Abstract
Benefits of properly designed and managed agricultural water management systems on crop yields have not been fully realized. Two drainage management systems, conventional free drainage (FD), and controlled drainage (CD) were designed and managed on two research sites in North Carolina. Site 1 (TRS), consists of four subsurface drainage plots at the Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth. Two plots have been in FD and two plots have been in CD for 14 crops between 1990 and 2010. Site 2 (BATH), which is near Bath, NC was installed in 2008 and operated through June 2011. It consists of 6 open ditch drainage plots. Three plots have been in FD, and three in CD, from 2008 through June 2011. Both sites are in a corn-soybean-wheat rotation. There were 6 corn crops, 6 wheat crops and 7 soybean crops during the study. Controlled drainage plots on both sites experienced significant (10.4%) corn yield increases compared to the FD plots. No significant change in wheat yields was observed under CD. Soybean yield increased in all years except 2010 which was complicated by replanting, a change in variety at replanting due to lack of seed availability and a power outage during a large storm event just prior to maturity. A significant soybean yield increase of 10.2% was observed without the 2010 crop. When 2010 was included the average yield increase was 6.5%, but the yield increase was not significant. Corn had increased yields in all crop years at all locations under controlled drainage. Wheat yields remained relatively the same between treatments in all years. Water table depths, drainage rates, precipitation and water quality data were collected and analyzed at both sites.
Published Version
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