IntroductiontoFGDGypsumas

AgriculturalAmendment

GYPSUM

PreservingtheEnvironment

Situation

LowerFoxRiverBasinandGreenBay

Impact

Importantenvironmentalandeconomicresources
Impairedduetoexcessamountsofphosphorusandsediments

Phosphorusdrivenalgaebloomsendangeraquaticlife
Sedimentsendangeraquaticplantsandwildlife,enhance
shorelineerosionanddegradewaterquality.

Solution

Decreasetheamountofphosphorusandsedimentsenteringthe
riverandbay.

Situation

Sourcesofphosphorusandsediments

Degradedhabitats
Wastewaterdischarges
Runoff
o
o

Urbanareas
Constructionsites

Agriculturalfields

Situation
Wisconsin

AgriculturalSoils
Tight(dispersible)soilstructure
o
o
o
o
o

Clay&silttexture
ExcessMagnesium
DeficientCalcium
Tillage
ManureApplications

Lowinfiltrationrates
o Runoffofnutrientsandsediment

SurfaceSealing
o Waterloggedsoils
o Poorbiologicalenvironment

Situation
Finland

Thephosphorous(P)loadonwaterscausedbyfieldcultivationisoneofthemost
significantenvironmentalproblemscausedbyagriculture.Paccumulationintoarable
solidresultsfrommanureuseorhighPfertilizationratesinpastdecades.InFinland,
particularlysoilerosioncausessignificantPload(12kg/ha/a)inspiteof
considerabledecrease(from30to8kg/ha)inPfertilizerrates from1990s(SYKE,
2007).Vegetatedbufferzones(VBZ)alongwatercoursesorconstructedwetlandare
foundtobeinsufficienttopreventphosphorouslossesfromfieldtowaterways.New
solutions,toolsandproducttoreducethePloadarerequired.

Situation
OtherMidwestStates

ResearchProject:SOILEROSIONANDWATERQUALITYMANAGEMENT
Location:NATIONALSOILEROSIONRESEARCHLAB

InterpretiveSummary:
Lossofnutrientsthroughsurfacerunoffandsoilerosionisa
majorenvironmentalconcern.Phosphorous(P)lossfrom
agriculturalsystemsismainlyassociatedwithrunoff.

Situation
MultipleStates

Situation
MultipleStates

Goal
forLowerFoxRiverBasinandGreenBay

Limitloadingofphosphorusandsediment

Enoughtocorrectwaterqualityimpairmentsandmeetwater
qualitystandards

TheSolution
Agriculture

AmendSoilStructure

Increasewaterinfiltrationrates
o
o

Reducerunofffrompasturesandcropland
Reducesoilandnutrientloss

Increasebiologicalactivity
o

Balancesoilnutrients(includingphosphorus)

Reduceusageofmineralfertilizer
Increaselongterm,sustainablesoilquality
o

Withgoodmanagementpractices

Increasecropproductionefficiency
o

Higherqualityandquantityoutputs

TheSolution
Agriculture

DiscussionTopics

SoilStructure
SoilComposition
BiologicalSystems
ResearchResults

SoilStructure

SoilStructure
Dispersible

Flocculated

Whatis
Happening?

Stabile Surface vs Sealed

DispersedSoilsCrust

Crustingandseedlingemergenceproblemduetodispersionofcultivated
surfacesoil

DispersedSoilsErode

SoilStructure

Flocculated
Clayparticle

Ca2+

Dispersed
Water

Mg2+

GypsumFlocculates DispersibleSoils
CaSO4+water
Ca2+ +SO42
Clayparticle

Mg2+

Ca2+
MgSO4g

FlocculatingDispersibleSoils

IncreasesSoilStructuralStability
Reducessoilcrusting
Improveswaterinfiltration
Improveswatertransmission
(conductivity)
Reduceserosion

0.0
Catlin Mg

Catlin

Blount Mg

Blount

Fayette Mg

Fayette

Miami Mg

Miami

Stability ratio

GypsumimprovesFlocculationandSoilStability

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

StableSoilsHaveLessErosionLoss
To tal So il Lo ss (kg/m^2)

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
y = -0.74x + 0.67
R = 0.71

0.1
0.0
0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5
0.6
0.7
Stability ratio

