6 FROM GRANCO MINERALS Soil News Soil Environment A healthy soil environment is critical for growing any crop and sweet potatoes are no exception. The additon of gypsum to your existing fertility program will not only increase the effiency of your N P K and add much needed calcium and sulfur but improve soil structure. Over time the addition of gypsum improves the physical and chemical properties of the soil resulting in improved water penetration, increased soil aggregation, less compaction and better soil stability. Gypsum also reduces sodium and aluminum levels. Gypsum provides calcium that exchanges place on soil particles with sodium, the sulfur captures the sodium which becomes sodium sulfate and gets carried away in the soil water. In acid subsoils, soluble aluminum is toxic to plant roots. The calcium in gypsum will displace aluminum, allowing it to be leached below the root levels. Contact Information Granco Minerals – 23011 Airpark Drive, Petersburg, VA 23803 T0ll Free 800-798-5605 Email: [email protected] www.grancominerals.com Sweetpotatoes: Are you maximizing potential? Sweetpotatoes are one of the few truly indigenous crops to North America. Fortunately for growers on the eastern part of the U.S., sweetpotatoes like warm temperatures and well drained and slightly acidic soils. Most growers are well versed in the NPK needs of their crop but to maximize their true potential in yield, quality and shelf life, a well-rounded nutrient program should include gypsum! Gypsum is one of the most versatile supplements you can add to your fertilizer program. It is a highly available form of Calcium and Sulfur. Gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaS04.2H2O) and therefore a great source of both calcium and sulfur. Not only do plants require calcium as a nutrient but it is required for uptake of other essential minerals. For it to be successful, it must get to the root zone! Gypsum is 200 times more soluble than lime thus making it a better choice. Sulfur deficiencies are more common now than in the past and you don’t have to worry about the sulfur in gypsum burning the crops. Sweetpotato yield potential is usually determined within the first month or so after planting. Make sure your crop has what it needs from the outset. The table below shows the nutrient requirement for sweetpotatoes. Although soil tests may show adequate Ca in the soil, often it is unavailable to the plant. Many of the best sweetpotato growers on the east coast use 250 lbs. of Progyp with their normal NPK applications. Progyp is the purest form of gypsum on the market (99%) and contains 24% Ca and 19% sulfur. Ca and S improves tuber development, quality, yield, and shelf-life. Nitrogen must have sulfur in balance for nitrogen utilization (7:1) and protein production. • Soil pH needs to be slightly acidic for optimum production. • Ca improves soil balance, root growth, nutrient uptake, and plant development. Progyp also does not affect the soil pH.. For questions, please contact Granco Minerals. Thank you. J. Holland Jordan, Ph.D. Agronomist 0 10 20 30 40 50 Ca S Cwt/A 250 Nutrient Requirements for Sweetpotatoes
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