Gypsum bed for improving quality of alkali water

Abstract

Passage of alkali water through gypsum bed increases the
concentration of calcium in water through dissolution of gypsum. The increased concentration of calcium in irrigation water helps in neutralizing the residual sodium carbonate. This technique is very useful for the farmers in arid and semi-arid regions and which suffer from the problem of alkalinity in underground water. The cost of gypsum bed (approximately Rupees 5000) and gypsum fragment is also very less in comparison to gypsum in powdered form. Gypsum bed proves quite beneficial and economical for sustained yield in alkali water irrigated area of most of the cereals and oilseeds crop except pulses crops.