/ by Winstone Gypsum
A SoilQuality Australia fact sheet “ Optimising Crop Root Systems” outlines soil conditions affect the development of crop root systems. One way to optimise plant uptake of nutrient reserves in the soil is to maximise the area crop roots come into contact with the soil and ensure they can access nutrients and water down the soil profile.
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Gypsum can be used as soil amendment to improve structure in clay soils, by binding small clay particles in a process called flocculation, which improves soil aeration and water movement through the soil. ² Gypsum can also be used to provide a supplementary source of calcium and sulphur for crops during periods of high calcium demand.
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Soil is a biologically active, living community. When we support this abundant, soil based community we create the right environment for our crops to do well. Why are we concerned about soil biology? Dr Christine Jones, groundcover and soil ecologist, outlines the activity of microbes in the soil enhances soil structural stability, aeration, water infiltration and water-holding capacity.
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Soil is a major source of nutrients required by plants for growth, the three main nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Plants also need small quantities of iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron and molybdenum. ³
Other important nutrients include calcium, magnesium and sulphur. ³ Let’s delve into why calcium and sulphur are needed for plant growth in more detail.
/ by Winstone Gypsum
Gypsum is a natural mineral that is good source of calcium and sulphur which can be used to improve physical and chemical properties of soil as well as support crop nutrition. Situations that will benefit from applications of gypsum include³;
A crop has an identified need for sulfur, eg,onions and brassicas. A crop has an identified need for calcium, eg potato, tomato or peppers.
/ by Winstone Gypsum
Bitterpit is a complex disorder in apples that is thought to be related to a localized calcium deficiency in the fruit and results from the breakdown of cells just under the skin where calcium levels are too low1. The problem seems to be induced by factors that tend to limit the timely uptake and distribution of calcium within the fruit3.
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IntroductionFruit calcium deficiency may cause considerable economic losses in horticultural fruit crops. Although soil calcium deficiency is rare in nature, fruit calcium deficiency may develop even in orchard soils with sufficient calcium status.
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Nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are applied each year to our crops, based on soil lab test results. However, there is a nutrient we might be overlooking when making our fertiliser decisions. Sulphur is considered the fourth most important nutrient needed by plants. (2) Sulphur is required for many plant functions including photosynthesis, chlorophyl formation and nitrogen fixation.
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There are a number of agronomic factors that can influence maize yield, soil condition is one area a grower can manage through their on farm activities. A good soil structure is essential for strong maize root development and plant growth. Encouraging deeper rooting structure is important for plants to access a wider pool of nutrients and access water further down in the soil profile.
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The Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture report on Improving Soils in Vineyards (CRCV report) discusses soil issues, such as soil salinity, crusting and hard-setting, which results in poor water and nutrient movement into the root zone as well as poor root growth and impaired root function.
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A California Avocado Growers trial report (1) on rootstock response to soil salinity outlines avocados in general are a salt sensitive species where chloride and sodium build up may cause detrimental effects on growth and yield. The report noted avocados are especially susceptible to leaf injury caused by the accumulation of sodium and chloride in the leaves.
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Waterlogging in soil occurs when the root zone becomes saturated, and the air between the soil particles is replaced with water. This can result from heavy localised rains, flood waters slowly flowing across the landscape, a rising water table or a combination of all three. The persistence of the waterlogging is influenced by local topography and drainage properties of the soil.
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For proper calcium nutrition in potatoes a combination of having adequate calcium in the soil and optimal moisture through the growing season is important for potato tuber development, skin quality and to reduce the incidence of internal potato tuber diseases. It is advisable to top up calcium levels annually with applications of agricultural lime as well as gypsum applied to the soil prior to sowing potatoes.
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Clay soils have the potential to support crops and for those crops to do well as long as the soil is managed well. An unstable clay soil suited to gypsum application will display specific characteristics that a grower can easily detect. A farmer will notice that the soil has a hard-set surface when dry. On further investigation, it will be hard to push a pencil into a dry surface.
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Calcium is not a cure-all for avocado problems, but prudent, informed applications can improve the health and productivity of an avocado orchard. Several forms of calcium are commonly used as soil amendments. Gypsum is often used to increase soil permeability, reduce crusting, loosen hard soils, develop soil structure, and remove exchangeable sodium from the soil.
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Gypsum composition is calcium sulphate, gypsum makes those nutrients more available to plants than other common sources of these nutrients. Calcium affects mineral uptake and is one of the first nutrients to be balanced in the soil. Calcium is important as it governs cell wall strength, plant resilience as well as plant growth, fruit quality and storage.
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Nutrient lost from agricultural systems can reduce waterway quality through eutrophication. The main nutrients involved in eutrophication are nitrogen and phosphorus and there can also be an impact from organic carbon and sediment lost from agricultural soils. Gypsum has long been used as a soil conditioner and fertiliser in agriculture and horticulture supplying calcium and sulphur as soil friendly nutrients.
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Gypsum is well known as the “clay breaker” for improving soil structure in clay soils. Often gypsum’s other benefits are overlooked. Due to its many features, gypsum is a true multi tasker that can support healthy crop establishment and plant growth by improving soil structure, aeration and water infiltration. New Zealand soils are known to be sulphur deficient.
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Gypsum as a highly available Calcium source with immediately available sulphate sulphur – really assists with in-row trafficking or compaction issues, helps the root zone & air-filled porosity of the sub soil. Helping the roots of the tree be at their best. Read more on sorting out your soil's structure.
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Gypsum, a readily available form of calcium, is 100 times more soluble than lime and is more suitable for the digestive system during this period. Read more on how to give your plants the best possible chance for growth with Gypsum.
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A natural, pH neutral, source of calcium and sulphur for improved soil quality and crop yields. Read more about how Gypsum delivers Gold for Kiwi Orchardists.
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Gypsum is one of those rare materials that performs in all categories of soil treatment: an amendment, conditioner and fertiliser. It is useful in the transition period in dairy cows 2 – 4 weeks pre and post calving, and can be used as an anionic salt to counteract the effects that high potassium and sodium concentrations have on increasing hypocalcemia.
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Gypsum and Dairy Factory Wastewater Irrigation Dairy Factory wastewater (DFW) can be a useful resource for pasture and crops but high sodium levels in the wastewater may accumulate in soil.
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For amending soil structure and reducing soil salinity, gypsum is best considered in a long term programme. Over a period of three years of annual or twice-yearly applications, soil structure can be improved significantly. Speed of action can be hastened by cultivating the gypsum in and by adding organic matter to the soil if that is practical.
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Tim A. Jenkins, Vesna Jenkins Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Ltd P. O. Box 29683, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand Email: tim@csat. co. nz Abstract Agricultural systems are leaky and losses of phosphorus, nitrogen, organic matter and suspended solids can impact on water quality.
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