Abstract

AbstractAgricultural gypsum can improve the chemical quality of low fertility soil, providing calcium and sulphur. In this study, we evaluated the effects of agricultural gypsum application at five dosage rates (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 Mg ha−1) on the chemical and microbial soil characteristics of an acid oxisol (0–0.1 m and 0.1–0.2 m layers) and the impact on wheat grain yield. Increasing agricultural gypsum dosage rates increased Ca, S as well as the Ca/Mg ratio and microbial biomass of carbon in the 0–01 m soil layer. In the 0.1–0.2 m soil layer, agricultural gypsum affected organic C (Corg), Ca and the Ca/Mg ratio. The microbial biomass of carbon had positive correlations with most chemical and microbial variables. In the 0–0.1 m soil, the microbial biomass of C and N had negative relationships with arylsulphatase and β‐glucosidase, respectively. At 0.1–0.2 m depth, arylsulphatase activity correlated negatively with Corg and positively with Al. Agricultural gypsum soil amendments increased the microbial biomass of carbon, especially at the highest application rate (12 Mg ha−1). The highest biochemical index activity was found in the 3 Mg ha−1 (0–0.1 m) and 9 Mg ha−1 (0.1–0.2 m) treatments. At 70 months after application, we found that maximum wheat grain yield was rendered by an agricultural gypsum application rate close to 3 Mg ha−1.

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