Water management
move silt, not clay or stones. And don’t widen the channel.
Watch for wildlife Avoid doing the job when birds and fi sh are reproducing. That means it is best done in the win- ter and check if you need per- mission before starting work. If you are in an Internal Drainage Board, consult them and discuss your plans. Check that the water course you are working on is not a main river, which comes under the ju- risdiction of the Environment Agency. The agency website is the best place to check. While there, you can also see if you re- quire a D1 waste exemption for handling silt.
Clear outlets
If an outlet is not running, further examination is required, push some rods up the drain and see if there is a blockage. Tree roots can block drainage remarkable quickly and effectively. Remove the roots – it is a wet but satis- fying job.
Looking after land drains pays dividends by improving productivity “
Ditch maintenance doesn’t take long – although you might get wet
If you farm on sandy soils, you
might fi nd the drains are full of silt. If so, then jetting the drains can remove the blockage and re- vitalise the scheme. Dig out the old completion plans – if you can fi nd them – work out where the
outlet should be and dig. Finally, remember that noth- ing lasts forever. Sometimes an old scheme is simply too far gone to be saved and new installation needs to be considered. Drain- age is an investment for the long term, and one which has a prov- en track record.
Almost all farmers or growers
need soil, yet often it is taken for granted. Soil needs to be cared for and invested in like any other re-
source and a major part of this is balancing the water contained in the soil. A good drainage system will make the most of it. Rob Burtonshaw is a director
at drainage contractors Farm Ser- vices Ltd. He is the third genera- tion of his family to run the com- pany and in 2012 he completed a Nuffi eld scholarship titled Land drainage and its role in farming’s future. For details,
www.farmser-
vicesltd.co.uk
Prime Irrigation Efficiently. Effectively. Naturally.
3 Floating Pumps 3 Underground Mains Systems
3 Most Efficient Variable Speed Pump Controls
Tel: 01728 668668
Email:
prime@irrigation.uk.com www.primeirrigation.co.uk
38 ANGLIA FARMER • MARCH 2018
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