Jessica Till
University of Illinois
A new study from the University of Illinois-Agroecosystem Sustainability Center is providing one of the most comprehensive explanations to-date of how tile drainage, a common agricultural practice, enhances the functioning of agricultural landscapes. Tile drainage has been widely studied as an important form of agricultural infrastructure, but the new study built a comprehensive framework to explain why tile drainage is so effective across a wide range of outcomes. The study pinpoints soil-oxygen dynamics as the critical, hidden mediator that is pivotal for drainage impacts on crop growth, soil health and crop resilience.
kAm%96 DEF5J C646?E=J AF3=:D965 :? wJ5C@=@8J 2?5 t2CE9 $JDE6> $4:6?46D 56>@?DEC2E6D E92E E96 36?67:ED @7 E:=6 5C2:?286 6IE6?5 72C 36J@?5 D:>A=J C6>@G:?8 6I46DD H2E6C 7C@> 7:6=5D] %:=6 5C2:?286 7F?52>6?E2==J 2=E6CD D@:= 9J5C@=@8J 3J C65F4:?8 D@:= H2E6C 4@?E6?E[ H9:49 E96? 6?92?46D D@:= @IJ86?2E:@?] %9@D6 9J5C@=@8:42= :>A24ED 92G6 4@>A=6I 67764ED @? D@:= 3:@86@496>:DECJ 2?5 A=2?E 3:@=@8J] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 :>AC@G65 26C@3:4 4@?5:E:@? 2==6G:2E6D 4C@A @IJ86? DEC6DD 5FC:?8 H6E DAC:?8D[ H9:49 :? EFC? AC@>@E6D 62C=J 4C@A\C@@E 8C@HE9] %96 :?4C62D6 :? @IJ86? 2G2:=23:=:EJ 2=D@ DE:>F=2E6D >:4C@3:2= 24E:G:EJ[ H9:49 2446=6C2E6D E96 564@>A@D:E:@? @7 @C82?:4 >2EE6C 2?5 ?FEC:6?E 4J4=:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C49 E62> FD65 2? 25G2?465 AC@46DD\32D65 >@56= 42==65 “64@DJD” E92E’D F?:BF6=J 42A23=6 @7 D:>F=2E:?8 E96 A9JD:4D @7 D@:=\@IJ86? >@G6>6?E 2?5 4C@A\@IJ86? FAE2<6] p7E6C G2=:52E:?8 E96 >@56= 282:?DE >F=E:\J62C 7:6=5 52E2[ C6D62C496CD C2? D:>F=2E:@?D 4@>A2C:?8 5C2:?65 2?5 F?5C2:?65 4@?5:E:@?D E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96 7F== D6E @7 64@=@8:42= 492?86D 7@==@H:?8 5C2:?286]k^Am
kAmz2:JF vF2? :D E96 AC@;64E’D AC:?4:A2= :?G6DE:82E@C 2?5 2 {6G6?:4< t?5@H65 !C@76DD@C 2D H6== 2D E96 5:C64E@C @7 E96 p8C@64@DJDE6> $FDE2:?23:=:EJ r6?E6C]k^Am
kAm“!C6G:@FD >@56=D E92E 5@ ?@E 6IA=:4:E=J D:>F=2E6 D@:=\@IJ86? 5J?2>:4D 72:= E@ 42AEFC6 E96 ECF6 :>A24ED @7 E:=6 5C2:?286[ >2<:?8 :E 92C5 E@ 244FC2E6=J AC65:4E 28C:4F=EFC6 @FE4@>6D DF49 2D J:6=5[ ?FEC:6?E 2G2:=23:=:EJ 2?5 ?FEC:6?E =6249:?8[” 96 D2:5] “%9@D6 @FE4@>6D 2?5 E96 F?56C=J:?8 AC@46DD6D >FDE 36 F?56CDE@@5 E9C@F89 E96 =6?D @7 D@:= @IJ86?]”k^Am
