?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???re getting back to a system we moved away from in the early 1980s,?EUR??,,????'?? says Mark Nussbaum, USDA-NRCS engineer, who spoke at a soil and water conference at the Delta Center, Portageville, Mo.

?EUR??,,????'??It involves the application of tile on a lateral manifold system to drain wet soil in the spring and fall. What we found with the laser installation, was that it didn?EUR??,,????'???t take very much to add sub-irrigation capabilities ?EUR??,,????'??+ an outlet structure and adjustments in our thinking about manufacturing a dual-purpose system.

?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???ve been able to take the same technology and systems that control laser leveling and apply them to tile installation. That means we can get away from the old open trench installation methods.?EUR??,,????'??

Being able to do so ?EUR??,,????'??tripped the trigger; the accuracy and quality of the new system went way up, while the cost plummeted.?EUR??,,????'??

With the new tiling system, the average cost of installation runs about 24 cents per foot, a 75 percent reduction in cost compared to the current $1.01 per foot. ?EUR??,,????'??It has made all the difference,?EUR??,,????'?? Nussbaum says. ?EUR??,,????'??Tile installation is a high-footage-per-acre project. The tile spacing we?EUR??,,????'???re currently using is from 30 feet to 45 feet, measured between tile centers.?EUR??,,????'??

Source: Delta Farm Press