| India ranks second on the basis of
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| | from sprinkler irrigation on unstable
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| population in the world. Agricultural
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| | soil. It can prevent crusting that result
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| land utilised by the burgeoning
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| | when acid soils are limed and the gypsum
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| population, the cultivable land resource
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| | is coapplied with the lime.
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| is shrinking day by day. To meet the
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| | Improves compacted soil: Gypsum can
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| food, fibre, fuel, fodder, and other
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| | break up compacted soil and decrease
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| needs of the growing population, the
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| | penetrometer resistance. Combination with
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| productivity of agricultural land has to
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| | organic amendments also helps, especially
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| be increased rationally. This requires
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| | in preventing return of the compaction.
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| the use of all resources judiciously. In
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| | The soils applied with gypsum have low
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| India, the mineral gypsum is mostly used
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| | bulk density.Makes slightly wet soils
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| in the manufacture of cement, fertiliser,
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| | easier to till: Soils that have been
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| plaster of Paris, ceramics and distemper.
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| | treated with gypsum have a wider range of
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| Smaller quantity is used as soil
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| | soil moisture levels where it is safe to
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| conditioner, for carving and statuary
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| | till without danger of compaction or
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| purposes. India has huge resources of
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| | deflocculation. Even a liberal
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| natural gypsum of the order of 1120
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| | application of gypsum is a good procedure
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| million tonnes, of which recoverable
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| | for starting a piece of land into no-till
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| reserves are estimated at 237 million
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| | soil management or pasture. Gypsum also
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| tonnes. Over 95 per cent of the natural
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| | improves the ability of soil to drain and
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| gypsum come from Rajasthan.Gypsum is
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| | not become waterlogged due to a
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| chemically calcium sulfate dihydrate
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| | combination of high sodium, swelling
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| (CaSO4.2H2O). When dissolved in water, it
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| | clay, and excess water.Stops water runoff
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| yields calcium ions (Ca2+) and
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| | and erosion: Gypsum improves water
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| sulfate-sulfur ions (SO42-). Both of
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| | infiltration rates into soils and also
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| these ions are essential major nutrients
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| | the hydraulic conductivity of the soil.
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| for growing plants. In addition to this,
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| | The use of gypsum can decrease wind and
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| calcium also plays a vital role in
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| | water erosion of soil.Improves swelling
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| establishing and maintaining good
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| | clays: Gypsum can decrease the swelling
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| chemical balance in soil, water and
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| | and cracking associated with high levels
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| plants. Gypsum is one of those rare
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| | of exchangeable sodium on the
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| materials that perform in all three
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| | montmorillonite-type clays. As sodium is
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| categories of soil treatment: an
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| | replaced by calcium on these clays, they
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| amendment, conditioner, and fertilizer.
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| | swell less and therefore do not easily
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| The usage of gypsum in agriculture can be
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| | clog the pore spaces through which air,
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| grouped into following heads:Reclaims
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| | water and roots move.Increases water
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| soil sodicity: The sodic soils have
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| | retention in soil: Gypsum when applied to
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| exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) more
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| | sodic soil reduced the levels of
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| than 15, it must be lowered for soil
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| | exchangeable sodium resulted in increase
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| improvement as well as better crop
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| | in water retention. The improved soil
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| growth. The calcium supplied by gypsum
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| | structure help in the more retention of
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| replaces the sodium held at the
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| | water.
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| clay-exchange sites. The replaced sodium
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| | Increases the stability of soil organic
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| can be leached from the soil as sodium
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| | matter: Gypsum is a source of calcium
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| sulfate to an appropriate sink.Decreases
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| | responsible for the binding of soil
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| the toxic effect of NaCl salinity:
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| | organic matter to clay and gives
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| Calcium from gypsum has a physiological
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| | stability to soil aggregates.Improves
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| role in inhibiting the uptake of sodium
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| | low-solute irrigation water: Gypsum is
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| by plants. Thus plant are mitigate the
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| | used to increase the solute concentration
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| sodium toxicity, which is more pronounced
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| | of low-solute water used for irrigation.
