5 Benefits of Gypsum in Soil

Gypsum has long been useful as a material in construction. Yet, it has its uses outside of building things. Did you know it can also be useful in agriculture as well?

This guide will discuss the top five benefits of gypsum that you can enjoy when it's mixed with soil. Farmers and gardeners alike have found this useful for many reasons. As a result, they have seen the overall condition of the soil improve. 

Ready to see if the same will work for you? Before you do, let’s discuss in detail the following benefits you’ll experience with the benefits of gypsum in soil.

1. Improved soil structure

The first major benefit of gypsum in soil is that it has the ability to enhance the soil structure. That’s because gypsum is a soil conditioner that promotes aggregation, which prevents the compaction of soil particles. As a result, the soil is not only well-structured but also porous - making it great for water infiltration, root penetration, and air movement. 

When the soil structure is improved, optimal plant growth will be more than possible. The roots of these plants will have healthier roots while being able to absorb more nutrients needed to maintain health. This will yield better agricultural and gardening returns.

Meaning you’ll have a plentiful food supply if you’re growing your own fruits and vegetables. If you’re gardening, you’ll have quite the bountiful garden of beauty that can increase the curb appeal of your home. Imagine getting additional benefits associated with improved soil structure.

If that isn’t impressive enough, we have a few other benefits to go over the list. Let’s continue.

2. It will alleviate soil compaction

In the previous point, we discussed soil compaction briefly. Let’s talk about it in more detail. This issue in particular is common in agriculture.

Soil compaction causes restrictive root growth and water movement. When gypsum is applied, the surface tension between the soil particles will break down. As a result, water infiltration and root expansion will be more than possible. 

Your crops need to be healthy and able to receive the much needed nutrients to sustain themselves. Root restriction will deprive them of those nutrients they’ll need, which leads to poor growth and smaller than expected results. If the goal is making sure your crops are consistently healthy from planting to harvest, applying gypsum will be the key task to perform.

3. Enhanced nutrient availability

Let’s go a little deeper into the nutrient availability that crops need. Gypsum for the most part will act as a source for calcium and sulfur. Plant growth will rely on these two nutrients.

Calcium will be useful for cell wall development, activation of enzymes, and uptake of nutrients.Sulfur to its credit will provide crops an essential amino acid while promoting the synthesis of protein. With the addition of gypsum, the soil will make sure there is a balanced supply of both.

Once again, if the top goal is increasing your crop yields while improving the overall quality of the produce you grow, you want to make sure that nutrient availability is at the optimal levels. With better quality, you’ll have an even abundant natural food supply for your household.

If you are someone that sells farm-fresh produce, that’s more profit for you. Especially when someone is looking for high-quality and great taste. Yet, another tip of the cap to gypsum for making that all possible.

4. Ph regulation

The pH of your soil is something that should never be overlooked. Finding the right level will play a critical role in nutrient availability and microbial activity. Gypsum will regulate the pH levels by neutralizing soils that are both acidic and alkaline.

The way it works is this: in acidic soils, gypsum will increase the pH levels. This can be a great way to provide better soil quality to a wide variety of crops. On the other end, when adding gypsum to alkaline soils, the soil structure and drainability will improve.

The right pH balance will make or break your crop returns. So be sure that you add the appropriate amount to ensure you are able to keep it that way.

5. Mitigates soil erosion

Soil erosion is one of the biggest challenges for many agricultural crops. The reason for this is that it can cause topsoil loss and land degradation. It makes a lot of sense to add gypsum to your soil as it can improve the overall soil structure while reducing surface runoff.

That’s because you have enhanced aggregation of soil pairing with better water infiltration. When this happens, the soil is anchored and the topsoil will be preserved. As a result, you minimize the risk of erosion.

Even better, you also prevent any runoff that could cause adverse effects on the environment. For example, there may be levels of phosphorus present within the soil. It can be carried away by water runoff and dumped into other bodies of water - which can cause pollution.

Thus, adding gypsum to soil gives you the added benefit of environmental sustainability. At the same time, it also promotes efficient water use while improving the overall health of the environment. Erosion and runoff can be not only bad for crops, but the environment as a whole.

You can do your part to preserve it all with gypsum. Mixing it with soil is more than just doing your crops a favor.

Let PermuTrade help with your physical commodity needs

PermuTrade has a focus on physical commodities like gypsum. We know that it has plenty of excellent benefits beyond what we’ve included on the list. For those that know, they see it as a valuable asset that can have a steady supply and demand.

When that happens, it makes investing in physical commodities like this a lot more exciting. Isn’t it time you focused more on the assets that seem more overlooked than others? If the answer is yes, we love to hear from you.

For more information about PermuTrade and what it can do for you regarding physical commodities, contact us today.