provided
• 1:15 pm Drainage Water Recycling
• 2:45 pm Greenhouse gasses and drainage
• 3:45 pm Program concludes

Program cost:

$85 for general admission ($35 for students)

Registration: 

Register by August 28th here: Register here

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