Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture—The Impact of Drainage Water Management on Groundwater Table Dynamics and Subsurface Outflow

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the effects of control drainage (CD) on the groundwater table and subsurface outflow in Central Poland. The hydrologic model DRAINMOD was used to simulate soil water balance with drain spacing of 7 and 14 m, different initial groundwater Table 40, 60 and 80 cm b.s.l., and dates at the beginning of control drainage of 1 March, 15 March, 1 April, and 15 April. The CD restricts flow at the drain outlet to maintain a water table during the growing season. Simulations were made for the periods from March to September for the years 2014, 2017, and 2018, which were average, wet, and dry, respectively. The simulations showed a significant influence of the initial groundwater tables and date blocking the outflow from the drainage network on the obtained results. In the conditions of central Poland, the use of CD is rational only when it is started between 1 and 15 March. In this case, the groundwater table can be increased from 10 to 33 cm (7 m spacing) and from 10 to 41 cm (14 m spacing) in relation to the conventional system (free drainage-FD). In the case of blocking the outflow on 1 March, the reduction is about 80% on average in the period from March to September. With a delay in blocking the outflow, the impact of CDs decreases and ranges from 8% to 50%. Studies have shown that the proper use of the drainage network infrastructure complies with the idea of sustainable development, as it allows efficient water management, by reduction of the outflow and, thus, nitrates from agricultural areas. Furthermore, CD solutions can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change on agriculture by reducing drought and flood risk.Sustainability 2019, 11, 4201 2 of 18 water users to be affected by the consequences of climate change in different way [5]. Consequently, this will lead to exacerbated competition among water users and sectors [6].One of the main challenges for sustainable development is the adaptation of national economies to climate change. Most often, climate change adaptation projects in Poland are carried out in cities and areas subject to urban sprawl [7][8][9]. Agriculture is a key sector for food supply, and its functioning depends largely on access to water. It is, therefore, necessary to take various actions to protect this sector of national economies against climate change. The most frequently asked question is whether and to what extent it is possible to take action in the adaptation of agriculture to climate change while maintaining high environmental standards and accounting for the acceptance of society and economic balance.The greatest scope for the mitigation of the effects of climate change is in improving adaptive capacity and responding to changes in water demands [10]. Agricultural subsurface drainage, popularly known as tile drainage, is an essential water management practice in agricultural regions with seasonal high groundwater tables [11]. Around 193.9 × 10 6 ha of arable land, and permanent crops have been drained around the world. In 30 countries, th...

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