0.8

0.9

StableSoilshaveBetterWaterInfiltrationandLessRunoff

0.7

Blount Ca

60

Soil loss, kg m-2 h-1

Infiltration, mm h

-1

70

Blount Mg

50
40
30
20
10
0

Blount Ca

0.6

Blount Mg

0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

20

40

Run time, min

60

20

40

Run time, min

60

StableSoilshaveBetterWaterInfiltrationandLessRunoff

1.5
Water
Infiltration
(inches/hr)

Control
Gypsum

0.5

0
33%

41%

61%

74%

mg l

-1

LessRunoffMeansLessNutrientLoading

10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00

N-NH4

P-PO4

N-NO3

Ca/Mg
90/10

Ca/Mg
80/20

Ca/Mg
50/50

Ca/Mg
20/80

Ca/Mg
10/90

Gypsum

Control

N-NH4

0.92

1.07

1.07

2.40

2.37

0.67

3.22

P-PO4

1.14

1.35

1.37

2.07

1.69

0.34

2.06

N-NO3

0.33

0.20

0.39

2.56

2.69

0.25

4.15

CompositionandBalancingofSoils

COMPOSITION of SOILS
FOR 1 PLOW ACRE 6b INCHES IN DEPTH
APPROXIMATELY 2,000,000 LBS. OR 1,000 TONS

SANDY LOAM

ELEMENTS

Soilsaregenerally
composedofthousands
ofcropyearsworthof
fertilizernutrients

Organic Matter
LBS. Of Nitrogen
Live Portion*

POUNDS / ACRE

SILT LOAM
POUNDS / ACRE

20,000=
1,340
1,000

CLAY LOAM
POUNDS / ACRE

54,000=
3,618
3,600

96,000=
6,432
4,000

(*Earthworms, Bacteria, Fungi, Actinomycetes, etc.)

Silicon Dioxide
Aluminum Oxide
Iron Oxide

Calcium Oxide
Magnesium Oxide

Potash
Phosphate

1,905,000
22,600
17,000

1,570,000
190,000
60,000

1,440,000
240,000
80,000

5,400
4,000

6,800
10,400

26,000
17,000

2,600
400

35,000
5,200

40,000
10,000

NutrientsClingtoClayandOM
AvailabletoPlants
MeasuredontheSoilTest

Clayparticle&OrganicMatter

H+

K+

NH4+

Ca++
H+

K+

Ca2+
Mg++
Ca++

Ca++

ABALANCEDSOIL
ExchangeableElements
Calcium

75 85%

Magnesium

10 13%

Potassium

2 5%

Sodium

0.1%

Ammonium+TE

0.75%

Hydrogen

5%
NonexchangeableElements

Phosphorus

25 100lbs.

Sulfur

25 300lbs.

ABALANCEDSOIL
Ca/Mg Ratio has been found to
be important in clay flocculation

CALCIUMHELPSSOILBREATHE
0.5

0.4

Water
Infiltration
(inches/hr)

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
33%

41%

61%

% Calcium

74%

GYPSUMHELPSSOILBREATHEBETTER
2

1.5
Water
Infiltration
(inches/hr)

Control
Gypsum

0.5

0
33%

41%

61%

74%

BALANCEDSOILSPRODUCEMORE
220
215
210
205
200
195
190
185
0-12

12-20

20-35

Phosphorus

35-50

50 &
above

Base K
H ig

Ex

ive

mu

ss

p ti

ce

hO

um

mu

t im

p ly

i en

Ap

f ic

pt i

Op

dO

Mi

Lo

De

Yield

BALANCEDSOILSPRODUCEMORE
220

215

210

205

200

195

190

BalancedSoilsMineralizeNutrients
Potassium
System

Crop

Uptake Removal Mineralization Balance

Conventional

Corn (175 bu.)

Beans (50 bu.)
Application required to maintain soil test (in rotation)

215
148

NA
NA

NA
NA

215
148
363

Basic Science Corn (175 bu.)

