How can agricultural gypsum help producers gain efficiency in the field?

Recent uncertainties in the global fertilizer market, exacerbated by geopolitical conflicts and international logistical challenges, have led producers to seek alternatives capable of increasing the efficiency of the production system. In this context, agricultural gypsum stands out as a strategic input to improve nutrient utilization, soil profile building, and increase crop resilience in the face of climatic challenges.

Widely used in soil fertility management, agricultural gypsum acts primarily in subsurface layers, reducing aluminum toxicity and increasing the availability of calcium and sulfur at depth. This process promotes root growth, allowing them to explore a larger volume of soil in search of water and nutrients. As a result, there is greater efficiency in water use, better physiological performance of plants, and greater productive stability, especially during periods of water deficit.

This discussion gains even more relevance because Brazil is one of the world's largest consumers of fertilizers and remains dependent on the import of strategic nutrients and raw materials. Price fluctuations, supply constraints, and international tensions reinforce the importance of investing not only in access to inputs but also in technologies that increase the agronomic return of each ton applied in the field.

Although producers have no control over international market movements, they can adopt practices that reduce the vulnerability of their production. Among these is improving soil chemical conditions, which stands out for enhancing fertilizer utilization, promoting root development, and increasing crop resilience during periods of water stress. Studies conducted by the University of Brasília and Embrapa Cerrados in sugarcane-cultivated areas demonstrated that the application of agricultural gypsum resulted in an increase of 12,3 tons per hectare in soil carbon stock, corresponding to an average increase of 6,6% in the 0-200 centimeter layer. Over 87 months of cultivation, a carbon accumulation rate of 1,76 tons per hectare per year was recorded. These results indicate that improving subsoil conditions stimulates root growth, promotes the accumulation of organic matter, and contributes to maintaining soil quality.

The gains are also consistently seen in crop productivity. In Goiás, demonstration fields conducted by Mosaic evaluated the residual effect of applying an average of 1,3 tons per hectare of agricultural gypsum before soybean planting on the second-crop corn cultivated subsequently. The result was an average increase of 10,3 sacks per hectare, raising productivity from 118,1 to 128,4 sacks per hectare, a gain of approximately 9%.

Other analyses corroborate these results. In soybeans, the use of agricultural gypsum can increase productivity by up to 12% under water deficit conditions and by 4,5% when there is no water restriction. In corn, the increases can reach 14% in water-deficient environments and 7% under normal conditions, highlighting its role in mitigating the effects of climatic stresses and in greater crop stability.

In addition to providing calcium and sulfur, essential nutrients for plant development, agricultural gypsum complements the action of limestone by acting on the deeper layers of the soil. In this way, it corrects limitations that frequently restrict root growth and reduce the efficiency of fertilizers applied to the surface.

In sugarcane, the benefits tend to be cumulative throughout the production cycles. The application of gypsum provides average productivity increases of 10% in plant cane, 19% in the first ratoon, 20% in the second ratoon, and 21% in the third ratoon. This performance is associated with improved chemical conditions between 20 and 100 centimeters of depth, with reduced aluminum toxicity and increased availability of calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, favoring a deeper and more efficient root system.

In a scenario marked by uncertainties in the global supply of fertilizers and the increasing incidence of extreme weather events, investing in solutions that strengthen the efficiency and resilience of production systems has ceased to be a competitive advantage and has become a necessity. In this context, agricultural gypsum reaffirms its role as an important ally of the producer, contributing to the more efficient use of inputs, increased productivity, and the construction of an increasingly sustainable agriculture, prepared for the challenges of the present and the future.

* By Luis Arruda, Marketing and Customer Experience Director at Mosaic