Since U.S. farm income is down, that means TILE PROJECTS will likely be fewer than normal this fall and next spring.
IF YOU HAVE THE CAPITAL TO INSTALL TILE,
NOW COULD BE A GREAT TIME TO GET SOME BARGAINS ON TILE AND INSTALLATION!
Typically, we see 15% to 25% yield gains because of increased and consistent soil oxygen levels in tiled soils. In tiled fields, we also find less compaction, warmer soil, earlier planting dates, more consistent spray timings, less surface water, lower sodium and salt levels, fewer seed and seedling diseases, and soil pH closer to the ideal range.
There are lots of long-term benefits to tiling, but if you need a quick payback due to tight economics on your farm, the next page lists a few things to consider.
Q.
CAN’T I JUST GET BY WITH DITCHING OR LAND-SHAPING INSTEAD OF TILING?
A.
Probably not. Just because you have ditches or you manipulate your soil to let water flow off it more quickly, that does not mean you lowered the water table. Here’s what tile really does. When the water table rises above the level of your tile lines, that is the ONLY time they run. Just because you get rain, that does not mean your tile lines run. When the water table does rise, tile lines slowly remove filtered water from your field, which dramatically reduces flooding. It also means you have significantly less soil erosion (land-shaping and ditching usually increase soil erosion, by the way), because when the water table is down, there is capacity to hold rain water. When your water table is high, rainfall runs off the field instead of getting absorbed. A high water table also pushes out oxygen and kills plant roots and aerobic microbes, destroying soil health.
Q.
HOW CLOSE TOGETHER SHOULD TILE SPACINGS BE?
A.
Here’s where you can save money this year and at least experiment with wide spacings. My advice is be ready to add more laterals in the future as you can afford it. The heavier the soil and the more shallow your tile depth, the closer the lines need to be. On our farm, when I have a 30 CEC and lines 3 feet deep, I like 25-foot spacings. When I have a 15 CEC and lines 3 feet deep, I like 40- to 50-foot spacings. However, you can certainly start with 100-foot spacings, because that’s a lot better than nothing, and the payback will be much quicker than if you go all the way down to 25-foot spacings in year one.
Q.
IS TILE DIFFICULT TO INSTALL MYSELF?
A.
Many projects, like adding laterals, are fairly easy and quick. Between RTK GPS, slope sensors, and great computer technology, you can put in a lot of tile lines using a pull-type or 3-point tile plow behind your tractor. If you need help or just some advice on how to install tile yourself, please talk to Mike Bemboom at our Baltic, SD office (605-529-5412 or mike.bemboom@heftyseed.com). He’s been heading up our equipment department for 15 years and has personally installed a lot of tile. He’s worked with many farmers to help them install their own drain tile, and he can help you too.
Q.
CAN ANY TILE PROJECT GIVE ME A ONE-YEAR PAYBACK?
A.
When times are tough, we’re all looking for the fastest possible return. On our farm, most of our spot-tile situations where we have good slopes and tiled only in the low grounds paid off in one year. No kidding. My best advice if you need tile to pay off immediately is to focus on your worst ground. Even if that means parts of fields or just installing a few lines here and there, if drainage is causing “200-bushel” ground to become “50-bushel” ground, fix it. As an example, at the site of the Ag PhD Field Day, in the field just on the south side of the parking area, I had a couple spots that yielded zero the year before we tiled. Almost immediately after installing tile, that land was yielding 200 bushels, and that was almost 20 years ago. On the other end of the spectrum, where we had to put in a deep lift station and lots of pattern tile in 25-foot spacings, it was more like a 10-year payback.
Even if it takes 10 years to get your money back, I want you to consider this if you can afford it.
Tile made farming fun again on our farm! We were so sick of getting stuck, farming around wet holes, coming back later to plant and spray in spots, and having terrible-yielding areas in the same fields where we had great-yielding areas, it was an absolute joy and worth every penny we spent when we could farm straight through every single tiled field even in the worst years. I speak so passionately about tile because ever since we bought our own tile plow in 2007, we have seen tremendous benefits in terms of erosion reduction, improved soil health, incredible yield gains, and most importantly, increased profits to go along with huge environmental benefits.
If you need a quick payback, focus on your very worst areas, go with wider spacing for now, and install the laterals yourself.