What is Tile Drainage?

Soggy, mucky fields are a big problem for Indiana agriculture. Heavy machinery gets stuck, crop yields suffer, root systems are compromised and the ground gets torn up, creating hard-to-harvest irregularities in the fields. Tile drainage solves the problem of excess water from the soil below the surface. While too much surface water can be drained through other methods (excavating ditches, etc.) tile drainage is often the most cost-effective and thorough solution for subsurface water problems.

Plastic Tubing Filters

What is a tile drainage system? For centuries, agriculturalists used fired clay tiles to create drainage systems, but today, we use large plastic tubing with small drain holes for filtering and capturing water. This is called “tile drainage”. The plastic tubing drainage system is placed about three feet under the surface of the soil and actually creates clean water runoff as it drains subsurface water. Tile drainage should always be installed by a professional drainage expert, and it’s important to take into account the environmental and economic price of interfering with natural drainage. However, in many cases, tile drainage is an ecological and economic boon to farmers and neighboring habitats. While installing a tile system requires an initial investment, it pays off dividends in crop yields, soil health, and farm longevity.

Improved Soil Health

Improved drainage leads to improved soil health. Here in the Midwest, we often struggle with proper agricultural drainage because of our specific land styles and weather patterns. This can rob our farmland of essential nutrients, as well as harm local environments with chemical or fertilizer runoff. Proper drainage not only serves our crops and agricultural endeavors but is important for local ecology and the environment as well. Without tile drainage, there can be substantial surface runoff, which can create harmful losses in sediment and soil nutrients.

Is This System Right For You?

At Shankster Bros., we want to help farmers throughout northeastern Indiana get the most out of their land while still maintaining healthy ecological practices. We believe that properly installed tile drainage is a great tool for your land and your bottom line, and we’d love to schedule a phone call or farm visit to determine if this drainage style is right for you. Give us a call anytime at (260)-982-7111