Guidelines and computer programs for the planning and design of land drainage systems

Drainage of agricultural land is one of the most critical water management tools for

the sustainability of productive cropping systems, as frequently this sustainability

is extremely dependent on the control of waterlogging and soil salinization in the

rootzone of most crops. On some agricultural lands, the natural drainage is sufficient

to maintain high productivity. However, many others require improvements in surface

and subsurface drainage in order to optimize land productivity, while maintaining the

quality of soil resources. As time passes, drainage requirements may change because of

changes in the general socio-economic conditions, such as input and output prices, and

more intensive crop rotations.