Application of Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum (FGDG) to Two North Dakota Soils and Its Impact On Soil Chemistry and Wheat Grain Quality.

The 11 major electric generating coal combustion stations in the northern Great Plains have the potential to produce almost 1 million Mg of flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) annually, making it a very attractive fertilizer (Ca and S) and as an amendment for sodic and acid soils.  Currently, there are not any published studies reporting the potential environmental impacts of applying FGDG to soils in this region.  This study was conducted to determine the environmental impacts of applying FGDG to soils and the effect of FGDG on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields and grain quality.  Flue gas desulfurization gypsum and commercial gypsum were applied at rates of 0, 2.24, 11.2, and 22.4 Mg ha^‑1 to two soils in southwestern North Dakota (USA) in the spring of 2007.  Soil and plant qualities were monitored for two growing seasons.  Wheat yields and wheat grain quality were generally not affected by the gypsum treatments, indicating that the gypsum products did not negatively affect plant quality.  In addition, soil parameters were similar across the treatments at both sites in both years.  This study indicates that the application to soil of copious quantities of FGDG, which would be needed to ameliorate sodic and acid soils, did not negatively impact the qualities of either the soils or the plants evaluated in this study compared to a commercial gypsum product.