[Terrapreta] The Science of Terra Preta Formation

[Richard Haard]

Jim and Sean

Gypsum is used in heavy clay soils to improve the texture by inducing  
aggregation of the clay. Some clays, that swell upon wetting become  
very tight and difficult to wet as irrigation water tends then to run  
off into drainage ditches.

Best
On Apr 6, 2008, at 4:56 PM, Sean K. Barry wrote:

> Hi Jim,
>
> I worked for just a short time on a vineyard in California, circa  
> 1999.  The California Department of Agriculture people and the farm  
> manager recommended gypsum applications right at the base of the  
> vine rows, calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4-2H2O), to improve water  
> retention in the soil and improve the ability of the soil to deliver  
> water to the vines.  I don't know how calcium improves the ability  
> of soil to deliver water to plants, but that is what these people  
> were trying to accomplish.
>

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