kAm+6H6: |2 :D 2 5@4E@C2= DEF56?E 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 x==:?@:D[ H@C<:?8 F?56C vF2?j 96 H2D 2 =625 2FE9@C @7 E96 DEF5J]k^Am
kAm“|@DE >@56=D FD6 D@:= H2E6C 2D 2 D:>A=6 AC@IJ 7@C @IJ86? DEC6DD[ 3FE H:E9@FE 6IA=2:?:?8 E96 F?56C=J:?8 A9JD:42= >6492?:D>D E92E :>AC@G6 4C@A @FE4@>6D[” 96 D2:5] “~FC H@C< 7@4FD6D @? E96 46?EC2= C@=6 @7 @IJ86?] xED 2G2:=23:=:EJ 56A6?5D @? E96 32=2?46 36EH66? DFAA=J – @IJ86? 5:77FD:@? E9C@F89 D@:= – 2?5 56>2?5 7C@> C@@ED 2?5 >:4C@36D] %9:D 2==@HD FD E@ AC@G:56 2 9@=:DE:4 G:6H @7 9@H E:=6 5C2:?286 :>A24ED E96 3C@256C 28C@64@DJDE6>]”k^Am
kAm%96 2FE9@CD D2:5 E92E H9:=6 4@?G6?E:@?2= E:=6 5C2:?286 AC@G:56D 4=62C 28C@?@>:4 36?67:ED[ 6>6C8:?8 AC24E:46D DF49 2D 4@?EC@==65 5C2:?286 @776C 2 >@C6\4@>AC696?D:G6 2AAC@249 E92E 96=AD >:E:82E6 A@E6?E:2= H2E6C\BF2=:EJ EC256\@77D] qJ 25;FDE:?8 @FE7=@H 5FC:?8 5:776C6?E A2CED @7 E96 D62D@?[ 4@?EC@==65 5C2:?286 42? C6E2:? >@C6 H2E6C 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED :? E96 7:6=5 H9:=6 DE:== :>AC@G:?8 D@:=\@IJ86? 5J?2>:4D H96? 4C@AD 2C6 >@DE GF=?6C23=6 E@ @IJ86? DEC6DD]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mz6J 7:?5:?8Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm• $@:= @IJ86? 2D E96 <6J 4@?EC@==:?8 724E@C – qJ C6>@G:?8 6I46DD H2E6C[ E:=6 5C2:?286 24E:G6=J @IJ86?2E6D E96 D@:=] %96 :>AC@G65 26C@3:4 6?G:C@?>6?E C6DF=ED :? 2 C2?86 @7 D@:=\962=E9 36?67:ED]k^Am
kAm• $EC@?86C C@@E 56G6=@A>6?E – x>AC@G65 D@:=\@IJ86? =6G6=D 5FC:?8 H6E DAC:?8D 2==6G:2E6 DEC6DD @? 4C@A C@@ED[ 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ C6DA:C6 2?5 8C@H >@C6 677:4:6?E=J] %92E =625D E@ E96 56G6=@A>6?E @7 56?D6C 2?5 566A6C C@@E DJDE6>D]k^Am
kAm• p446=6C2E65 ?FEC:6?E 4J4=:?8 – x?4C62D65 @IJ86? =6G6=D DE:>F=2E6 >:4C@3:2= 24E:G:EJ[ H9:49 2446=6C2E6D @C82?:4\>2EE6C EFC?@G6C 2?5 :?4C62D6D ?FEC:6?E 2G2:=23:=:EJ 7@C 4C@AD]k^Am
kAm• (2E6C BF2=:EJ EC256\@77 – %96 DEF5J 4@?7:C>65 E92E E:=6 5C2:?286 42? =625 E@ :?4C62D65 =6249:?8 @7 D@:= ?:EC@86? :?E@ H2E6CH2JD[ 9:89=:89E:?8 E96 ?665 7@C A2:C65 4@?D6CG2E:@? AC24E:46D E@ AC@E64E H2E6C BF2=:EJ]k^Am
kAmq:? !6?8 :D 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C 7@C 28C:4F=EFC2= H2E6C >2?286>6?E 2?5 H2E6C BF2=:EJ 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 x==:?@:D\s6A2CE>6?E @7 rC@A $4:6?46Dj 96 H2D 2 4@\2FE9@C @7 E96 DEF5J]k^Am
