"Do you smell that?! That's the smell of lost money! If this farmer used gypsum that smell would be tied up as ammonium sulfate and he could use that as fertilizer on his fields!"
"They should callINNOVATIVE GYPSUM PRODUCTS!"
Gypsum has been traditionally used as a soil amendment and fertilizer. Recently we've disvovered its benefits in dairy barns as a bedding conditioner.
Using gypsum for a bedding conditioner is a win-win! Gypsum bonds to the free ammonia escaping from your barn and checkbook, as Ammonium Sulfate. Adding gypsum to bedding adds value to your manure along with all of its benefits to milk quality! For every ton of gypsum used you will yield approximately one ton of nitrogen in return. Thereby contributing to your bottom line in the form of increased milk quality and higher manure value.
When used as a bedding conditioner we've reported the following
- Reduced cell counts
- Dryer bedding
- Reduction in fly population
- Healthier, harder hooves
- Cleaner indoor air quality (ammonia reduction)
- Reduced bacteria counts
- Reduced odor
All of these benefits lead to increased milk production and healthier happier cows!
Gypsum is so effective in accomplishing these benefits that it has earned a patent #6,060,086
WHY DO I NEED GYPSUM?
GYPSUM FOR DAIRY
CALCIUM
Gypsum and lime both contain calcium and that's where the similarity ends. The 21-23% calcium in gypsum is soluble, which means that it is immediately available to plants in the presence of water compared to lime which has to break down in the soil. This is extremely important because of calcium's critical role in nutrient uptake in plants. Available calcium is also important in improving soil structure, especially soils heavy with magnesium and sodium. Improving the soils structure allows for improved ability to absorb water, minimizes nutrient run off, and creates deeper root penetration for better nutrient uptake. Deeper, stronger roots also have better access to moisture during critical development times.
SULFATE
The sulfur in gypsum is in the form of sulfate (17-19%). Sulfate is already oxygenated giving the plant immediate access to the critical benefits of sulfur. It is fast becoming known as the 4th essential nutrient in crop production along with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Sulfur is critical for protein syntheses and chlorophyll production in plants. Essentially allowing plants to grow and develop.
Sulfate moves through the soil system very quickly much like nitrogen leading to its low concentration levels, especially in sandy soil. Higher crop yields and reduced input from atmospheric sources (i.e. low sulfur fuels and coal burning facilities) have also increased the need for sulfur across the farmbelt.
Options for adding sulfate to soils in the past have been either very expensive or very cumbersome until now!
GYPSUM FOR SOIL
Innovative Gypsum Products