Automated Drainage Systems Help Ohio Farmers Manage Water More Efficiently

As increasingly unpredictable weather brings wet springs and dry summers, Ohio farmers are looking for better ways to manage water in their fields. New research from The Ohio State University is examining whether automated controlled drainage systems can help retain soil moisture, reduce nutrient loss and make water management less labor-intensive.

Controlled drainage systems use structures installed at tile outlets to regulate how much subsurface water leaves a field. Although more than half of harvested cropland in every northwest Ohio county is tile-drained, adoption of controlled drainage remains limited, partly because manual systems require farmers to visit fields and adjust boards by hand.

A multi-year Ohio State project is comparing automated and manually operated systems at several locations across the state. Early findings indicate that automated systems are retaining more water in the soil.

“We are seeing greater water retention in the fields with automated systems compared to manual systems,” said Vinayak Shedekar, assistant professor of agricultural water management at Ohio State. “The biggest advantage is the ability to react to weather conditions or proactively adjust based on a forecast.”

Farmers can use automated systems to remotely open or close drainage structures through a mobile phone. This allows them to store more water before dry periods or lower the water table ahead of heavy rain.

Ohio farmer and drainage contractor Steve Gerten said controlled drainage has improved crop performance on his farm. Research and field experience have shown potential yield increases of 10 to 15 bushels per acre for corn and 6 to 10 bushels per acre for soybeans when subsurface water is retained.

Gerten also uses the structures during winter to reduce nutrient losses. In one experiment, he added water to a drainage system twice during the growing season and recorded a corn yield increase of about 15 bushels per acre.

Automation can also reduce the time required to operate multiple structures. Gerten installed an automated unit on his own farm so he could better understand the technology before recommending it to customers.

“With automation, you can open and close your structure remotely and see where the water table is,” he said.

Near Defiance, Ohio, farmer Mike Zeedyk uses more than 30 controlled drainage structures to manage water and keep dairy manure nutrients in his fields. He currently has two automated systems and expects to rely more heavily on the technology in the future.

“It’s a lot nicer just hitting a switch and having those boards move instead of pulling them by hand,” Zeedyk said.

Automated systems cost more than manual structures, but financial assistance may be available through programs offered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency and local Soil and Water Conservation District offices.

As weather variability continues to challenge crop production, researchers say automated drainage could become an increasingly valuable tool for helping farmers manage water, nutrients and labor more effectively.

(Sourced from: https://ocj.com/2026/04/a-smart-way-to-manage-water-automated-controlled-drainage/)