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Gypsum Use in Agriculture: Impact on the Environment

August 23, 2011. Gypsum Use in Agriculture: Impact on the Environment. Dr. Darrell Norton USDA-ARS, National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory Purdue University Darrell.Norton@ars.usda.gov John A. Andersen, Jr. Greenleaf Advisors jandersen@greenleafadvisors.net.

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Gypsum Use in Agriculture: Impact on the Environment

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  1. August 23, 2011 Gypsum Use in Agriculture: Impact on the Environment Dr. Darrell Norton USDA-ARS, National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory Purdue University Darrell.Norton@ars.usda.gov John A. Andersen, Jr. Greenleaf Advisors jandersen@greenleafadvisors.net

  2. Global Environmental Stresses: Soil Degradation • Depleted soils threaten economies and human health • Water and food security issues • 23% of global disease attributable to environment • 13 million annual deaths from environmental causes can be prevented (WHO)

  3. Environmental Benefits of Gypsum • Water Quality • Water Conservation • Greenhouse Gas Sequestration • Enhanced Crop Yields Gypsum • Reduced Toxicity • Soil Nutrient Retention

  4. Surface Sealing inhibits penetration of water and oxygen into soils • Rainwater: Naturally distilled and low in electrolytes • Physical and chemical processes occur at raindrop impact • These processes lead to surface sealing

  5. Many Soils Are Degraded Degraded Soil Healthy Soil

  6. Effect of Degradation by Erosionon Crop Productivity

  7. Soil Nutrient Retention: Seedling Emergence Improves With Gypsum Treated Not treated

  8. Soil Nutrient Retention: Agricultural Yields Increased with Gypsum Treatment Treated Not treated Treated Not treated

  9. Nutrient Loading Contributes to Hypoxic And Anoxic Zones Dead zone: Gulf of Mexico (Approximately the size of New Jersey) Hypoxic zones in the Great Lakes

  10. Sediment Loading from Maumee River Basin to Western Lake Erie Friday, March 13, 2009 3 Days After Storm

  11. Sediment Loading from Lower Fox River Watershed into Green Bay Sources of baseline TSS loading in the LFR Basin. The Cadmus Group

  12. Nutrient Runoff Causes Algae Blooms

  13. Don’t Be Depressed We Can Do Something About Erosion And Runoff

  14. Gypsum Reduces Detachment of Sediment and Loss to Runoff Treated vs Not treated

  15. Runoff Pace without treatment 0.40 80.00 0.30 60.00 soil loss [g/m^2*s] 0.20 40.00 mm/h 0.10 20.00 0.00 0.00 5 10 5 20 30 40 50 60 Duration [min]

  16. Runoff Pacewith treatment (PAM+FBCBA) 0.40 80.00 0.35 0.30 60.00 0.25 soil loss [g/m^2*s] 0.20 40.00 mm/h 0.15 0.10 20.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 Duration [min]

  17. Effect of Gypsum on Runoff and Soil Loss

  18. Gypsum Effect On N And P In Manure Rich Soils

  19. Water Quantity Depletion “Water is the oil of the 21st century” –Andrew Liveris, CEO Dow Chemical • Water use of agriculture • ~ 70% of water use is for agriculture • Water levels are fallings worldwide • Ogallala Aquifer water levels drop 150 feet • Waukesha Aquifer is 600 feet below • original level Water Level Decline in The Ogallala Aquifer

  20. Severe Cracking Wastes Water Gypsum Reduces Cracking Not Treated Treated

  21. Water Stress Reduced with Gypsum and PAM Not treated Treated

  22. Improved Infiltration/Drainage By Amending Soil with Gypsum Treated w/ FGD Gypsum No Treatment

  23. Degraded Soils Increase Greenhouse Gases • Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change • Nitrogen-based fertilizers are energy intensive • Damaged soils process less nitrous oxide - (NO2 traps 310 times more heat than CO2) Marian Koshland Science Museum of the Natural Academy of Sciences

  24. Improved Nitrogen Efficiency Treated Not Treated

  25. Increased Root Mass Treated vs. Not treated with Perched Water Table

  26. Natural Toxins and Pathogens Are Present in Soil • Natural toxins and pathogens occur in geology and soils • Mercury • Arsenic • Bioaccumulation threatens humans

  27. Gypsum Treatment Reduces the Impact of Toxins and Pathogens

  28. RCRA Total Elements in Materials Added (USEPA 3051)

  29. Gypsum Does Not Increase Mercury Levels in Shallow Groundwater

  30. Mercury Uptake in Corn Shoots After Six Weeks with and without a Perched Water Table

  31. Ecosystem Markets can provide Monetary Incentives for Farmers • Markets support improved agricultural land management • Water quality (nutrient trading e.g. Chesapeake’s Bay Bank) • Watershed conservation Williamette Partnership -Ecosystem Credit A/C Systems • Climate change mitigation (carbon offsets) • Food safety and nutrition Some landowners in Oregon are paid to enhance salmon habitat

  32. Can a Nutrient Trading Scheme help reduce Sediment Loading from Lower Fox into Green Bay ? Sources of baseline TSS loading in the LFR Basin. The Cadmus Group

  33. Conclusion

  34. The Presenters Thank You for Listening Questions?

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