What Is Field Tile?
A plain explanation of what field tile is, how it works, and how to tell when ground in north central Iowa needs it. From Legge Farms and Drainage in Garner.
The short version
Field tile is perforated pipe buried a few feet under your field. It gives water somewhere to go. Instead of sitting on top of the ground until it evaporates, the extra water drains down into the tile and out. The field dries from underneath.
Why ground around here needs it
This part of Iowa sits on old prairie pothole ground. It is flat, the soil is heavy, and there are low spots with no natural outlet. Water that falls on a level field has nowhere to run, so it stays put. That is why north central Iowa is some of the most heavily tiled ground in the country.
What it looks like under the field
A system has mains and laterals. The laterals are the smaller lines spread through the field that pick the water up. They feed into the mains, which are bigger and carry it to an outlet, usually a ditch, a waterway or a county tile. Surface inlets get added where water ponds on top and needs a way straight down.
The dark stripes running across this field are tile lines, showing through from below.
How you know a field needs tile
You already know the spots. Water standing after a rain when the rest of the field has taken it. Corn that comes up yellow in the low ground. Drowned out acres you plant every year and never pick. Ground you have to drive around in the spring because it will not hold the planter. Ruts and compaction from working it wetter than you wanted to.
What tile changes
Mostly it changes your calendar. Tiled ground dries sooner, so you get in the field earlier in the spring and you are not waiting on one wet corner to plant the whole farm. Roots go deeper because they are not sitting in water. The stand comes up more even across the field instead of strong on the hills and thin in the bottoms.
Pattern tile or random tile
Random tile runs lines to the wet spots you already know about. It costs less and it fixes the problem acres. Pattern tile covers the whole field on a set spacing, which drains everything evenly and does the most for the ground long term. Which one makes sense depends on your field and what you are trying to get out of it. We will walk it with you and tell you straight.
When the work happens
Spring or fall. Tile cannot go in with a crop standing in the field, so the window is before planting or after harvest. That also means the schedule fills up. Most tile work gets booked a season ahead, so if you are thinking about next fall, now is the time to call.