Effects of Controlled Drainage with Subirrigation on Nutrient Concentrations in an Agricultural Field in the Netherlands

“The rising likelihood of extreme weather events like droughts and floods poses a growing threat to reliable crop production for farmers. Soils may become too dry to support crop growth or too wet and flood, resulting in a partial or total loss of yield. Controlled drainage with subirrigation (CD-SI) offers a potential solution to retain and discharge water in agricultural fields by connecting subsoil drainage pipes to a control pit. This setup allows farmers to manage the water levels independently in the control pit, rather than relying on weir levels which are typically controlled by water authorities. Subirrigation can supply water to the control pit during dry conditions, increasing water pressure in the pipes and causing water to infiltrate the soil, thereby recharging water in the agricultural field. However, as the CD-SI system alters the hydrological functioning of the agricultural water system, it can impact (ground)water nutrient dynamics.”

(Citation: Bonné, J., de Bruin, J., Rakonjac, N., Mustafa, S., de Wit, J., van der Ploeg, M., and Bartholomeus, R.: Effects of Controlled Drainage with Subirrigation on Nutrient Concentrations in an Agricultural Field in the Netherlands, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16765, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16765, 2025)

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.