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A New Concept of Flashboard Risers in Controlled Drainage Structures
Drainage water management (DWM), also known as controlled drainage (CD), is one of the edge-of-field strategies mainly designed to reduce the nitrate load from subsurface drainage systems. By limiting runoff, we also increase local retention, contributing to the sustainable management of water resources. For that purpose, CD involves using different kinds of controlled drainage devices. They are usually based on simple flashboard risers or stop-logs that regulate the drainage intensity by raising and lowering the drainage outlet. The problem with this type of device is the need for manual control, which can cause the CD system to be more demanding in terms of maintenance. A new approach to water management by CD allows the possibility of individual disassembly of each board without necessarily removing all of them. Thanks to the use of sideling runners, the water management process is much quicker. This is especially important when a farmer needs to manage water in a few controlled drainage devices in the field. The different variants of the design are shown here, as well as the way of stop-log assembly and control and the costs of maintaining similar devices. The advantages and disadvantages are described, and the usefulness of the new patented solution is assessed.
Rainwater harvesting on animal farms as a response to the increasing water deficit in agriculture
In the context of growing water scarity in agriculture the harvesting of rainwater from livestock buildings could be seen as a new opportunity. Based on the National Agricultural Census (2020), rainfall data (1991-2020) and the opportunity and investment costs related to the installation purchase, a prognostic analysis was conducted. The analysis revealed the immense potential of farms for rainwater collection. In Poland there are 201,980 cowsheds, 65,088 pigsties and 96,435 poultry houses, representing a total area of 8,820 ha, which allows additionally to retain over 41 million m3 of water per year. This amount will cover only 15% of the livestock total water demand. It should be noted that the average economic efficiency (EF) value for the entire country was 81.6%, and the differences in the analyzed animal groups reached a moderate level (CV=14.7%±0.1 depending on the groups). The unit price of tap water was the main determinant of the highest EF of investment in rainwater harvesting (RWH) in particular voivodeships.