Beans (50 bu.)
Application required to maintain soil test (in rotation)

NA
NA

39
62

65
45

-26
17
0

BiologicalSystems Role

WHATDRIVESSOILNUTRIENTRELEASE?
TotalSupply ParentMaterial(orapplied)

Moisture RainFedorIrrigation
pH
Oxygen

DrivenbyHealthyPlantGrowth
andMicrobialactivity

MicrobialActivity

Beginswithgoodsoilstructure(builtbyGypsum)

HealthySoilBiology

HealthySoilBiology
Jobs
BreakdownOrganicResidue
MineralizeNutrients
BuildSoilStructure

Needs

Oxygen
Energy
Moisture
FoodSource(OrganicResidue)
GoodSoilEnvironment

BalancingSoils

BalancingSoils

BalancingSoils

BalancingSoils

TheSolution

TheSystem
Imbalancedsoil+gypsum+moisture+time=
Improvedsoilstructure
o Granularwithairspaces
o Greaterstructuralstability&waterholdingcapacity

Increasedwaterinfiltration
o Reducedrunoff,erosionandpollution

Improvedbiologicalefficiency
o Fasterresiduebreakdown
o Nutrientbalancing

Improvedcroppingefficiency
o Healthierplants
o Greaternutrientcycling
o Higherqualityandquantityyield

TheSystem

Determinethefieldsuitabilityandselectthegypsumrate
andtiming

Usesoiltestswhenavailable

Applygypsumuniformly
Repeatapplicationsannually

SpeedinguptheSystem
Note:Tospeedtheremediating process,whereappropriate:
1. Applyupto2tons/acreperapplication
2. Openthesoilwithaninlineripper

SpeedinguptheSystem

PhosphorusResearch

PhosphorusMovement
Finland

Insoilcolumns,gypsumadditionssignificantlyreduced
erodibility andorthoPconcentrationsintheleachingwater.
Additionally,gypsumaffectedparticlePastubidity
significantlydecreased.

PhosphorusMovement
Finland

ThebarsrepresentcumulativeorthoPconcentrationsafter4leachingprocedures

PhosphorusMovement
Finland

PhosphorusMovement
MidwestStates

ResearchProject:SOILEROSIONANDWATERQUALITYMANAGEMENT
Location:NATIONALSOILEROSIONRESEARCHLAB

InterpretiveSummary:
Wefoundthatinadditionofgypsumcomparedtotheuntreatedsoil
decreasedtheamountofsolubleP,totalP,solubleammoniumNandtotal
Ninrunoff.
GypsumalsoreducedtheamountofsedimentrunoffandwatersolubleP
insoil.
Theimpactofthisresearchisthatgypsumapplicationinadditionto
decreasingsoilerosioncanalsoreducetheamountofNandPin runoff
andhelpcontrolamajorenvironmentalwaterqualityconcern.

PhosphorusMovement
MidwestStates

ResearchProject:SOILEROSIONANDWATERQUALITYMANAGEMENT
Location:NATIONALSOILEROSIONRESEARCHLAB

InterpretiveSummary:
TheonlysignificanteffectofexchangeableCa/Mgratioswasobservedin
thesedimentwaterextractableP,whereCatreatedsoildecreasedthe
concentrationofPcomparedtoMgtreatedsoil.Theresultsofthisstudy
demonstratedtheimportantpotentialofgypsumindecreasingtransport
oftotalNandthetotalPaswellastheimportanceofCainthesoil
solutionondecreasingPsolubility.

PhosphorusMovement
OtherStates

PhosphorusMovement
OtherStates

SedimentResearch

EffectofGypsumonErosionandPLoss
35
30
25
20

Runoff (mm)

15

Soil Loss (g/10 sq m)

SRP (mg/sq m)

10
5
0
Control

Gypsum

DetachmentbyFlowreducedbyTreatment

OurExperience

OurLongTermExperience

5YearGypsumProgram

HealthyBiologyBalancesSoils

5YearGypsumProgram

SoilBiologyMovingDown

SoilBiologyMovingDown

CropRootsfollowingSoilBiologyDown

BalancingSoils

BalancingSoils

BalancingSoils

BalancingSoils

Conclusion
Gypsum
Asafoundationofanintegratedmanagementsystem,
appliedaccordingtoourrecommendations,Gypsumwill
helplimitloadingofphosphorusandsedimentenoughto
correctwaterqualityimpairmentsandmeetwaterquality
standards.