Looking to enhance your soil quality and reduce your chance of poor crop yields for the 2024 growing season? As Alberta and much of Western Canada prepare to head into another summer that is anticipated to have hot, dry conditions, knowing how to safeguard your plants early on is essential to minimizing losses and maximizing production. 

At Norstar Agriculture, we understand how important it is for farmers to stay on top of their soil quality and access proven products like gypsum (calcium sulfate) to help mitigate soil erosion and other issues, especially during dry seasons. Below, we’ll explore some of the key benefits of gypsum in particular and the benefit of trusting Norstar when it comes to boosting your soil quality. Read on to learn more. 

What Are the Top Soil Concerns During a Drought?

There are multiple factors that can negatively affect soil quality and crop development during hot and dry seasons. Beyond the obvious lack of moisture to fuel and replenish plants as they grow, farmers must also contend with the difficulties associated with soil erosion (and the subsequent loss of topsoil), nutrient imbalance, soil compaction, and high salinity, which affects both water and nutrient uptake.

While we can’t (unfortunately) influence environmental conditions, there are ways to mitigate potential damage, including the use of soil amenders like gypsum. The use of gypsum allows for: 

Improved Soil Structure

One of the biggest benefits of using gypsum is its effectiveness as a soil conditioner and structural assistant. In regions prone to clay-like soil and surface crusting (which only worsens in extreme conditions), gypsum is extremely beneficial for helping to promote the formation of larger soil aggregates, leading to better soil porosity. Enhanced porosity, in turn, allows for better oxygen penetration, root growth, and water drainage, allowing plants to thrive without restrictive conditions. 

Enhanced Nutrient Availability 

Gypsum plays a key role in helping soil to better retain nutrients for plant uptake, which is essential during dry spells where every boost helps. Calcium sulfate enhances the retention and distribution of key micronutrients like phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur, each of which is vital for growth and resilience. In addition to retention, gypsum also helps to prevent nutrient leaching and allows for a consistent, steady supply to reach your crops when it matters most. 

pH Balancing

Gypsum is a versatile tool when it comes to restoring soil pH balance, which can often become highly alkaline during droughts. Gypsum is a neutral salt of a strong acid and base, and, therefore acts as an effective balance for both acidic and alkaline soils to help pH levels reach a healthy normative. By rectifying extremes on either side of the equation, gypsum allows plants to reap the full benefits of a balanced microbiome and flourish. 

 Reduction Of Soil Erosion & Runoff

When facing increasingly dry conditions, the chance of soil erosion and runoff is high. In both cases, the soil is stripped of essential nutrients (and potentially planted seeds), which can have disastrous effects on crop yield. Since calcium sulfate increases soil porosity and softens the soil as a whole, it allows for everything to meld together properly and protects the integrity of your dirt while also preventing nutrient runoff and water pollution. The result is better farmland that is ready to perform for optimal crop yields, even in difficult conditions.

Environmental Sustainability

As the focus on environmentally minded practices continues to grow across Canada, farmers using gypsum can rest easy knowing that gypsum helps assist with sustainable practices. By enhancing soil structure and water penetration, gypsum helps with resource conservation, and the nutrient retention boost helps to lower the need for supplemental fertilizers, which can sometimes lead to nutrient runoff or water pollution with improper application. Best of all, gypsum is naturally sourced and environmentally benign, reducing the overall impact of its usage. 

Gypsum and More At Norstar Agriculture

Gypsum is an essential tool for farmers facing the environmental challenges of growing during a drought. Norstar Agriculture is here to help farmers achieve optimal soil conditions and proudly offers high-grade gypsum for your agricultural purposes, as well as access to trained agronomists who can help examine your fields and outline potential factors that will aid in better crops.

Learn more by contacting our team today!