Conestoga Rovers will undertake a study into tile drainage for agriculture lands in the Algoma district.
The initiative is a joint partnership of the Sault Ste.Marie Innovation Centre, and the NORDIK Institute’s Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN). The study is being funded by FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.
Tile drainage, which brings down soil moisture levels for optimum crop growth, could help expand cash crop production for Algoma-area growers, if it’s proven to be cost-efficient. Conestoga Growers will help determine if it is an economically attractive option.
“The results of this study will be of interest to other agricultural districts in Northern Ontario,” said Errol Caldwell, research director at the innovation centre. “Insufficient investment in tile drainage is a major impediment to agricultural expansion and diversification in our clay-based soils.”
The tile drainage engineering strategy and action plan will investigate: locations of currently drained lands within Algoma and priority ranking of lands that would benefit from tile installation; an economic assessment of likely costs and benefits associated with tile drainage installation; options for reducing the costs of tile installation (financing programs and opportunities to collaborate with other growers); and Algoma’s capacity for crop storage infrastructure.
Growers with experience in tile drainage or an interest in tile drainage opportunities can contact David Thompson, RAIN research project coordinator, at 705-942-7927, ext. 3027, or dthompson@ssmic.com.