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| in the salt affected soils.Decreases pH
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| | Irrigation water from rivers that no
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| of sodic soils: The sodic soils are
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| | longer have sources of leachable salts
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| characterised by the high soil pH (>8.5).
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| | either penetrates poorly into soil or
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| Gypsum lowers the high pH of sodic soils
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| | causes soil particles to degrade which
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| or near sodic soils to 7.5 to 7.8. These
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| | results in low-water penetration. The
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| values are in the range of acceptability
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| | problem can be corrected with
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| for growth of most crop plants. Increased
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| | surface-applied gypsum or application to
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| calcium uptake by roots when gypsum is
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| | the irrigation water.Improves water-use
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| applied can decrease the pH of the
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| | efficiency: Gypsum application increases
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| rhizosphere.Creates favorable soil EC:
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| | water-use efficiency of crops. Improved
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| The more EC value of the soil is
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| | water infiltration rates, improved
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| undesired for the crop growth. The high
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| | hydraulic conductivity of soil, better
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| EC of soil are due to fertilizer
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| | water storage in the soil all lead to
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| application as well as by the weathering
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| | deeper rooting and better water-use
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| of soil minerals. Gypsum, being readily
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| | efficiency.Efficiently use low quality
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| soluble, results in proper buffered
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| | irrigation water: Use of reclaimed
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| solute concentration (EC) in soil to
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| | municipal wastewater is important for
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| maintain soil in a flocculated
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| | conservation of natural resources.
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| state.Makes excess Magnesium non-toxic:
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| | Reclaimed water can be satisfactorily
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| Calcium is essential to the biochemical
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| | used if amended with gypsum and
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| mechanisms by which most plants nutrients
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| | water-soluble polymers.Improves fruit
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| are absorbed by roots. Without adequate
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| | quality and prevents some plant diseases:
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| calcium, uptake mechanisms would fail. In
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| | The quality of fruit depends on the
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| soils having unfavorable calcium
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| | amount of calcium. Calcium is nearly
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| magnesium ratios, such as serpentine
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| | always only marginally sufficient and
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| soils, gypsum can create a more favorable
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| | often deficient in developing fruits.
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| ratio. Thus render Magnesium
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| | Calcium moves very slowly, if at all,
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| non-toxic.Decreases heavy-metal toxicity:
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| | from one plant part to another and fruits
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| Calcium plays a role of regulator for
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| | at the end of the transport system get
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| balance of micro-nutrients, such as iron,
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| | too little. Calcium must be constantly
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| zinc, manganese and copper, in plants.
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| | available to the roots. In very high pH
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| Calcium prevents excess uptake of many of
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| | soils, calcium is not available enough;
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| them; and once they are in the plant,
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| | therefore, gypsum helps. Gypsum is used
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| calcium keeps them from having adverse
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| | for peanuts, which develop below ground,
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| effects when their levels get high.
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| | to keep them disease free. Gypsum helps
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| Calcium in liberal quantities helps to
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| | prevent blossom-end rot of watermelon and
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| maintain a healthy balance of nutrients
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| | tomatoes and bitter pit in apples. Gypsum
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| and non-nutrients within plants. Gypsum
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| | is preferred over lime for potatoes grown
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| also removes excess of Boron from sodic
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| | in acid soils so that scab may be
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| soil. It also regulates non-essential
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| | controlled.Decreases loss of fertilizer
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| trace elements.Improves soil structure:
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| | nitrogen to the air: Calcium from gypsum
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| Gypsum provides calcium, which,
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| | can help decrease volatilization loss of
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| flocculate clays in acid and alkaline
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| | ammonium nitrogen from applications of
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| soil. A flocculated clays form friable
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| | ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium
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| soil with improved soil structure and
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| | sulfate, or any of the ammonium
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| tilth. It also allows for deeper,
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| | phosphates.Keeps clay off tuber and root
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| healthier root development and water
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| | crops: Gypsum can help keep clay
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| penetration.Prevents crusting of soil:
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| | particles from adhering to roots, bulbs
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| Gypsum application can decrease and
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| | and tubers of crops like potato, carrots,
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| prevent the crust formation on soil
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| | garlic and beets.
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| surfaces which result from rain drops or
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