Controlled drainage with subirrigation (CD-SI) could be a viable measure to i) retain, ii) recharge, and iii) discharge recharge fresh water in agricultural fields. Four field CD-SI pilots with varying geohydrological conditions in the sandy Pleistocene uplands in the Netherlands were monitored (minimum 5 years) to study the effects on groundwater level, soil moisture content and soil water potential. Measurements include time series of groundwater level, soil moisture content, ditch level and CD-SI crest level, pit levels, and water supply. Field data were used for dynamic modelling with the agro-hydrological model Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant (SWAP). Calibrated SWAP models were used to i) model CD-SI systems dynamically and ii) model the hydrological consequences of subirrigation. Field measurements on four experimental plots showed that the water supply by to CD-SI systems can be high (ranging between roughly 500 mm to 1000 mm in the field sites), but CD-SI systems are able to raises the groundwater level ...