JONESVILLE, Mich. — Nearly 1,000 farmers gathered from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana Aug. 1-2 for the 2012 Farm Drainage and Nutrient Management Field Day at Pleasant View Dairy, owned by Bruce and Jennifer Lewis in Jonesville.

Hosted by the Michigan Land Improvement Contractors Assoc. and Michigan State University extension, a 100-acre field once filled with wheat stubble was transformed into a learning center for farmers. Occupied with tractors, tillage and drainage equipment, vendors and more, farmers were educated on soil drainage, tillage practices and water and nutrient management advancements in agriculture.

According to MSU extension educator Natalie Rector, the timing for implementing different technologies has come. With the extreme weather and higher commodity prices, growers are now ready to put more of these kinds of practices to work on their farms.

“We’ve had wet springs and wet falls when farmers have needed to get into their fields. Farmers are really seeing the advantages of specific drainage systems,” Rector said. “During this field day, we are demonstrating sub-irrigation, where once you’ve put the tile in, if you’ve designed it correctly, we can stop the water and in a dry time we can back the flow up and water the roots of the crops.

“While the tile has always been used for wet ground, now we are thinking of it more for risk management.”

Dr. Richard Cooke of the University of Illinois demonstrated the advantages of a bioreactor, technology that he developed to improve water quality. This practice lowers the nitrate levels in the water before it flows into the drainage ditches.

Water brought from the field through the tile is diverted into a bed of wood chips and, through a metabolic process, approximately 80 percent of the nitrates are broken down before the water flows away from the field, benefiting the environment.

Commanding great farmer interest, tractors with implements were lined up in the middle of the field, where three area dealers were showcasing. North Concord Farms of Concord, Mich., demonstrated the 9700 Conservation Tillage Specialist and the 9800 Disc Ripper Harrow, while Wells Equipment of Litchfield was on hand to demonstrate its Landoll 2100 and Landoll 7400.

Godfrey Brothers of Jonesville brought out the 2623 VT John Deere, the Kuhn Krause Excelerator VTS and the Kuhn Krause Dominator 4850. Equipment representatives discussed each implement before it was demonstrated in a 50-yard stretch, one right next to the other. Farmers were able to compare the result of each implement side by side.

Educational sessions throughout both days featured topics including reducing the risks of liquid manure, cover crops, slurry seeding, calibrating manure, farmer experience with manure and cover crops and multipurpose drainage systems. In addition, there was a large trade show both days, where farmers could browse products and visit with company representatives.

Local government officials and political candidates also made an appearance to show their support for agriculture and environmental stewardship.