How Do Ammonium Sulfate and Gypsum Differ?

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Ammonium Sulf ate and Gypsum

Youve heard the saying, the right tool f or the right job. In agricultural production, the saying should be changed to the right chemical f or the right job. Ammonium sulf ate and calcium sulf ate, commonly known as gypsum, are both products that are important to agriculture. T hey share one trait in common the chemical sulf ur is part of their makeup but that is where the similarities end.

Ammonium Sulf at e, (NH4)2SO4

Ammonium sulf ate is a non-hazardous, nitrogen-rich f ertilizer that also helps lower soil pH. T he nitrogen in ammonium sulf ate tends to be stable, so it is available throughout the growing season. T his reduces the need f or repeated applications. Applying ammonium sulf ate to alkaline soil not only adds needed nitrogen, its acidif ying capability helps make soil micronutrients such as calcium, boron and magnesium more readily available to growing plants. Ammonium sulf ate f ertilizer can be used on acidic soils as well, but will require alternate lime applications to prevent the soil pH f rom decreasing. Ammonium sulf ate is highly soluble, so its impact on soil f ertility and pH is immediate. Its solubility also makes it an ideal addition to glyphosphate-based herbicide applications by substantially increasing herbicide ef f ectiveness; using a slightly acidic spray allows the liquid to better penetrate plant tissues which makes the herbicide more ef f ective. Hard water is also known to bind with the glyphosphate molecules and render them inef f ective; ammonium sulf ate added to the water counteracts hardness. It has been f ound that ammonium sulf ate f ertilizer is one of the best nitrogen sources f or soil crops such as soybeans and increases the production of sulf ur-bearing amino acids in legumes and alf alf a. Ammonium sulf ate is a non-hazardous byproduct derived f rom the production of Caprolactam.

Gypsum, CaSO 42H2O

By contrast, gypsum is a soil amendment rather than a f ertilizer. It contains no nitrogen or other macronutrients, so f or the purposes of f ertilization, gypsum needs to be used in conjunction with a nitrogen source such as urea. Gypsum does help to stabilize the nitrogen in urea f ertilizer and reduces volatilization. Gypsum is used primarily to loosen clay soils and to reduce the sodium content of sodic soils as well as to add calcium. Gypsum is mined f rom rock sources, pulverized and ref ined; it takes a long period of time to degrade completely into the soil. T his is a positive when it is used to reduce soil compaction and increase the f riability of clay, but tends to be a negative when the need f or increased soil calcium is urgent. Even though gypsum is a sulf ate compound, it does little to change soil pH; one soil testing lab has stated that it is the impurities in lower grades of gypsum that act to change pH. A high grade gypsum is pH neutral. Virginia soils range in pH f rom acidic in the

eastern regions to alkaline in the mountainous areas. Find out your soils pH and f ertility level through soil testing, and then purchase and apply the right products in the right amounts to make any needed adjustments. Commonwealth CIS is a distributor of high quality ammonium sulf ate and can provide your f arm with ammonium sulf ate by the 50 pound bags, 3000 pound bags or supersacks. Commonwealth CIS also provides ammonium sulf ate to manuf acturing f irms and to the tanning industry. Image Credit: Soil Component Name in Virginia, By J. Albert Bowden II Post Emergence Stomp, by Chaf er Machinery Gypsum, by Kevin Walsh Contact Us

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Commonwealth Industrial Services, Inc. (CIS) is an industrial services company located in Hopewell, Virginia. Although historically a service business, CIS primary prof it center is the packaging and resale of ammonium sulf ate. Follow Us

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