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| Gypsum fixes soluble phosphorus in the soil | |
| In a study by the ARS (Agricultural Research Service) in the USA, Gypsum was found to be the best substance to curb the runoff of phosphorus from farm fields into the water system. Experiments tested the effect of three soil amendments on reducing the soluble soil phosphorus (Gypsum, Alum and ground-up wastepaper). The soluble soil phosphorus in the field under test was more than 10 times the amount normally found in soils. Testing was done in Texas, on land that has received manure applications from dairy and battery chicken operations for more than 40 years. Excessive phosphorus can run off and damage waterways by promoting accelerated growth of algae and plants in streams and lakes. This can deplete oxygen levels in water bodies and adversely impact living aquatic resources. Researchers found that applying 918kg of Gypsum per hectare was most effective in reducing soil-test values for phosphorus. Also that the application of Gypsum to fields with high phosphorus levels are found, should be continuous. Gypsum curtails the amount of phosphorus loss by promoting the binding together of soil particles, thus reducing phosphorus carried along with sediment. Luis Pons. “Journal of Environmental Quality”www.ars.usda.gov. Experiments at the University of Florida have found that silicate salts (e.g. Calcium Silicate) is also an excellent and relatively cheap substance to reduce the run-off of soluble phosphorus in soils due to the very strong binding action between silicic acid and phosphoric acids. |
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