Corn Growth and Yield Behavior with Distance from Subsurface Drains in Drier-Than-Normal Growing Seasons

ABSTRACT Since subsurface drainage for Clermont soil was not recommended until the mid-1970's, its effect on corn growth and yield have not been adequately documented. This paper reports on corn performance during the first four years (1984-87) of a study with four different drain spacings (5, 10, 20 and 40 m) in southeastern Indiana. This period was characterized by drier-than-normal growing seasons allowing an evaluation of the different spacings at the dry end of the drainage spectrum. There were only very limited benefits of drainage on timeliness of tillage and planting operations in spring. Corn yield on the narrowest spacing (5 m) was lower than on the 10 and 20 m spacings in the 2 driest years (1986 and 1987). Inferences drawn from our results are not applicable over a wider range of climatic conditions, since normal or wetter-than-normal growing season data are required before the drainage systems outlined can be fully tested.