Indiana

Indiana's new practice standard, "Amending Soil Properties with Gypsiferous Products (Code 801)" is listed in Section IV of Indiana NRCS's electronic Field Office Technical Guides available through Indiana county NRCS office websites.

Code 801 lists three distinct conservation purposes for gypsum applications, including:

• Improve soil physical/chemical properties to reduce soil erosion and improve infiltration;
• Reduce dissolved phosphorus concentrations in surface runoff and subsurface drainage;
• Reduce the potential for pathogen transport from areas of manure and biosolids application.

Where practice applies

In fiscal year 2015, Indiana is offering payments for the use of Indiana's gypsum standard through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in the Western Lake Erie Basin (through Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding and in the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program project); in Indiana's National Water Quality Initiative watersheds and in the Big Pine and Little Wea Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative watersheds.

Soil test values of calcium, magnesium, cation exchange capacity, and other parameters dictate the site eligibility and suitability. Code 801 provides details about recommended application timing, application rates and other management strategies.

The Indiana NRCS also includes an Agronomy Technical Note with criteria for gypsum rates, site eligibility and other technical criteria.

Payment schedule

NRCS financial assistance options for gypsum applications in eligible EQIP projects is $28/acre, based off a rate of about one ton/acre.

For more information, visit your local NRCS office.