LIME V. GYPSUM: A COMPLETE COMPARISON

Soil health is a major factor when it comes to agriculture. Farmers always seek to improve their soil health in order to enhance their crop health and structure. There are mainly two soil amendments considered by farmers in order to achieve this goal, namely lime and gypsum. Both lime and gypsum are different from each other, but both can be extremely beneficial in increasing your crop’s health and structure. Though both can prove to be very helpful in fields, they serve different purposes and offer different advantages and drawbacks. Understanding the different dynamics between the two is very crucial for farmers, cultivators, etc. This not only helps in making informed and right decisions but also promotes sustainable farming and better crop management. In this blog, we are going to have a thorough look at these two crop amendments so you can make the right choice.

Agriculture Lime: An Analysis

Lime, popularly known as agricultural lime or aglime, is a soil amendment basically introduced in order to neutralise acidic soils. It is primarily made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), basically limestone and chalk, which ensures crop productivity and health.

Advantages Of Using Lime:

Lime is a naturally occurring material with several advantages for agricultural operations.

1. pH Balancing: It is one of the prime roles of lime to balance and maintain the pH level in soil, which will further lead to improved supply and availability of nutrients for crops. Most plants require a well-balanced pH level between 6.0 and 7.5, which can be maintained by the use of lime.
2. Nutrient Availability: If the soil is too acidic in nature, the supply of many nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium slows down, therefore, lime can help reduce the acidic nature of the soil, resulting in an efficient nutrient supply.
3. Microbe Activity: It helps balance the pH levels. The balanced nature of the pH in soil may enhance microbes’ activity, and hence absorption of nutrients will be enhanced, and decomposition will be faster.
4. Less Expensive: Agricultural lime, compared to gypsum, is less expensive.

Disadvantages Of Lime:

1. Slow Results: It is a slow-acting mineral, and so one will have to wait for a while before the pH levels even out. It also requires several applications in large numbers to deliver its result.
2. Less Impact on Soil Structure and Drainage: Lime has an insignificant impact on soil structure or drainage, as it focuses more on improving pH and nutrient supply.
3. Bad for alkaline soils: Applying lime to alkaline soils does nothing for them and may increase alkaline problems.

Gypsum: An Analysis

Gypsum is a natural mineral that comprises calcium sulphate dihydrate, CaSO4·2H2O. It can enhance the structure and salinity problems of the soil.

Benefits Of Using Gypsum:

1. An Aid to Soil Structure: Gypsum is known for improving soil structure by breaking down compact, heavy clay soils. This also results in better drainage and aeration.
2. Reduced Sodicity: Gypsum reduces the sodicity of soil by displacing sodium particles, which prevents crusting.
3. Enriched Nutrient Supply: Gypsum proves to be great at providing nutrients to the soil, especially in soils with balanced pH levels, as it does not alter soil pH.

Disadvantages Of Gypsum:

1. Low pH Effect: Compared to lime, the effect on the pH scale of gypsum is pretty negligible since it mainly allows better structure in the soil.
2. Cost: Gypsum is most likely to be more expensive compared to lime or other soil conditioners.
3. Bad Results when Overused: Gypsum can produce negative results if applied excessively to the crop, resulting in salinity issues and lowered nutrient uptake.

How To Choose The Right Soil Amendment?

This decision basically depends on the current condition of the soil and the goal you want to achieve at your farm. But here are some general tips while choosing:

1. If your soil is too acidic, consider using lime, as it can help improve your soil’s pH levels and enrich the nutrient supply.
2. If your soil is clayey, you should go for gypsum, as it can break down the soil particles, which will improve soil structure and drainage.
3. If your soil has a neutral pH but its structure is poor, then you can opt for gypsum too. It’s always advisable to go for soil amendments only after taking a soil test so you can make informed decisions.

Conclusion:

In farming and other associated agricultural practices, lime and gypsum are equally useful, but they serve different purposes. Where lime is more focused on neutralising the acidic nature of the soil, gypsum is known for improving its structure. Therefore, the choice between them depends mainly on the type of soil and the needs of the crop.

Confused about whether to go with lime or gypsum for your crop? Well, contact KG2 Australia for detailed soil analysis and other related agricultural information that will revolutionise the way you farm.