Gypsum On Grain Land
Categories:
Soils, Fertilizers and Irrigation
Is there any profit in sowing gypsum on grain land, say on wheat or oat
crop? At what stage should it be applied and in what quantity?
It would have a tendency to make the surface more friable and therefore
better for moisture retention, and it could be used at the rate of 1000
pounds to the acre, broadcasted before plowing for grain. As our soils
are, however, usually well supplied with lime, there is a question
whether there would be any profit in the use of gypsum, for, aside from
lime, it contains no plant food, although it does act rather
energetically upon other coil contents. Gypsum is a tonic and not a
fertilizer from that point of view. The best way to satisfy yourself of
its effect would be to try a small area, marked so as you could note its
behavior as compared with the rest of the field.