Chemical properties of an Oxisol after gypsum application

Abstract

Gypsum utilization is a critical practice in agriculture because of the high solubility and consequent relative neutralization of subsurface toxic aluminum. However, it has been observed that in most cases, gypsum is being randomly utilized without scientifically established parameters or even the need to use it as a soil amendment at all. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and electrical conductivity of an Oxisol’s saturation extract under different gypsum doses (0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 Mg ha-1). This experiment was conducted in a greenhouse environment. Soil columns (V = 1.57 dm3) were filled with sifted (2 mm) soil collected from the upper layer (0-20 cm). The experimental design adopted was completely randomized with five repetitions. The treatments consisted of a 5 × 2 factorial through five gypsum doses (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 Mg ha-1 of gypsum consisting of 224.1 g kg-1 S, 314.8 g kg-1 CaO, and 7 g kg-1 P2O5) and two depth evaluations (0-10 and 10-20 cm). After the treatments, soil from both 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm layers was removed from the columns, sifted once (2 mm), and subjected to vacuum extraction to assess the saturation extract. The data acquired was processed and submitted to variance analysis (when due) and adjusted to regression equations when statistically relevant. Significant increases were observed for Ca, Mg, K, P, and S, although Al, Si, and pH presented no statistically significant difference. The electrical conductivity value of this soil in particular is directly related to the gypsum dose.