Farmers Guide – Cereals 2017

Mole Draining

Miles Drainage will be exhibiting their trailed single leg mole plough at the Cereals Event. The mole plough is available in both standard and high clear beam, the latter being available with a pitch adjuster

These machines are recommended for use with the following sized tractors:

• Track Layers 150 HP or more
• Wheeled Tractor 200HP or more

Mole draining is a relatively cheap and simple operation, essential for the effective draining of clay soils. With the very dry start to 2017 it’s difficult to gauge what moling conditions will be like post-harvest, it’s therefore even more important that attention is given to the following:

• The existing drainage scheme has stone backfill to at least 100mm above the depth of moling, with the headland drain being sufficient distance away from the boundary/margin (14 metres minimum).
• The soil moisture content is such that the surface is dry enough for effective tractor traction and subsoil at moling depth is firm, but plastic enough to compress into a channel. Above moling depth the drier the soil the greater the fissuring produced and therefore the more effective the water removal.
• Following mole draining the field should be rolled, cultivated, or ploughed to prevent any sudden rainfall from causing siltation, or the mole roof to collapse.

Based in East Anglia but operating nationwide, Miles Drainage provides a GPS based quality land drainage design and installation service to agricultural, equestrian and sports field customers. Miles Drainage manufactures the Single Leg Mole Plough, as well as supplying spares and wearing parts

For further information or advice on any of the services offered by Miles Drainage please call 01359 259424 or see us on stand 359 at the Cereals Event

Andrew Wright
Miles Drainage Ltd
andrew@milesdrainage.co.uk