Southeast gets federal grant to study irrigation

A Southeast Missouri State University research project looking into a combined underground irrigation and drainage system for farm fields will be supported by a $90,126 federal grant. The irrigation system, to be installed on the university's new farm on Highway 25 south of Gordonville, will be installed underground to prevent the loss of water due to evaporation. The system uses advanced technology that allows it to drain surplus water away from the field during periods of wet weather, the university announced. The system will be installed on 100 acres of the 252-acre farm. Computer models of the system show the potential for crop yields significantly higher than those from fields using no irrigation as well as fields with conventional irrigation systems.