IT ALL BEGINS WITH WATER AND CALCINE

Calcine Offers Multiple Pathways to Improving Soils

When added to irrigation water, Calcine mobilizes salt out of the root zone and improves soil productivity. Calcine, when used as a water treatment, has been shown to:

• Amend salty soils. Calcine mobilizes salt out of the root zone, reducing sodium, chloride and carbonate salt concentrations in the soil.
• Improve soil structure. Flushing salts from the root zone leads to a plethora of soil health benefits. These include improved water infiltration rates, less ponding and improved permeability.
• Boost nutrient-holding capacity. Salts eliminated through Calcine application can be replaced by higher-value nutrients such as calcium to flocculate the soil. Calcium helps open sealed soils by acting like a binding agent for other nutrients. When salts are replaced by calcium and other nutrients, soil fertility, structure and permeability further improve.
• Support earthworm establishment. By nature, earthworms avoid compacted, salty soils. As a reflection of the soil improvements facilitated by Calcine, earthworm populations in treated soils soared. In fields once sealed and inhospitable to soil life, earthworms were now able to flourish. That becomes a virtuous cycle of reinforcement, as the earthworms further improve soil structure and increase nutrient cycling. Earthworms matter: An analysis of 58 studies showed that the presence of earthworms is related to an astounding 25 percent increase in yield and a 21 percent rise in plant biomass.
• Reduce water dependence. Following application in 2015, an Arizona alfalfa grower reduced water use by 37 percent after four months of treatment. Because Calcine dramatically improves soil structure, soil water-holding capacity and permeability increase. This helps farms become more resilient to weather extremes and lowers irrigation expenses. And, because irrigation water is a leading contributor to sodic soil conditions, allowing farms to apply less water helps them break the sodic soil cycle.
• Releases nutrients. Field studies have shown Calcine to increase soil nitrate and phosphate concentrations without increases in nutrient application. This suggests that Calcine unlocks nitrates and phosphates in the soil, making them more plant-available.
• Increase alfalfa quality. Application of Calcine has been shown to increase important forage components. Early analysis from a farm in Arizona reported higher protein, fat and calcium. Analysis also showed a reduction of sodium and chloride content, and higher total digestible nutrients. This illustrates Calcine’s ability to move salt out of the root zone, making other important nutrients more available for plant uptake.