11 Top Reasons Why Your Agricultural Business in Victoria Needs An Effective Drainage System
If you’re in the agricultural business, then you know all about the negative impact unfavourable salt levels can have on the development of healthy crops. The best way to stabilise these salt levels is by installing an agricultural drainage system.
Fortunately, your local drainage plumber in Victoria will be able to access your current irrigation setup and determine what type of drainage system you need. Having an efficient water drainage system in place is crucial for agricultural sustainability.
What Is Agricultural Drainage?
Essentially, an agricultural drainage system uses surface ditches, subsurface permeable pipes or often a combination of both to remove pooled or excess water from poorly drained farmlands.
Agricultural drainage generally serves two purposes:
- Drain excess surface and subsurface water
- Remove excess soluble salts to improve the drained soil profile
Common Reasons Why Agricultural Drainage is Important
Aside from removing excess salt deposits from useable soil, an effective drainage system has several other benefits. We’ve listed a few of the more common reasons why you should consult with a plumber Brunswick and many others Victorian towns’ residents are using for their drainage systems.
1. Better Environment
While it’s true that any crop requires water to grow, too much isn’t a good thing either. When your land becomes water-logged after heavy rains, excess water tends to impede root respiration.
When this happens, the root tissue is directly affected, and hampers the growth of the root. Draining the extra water will prevent this from happening.
2. Soil Temperature
As excess water pools around your crops, the soil remains cold, and this slows down the natural development of the crop. By removing the excess water, the soil can warm up much quicker. This leads to accelerated plant growth and also provides better conditions for planting and germination.
3. Stronger Root Systems
When a small seedling becomes drenched in water, it has very little soil from which to draw nutrients. This makes the root system weak which ultimately affects the whole plant. Draining excess water provides the root with the right amount of soil and space to grow as it’s meant to.
4. Increased Microbial Decomposition
Any type of plant or crop requires a certain amount of organic matter to serve as plant food. With too much water, the organic matter can’t decompose and may even wash away. When the water drains, more air gets into the soil which allows the soil bacteria to convert into necessary natural fertiliser.
5. Reduces Erosion
One of the worst factors agriculturalists have to contend with is erosion. This happens when too much water causes the soil to wash away. When you remove the excess water, the remaining soil has a higher infiltration capacity which greatly reduces erosion.
6. Increases Leaching
Leaching refers to the process of removing excess salts from the soil and this is primarily done through drainage. A high saline level is bad for any plant because it prevents the roots from extracting the required nutrients from the surrounding soil. The root is then also unable to absorb the water it needs, despite being drenched.
7. Reduced Labour
It requires a lot of additional labour to till drenched soil as the process needs to be repeated until the soil is naturally drained. This not only increases the farmer’s labour cost but hampers the growth of the crop which in turn delays your yield. Since time is a factor when you’re growing crops, additional tilling can affect your profits for the season. So, stylishster moisture levels in the soil is smart farming.
8. Reduce Machinery Costs
In addition to saving on human labour costs, a drainage system will prevent you from having to take your machinery through swamp-like conditions. Depending on the types of machinery you’re using, there’s always the risk of them getting stuck in overly wet conditions.
9. Increases Land Value
Arable land always remains high in demand and it’s no secret that keeping your land in the best condition will ensure you maintain its value. Additionally, land that already has a functioning agricultural drainage system in place is prime property.
10. Reduction of Variables
Any modern-day farmer will agree – the variables such as seed, fertiliser and even chemical applications take up a huge chunk of your budget. For all these elements to work together for your benefit, all conditions need to be right. This is everything from the type of soil and salt levels to wetness of the ground. The last thing you need is to watch your valuable soils and fertiliser products wash away!
11. Re-Use The Excess Water
Depending on the type of drainage system you’re using, you might be able to re-route the excess water to other parts of your land. You can speak to your drainage plumber to ensure that very little of the water wastes.
Final Thought
As you can see, there are more reasons to invest in an agricultural drainage system than there are not. Aside from being good for your soil and your potential crops, it will also save money on some overhead expenses. Protect your crop and your land by consulting with a drainage plumber sooner rather than later. It will be a great way to reap the rewards of your hard work!
