Property proprietors that own and run many acres of land can protect their investment and increase the land value by enhancing the productivity and the visual appeal of their land. Whether the land is to be leased or sold, owners that increase soil drainage, enhance the nutrient amounts, prevent erosion and take care of the land’s overall appearance will be rewarded with higher profits.
Improve soil drainage on flat land by installing drainage tiles. They’ll let surplus water escape and prevent it from accumulating on the surface at which it can impede the growth of crops. Based on Don Hofstrand, co-director of the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center at Iowa State University Extension, tiling costs about $500 per acre to set up, but it has the capability to increase land value considerably–both by raising the harvest yields and raising the future sale price of the land.
Test the nutrient amounts in the soil regularly to make sure sufficient levels of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to encourage crop growth. Nutrient-rich soil could increase the value of land up to $300 per acre. When applying fertilizer, land owners should be cautious not to over-apply the nutrients, since this can cause the extra fertilizer to seep into nearby areas and pollute the environment.
Practice conservation methods to decrease soil erosion like sodding waterways, tillage and contour farming. This will reduce erosion and keep the land’s organic matter.
Keep the land looking great. Watch that outbuildings are attractive and structurally sound. Painting fences and buildings will go a long way toward beautifying your land and raising its value. Remove junk and ecological hazards.
Consider other uses for marginal farmland that you can not improve. Some farmland could be maintained as conservation land, developed as construction sites or planted with trees and turned to timberland.