Cultivation and drainage performance on former opencast coal mining land

Abstract. The effect of various cultivation sequences on the performance of field drainage systems was investigated in a number of case studies carried out on former opencast coal mining land. Comparisons of drain flow patterns before and after cultivation indicated marked deteriorations in performance following preparation of the final seedbed. Neither mouldboard ploughing nor discing alone affected drain flow.
Soil moisture, hydraulic conductivity and drain flow data suggested that drainage performance may have deteriorated as a result, initially, of secondary drainage channels being blocked with fine materials translocated from the seedbed. A subsequent collapse of tilth to form a surface pan reinforced this adverse effect. It was not clear to what extent the failure of secondary drainage channels contributed to this collapse.
Implications for the management of former opencast land and the advantages of various cultivation techniques are discussed.