2008 Joint Annual Meeting (5-9 Oct. 2008): A Lysimeter Study of Vadose Zone Porosity and WATER Movement in Gypsum Amended Soil.
Start | Author Index

740-13 A Lysimeter Study of Vadose Zone Porosity and WATER Movement in Gypsum Amended Soil.



Wednesday, 8 October 2008
George R. Brown Convention Center, Exhibit Hall E
Rebecca Tirado-Corbala1, Brian K. Slater1, Warren A., Dick2, Edward McCoy3 and David Barker4, (1)School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210
(2)School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 101A Hayden Hall, Wooster, OH 44691
(3)School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 215A Williams Hall, Wooster, OH 44691
(4)Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, 226 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210
Gypsum has been used as a soil amendment in agriculture to improve the structure of soils, seedling emergence and crop growth particularly in sodic soils.  Large amounts of gypsum are produced as a by-product of electricity generation from coal-fired power plants. With the increased availability of synthetic gypsum, applications to non-sodic soils in Ohio and the rest of the Midwest are increasing. Several studies have concentrated on analysis of the effects of gypsum on surface structure, crusting, infiltration, and erosion. However, few studies have analyzed structural and hydrologic effects of gypsum below the surface, especially in the root zone. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare structure, porosity and water movement in the unsaturated zone of soils of different drainage class (Celina-well drained and Brookston- poorly drained), different gypsum application regimes (control, short term application (3 years) and long term application (12 years) in no-till fields. The study was conducted using 18 undisturbed soil columns (30.5 cm diameter and 80 cm depth) sampled from fields near Eaton, Ohio.
See more of: Environmental Soil Physics: Bridging the Critical Zone to Crops, Climate, and Remediation: II (Posters)
See more of: S01 Soil Physics