The Baltic Sea faces severe environmental issues due to nutrient leakage, primarily phosphorus, from agricultural lands. This nutrient runoff accelerates eutrophication, causing excessive algal blooms that deplete oxygen in the water, threatening marine life. The GYPREG project seeks to tackle this problem by applying gypsum to farmlands, a method shown to reduce phosphorus runoff and soil erosion.

Gypsum has the potential to significantly reduce phosphorus runoff from agricultural land, helping EU member states comply with the EU Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Directive, and the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. Despite its promise, gypsum use is not yet widely known or locally implemented, limiting implementation. To address this, the project will collaborate with authorities, NGOs, farmers, and associations to jointly develop and adapt the method to local conditions and execute pilot activities.

Project Activities

• Share insights from Finnish trials with Swedish stakeholders.

• Use GIS analysis to pinpoint the most suitable areas for gypsum application on farmland.

• Conduct lab tests to evaluate the impact of gypsum and gypsum/lime mixtures on Swedish soils.

• Carry out field trials using gypsum.

• Hold demonstrations for Swedish stakeholders.

• Spread knowledge to local stakeholders in Sweden and Poland to encourage increased use of gypsum on agricultural land.