kAm“%9:D C6D62C49 AC@G:56D 2 >6492?:DE:4 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 H9J 5C2:?286 36?67:ED 4C@AD[” !6?8 D2:5] “xE 8@6D 72C 36J@?5 H2E6C >2?286>6?Ej :E :>AC@G6D E96 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C >:4C@36D 2?5 4C@A C@@ED :? E96 D@:=] qJ C65F4:?8 @IJ86? DEC6DD :? E96 C@@E K@?6[ E96 A=2?ED 92G6 8C62E6C 23:=:EJ E@ 6DE23=:D9 2 C6D:=:6?E 7@F?52E:@? 7@C E96 6?E:C6 8C@H:?8 D62D@?]”k^Am
kAmvF2?[ 6>A92D:K:?8 3C@256C :>A=:42E:@?D[ D2:5[ “pD H6 7246 2 7FEFC6 H:E9 >@C6 4=:>2E6 6IEC6>6D[ DEC2E68:4 H2E6C >2?286>6?E :D 6DD6?E:2= 7@C 7@@5 D64FC:EJ] %9:D DEF5J 8:G6D FD 2 A@H6C7F= AC65:4E:G6 E@@= E@ 2DD6DD H96C6 2?5 9@H E:=6 5C2:?286 42? 36DE D6CG6 2D 2? 252AE2E:@? DEC2E68J – ?@E ;FDE 7@C :?4C62D65 J:6=5[ 3FE 7@C 8C62E6C =@?8\E6C> J:6=5 DE23:=:EJ]”k^Am
kAm%96 C6D62C496CD 9@A6 E96:C 7:?5:?8D H:== :?7@C> 72C>6CD[ 28C:4F=EFC2= 25G:D6CD 2?5 A@=:4J>2<6CD C682C5:?8 E96 >F=E:7246E65 G2=F6 @7 5C2:?286 >2?286>6?E – 2D H6== 2D E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 :?E68C2E:?8 :E H:E9 @E96C AC24E:46D E@ 6?DFC6 3@E9 AC@5F4E:G:EJ 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= DFDE2:?23:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^2D4]:==:?@:D]65FQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2D4]:==:?@:D]65Fk^2m 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 A2A6C[ “$@:= @IJ86? 5J?2>:4Di 2 <6J >65:2E@C @7 E:=6 5C2:?286 :>A24ED @?
4@FA=65 9J5C@=@8:42=[ 3:@86@496>:42=[ 2?5 4C@A DJDE6>D[” :D AF3=:D965 :? wJ5C@=@8J 2?5 t2CE9 $JDE6> $4:6?46D ,s~xi `_]d`hc^96DD\ah\ebhb\a_ad.] %96 H@C< H2D
DFAA@CE65 3J E96 }2E:@?2= $4:6?46 u@F?52E:@?[ E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6[ E96 u@F?52E:@? 7@C u@@5 U2>Aj p8C:4F=EFC6 #6D62C49[ 2?5 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?6C8J]k^Am
Jessica Till is a research scientist, and the outreach and communications lead for the University of Illinois-Agroecosystem Sustainability Center. Email jtill@illinois.edu to reach her.
The Agroecosystem Sustainability Center was founded in 2021 to lead global efforts in harmonizing sustainable food production with thriving ecosystems. The center strives to revolutionize agricultural systems through research, collaboration and engagement, bridging science and practice for agricultural productivity and ecosystem sustainability.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
