Soil Crusting

Soil Crusting

Soil crusting is a thin layer of dense and tough material. Soil crusting is considerably more compacted and packed than the underlying material. A soil crust tends to look smooth and even when compared to freshly exposed soil. Rain impact on exposed soil is the main cause of soil crusting.

Clay soils, especially those with high magnesium content and/or sodium content, are prone to soil crusting and sealing at the surface following rainfall events. This is because clay particles in soil are easily dispersible or splattered across the soil surface as rainwater pellets the ground. When the water eventually recedes back into the soil, the clay is filtered onto the surface and forms a hard crust.

When soil crusting occurs, germinating seeds are unable to break the crust. With soil crusting, oxygen flow into and out of the soil is limited, reducing crop growth. Signs of soil crusting are poor crop emergence. Patterns of damage depend on the levelness of the field and the pattern of soil drying across the field. Soil crusting is especially a problem in dry direct seeded fields where seed is covered by soil. It is important to address soil crusting at the time of crop establishment.

Prevent Soil Crusting with GYPSOIL

GYPSOIL brand gypsum helps to address soil crusting. One of the first things GYPSOIL users experience is how much easier equipment pulls through the field. The soil is looser, yet soft and firm. It is sometimes possible to drive at a higher gear when working the ground. Growers also notice after applications of GYPSOIL how easy it is to push a soil probe into the profile.

GYPSOIL decreases and prevents soil crusting on surfaces which result from rain drops or from sprinkler irrigation on unstable soil. It can prevent soil crusting that results when acid soils are full of lime & the gypsum is co-applied with the lime. Studies have shown that components of GYPSOIL prevent soil crusting by making the soil looser.

GYPSOIL also improves low-solute irrigation water which also causes soil crusting. GYPSOIL is used to increase the solute concentration of low-solute water used for irrigation. Irrigation water from rivers that no longer have sources of leachable salts either penetrates poorly into soil or causes soil particles to degrade which results in soil crusting.

Don’t let soil crusting lower your crop yield. Use GYPSOIL today. Contact us to find out more.