(Download Case Study 12 Summary PDF)
Abstract
Agriculture is a growing end use for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, a synthetic form of calcium sulfate. This project was developed to evaluate the use of gypsum in agriculture to improve soil and water quality, especially as related to phosphorus. The project has five specific objectives: (1) quantify at field-scale the degree to which FGD gypsum applied to agricultural fields can reduce phosphorus loading to surface waters; (2) assess at field-scale the role of FGD gypsum to enhance crop yields; (3) perform plot-scale studies to provide more detailed information concerning the effects of varying gypsum application rates on crop yields for different soil and crop types; (4) support development of best management practices for on-farm FGD gypsum use; and (5) perform education/outreach to support proper FGD gypsum. This research is ongoing, and we present baseline information and in an overall summary of the project plans and first-year results.
Location: The Maumee River Watershed in northwestern Ohio is a major tributary to the Western Lake Erie Basin. The Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed is located in western Ohio.
Key Team Members: Dr. Warren Dick, OSU and John Andersen, Greenleaf Advisors
Focus: The project has five specific objectives: (1) quantify at field-scale the degree to which FGD gypsum applied to agricultural fields can reduce phosphorus loading to surface waters; (2) assess at field-scale the role of FGD gypsum to enhance crop yields; (3) perform plot-scale studies to provide more detailed information concerning the effects of varying gypsum application rates on crop yields for different soil and crop types; (4) support development of best management practices for on-farm FGD gypsum use; and (5) perform education/outreach to support proper FGD gypsum.
Land use: The Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed is located in western Ohio and the land is predominantly used for crop and livestock production. The land area in the Maumee River watershed is primarily used for agriculture with some urban areas.
Watershed Scale Approaches: The overall project goal is to evaluate the application of FGD gypsum to farm fields to reduce P loss from the fields. Phase I sites are being tested for soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations in their tile water runoff, while Phase II sites are primarily tested for crop yield response to gypsum application.