Tips For Good Liming Decisions
This is the time of year where many farmers are making decisions about their soil pH and spending time applying lime sand or other manufactured lime products.
Here are some of our major tips for getting it right this liming season.
Do You Have a Soil pH Plan?
When soil pH is at its optimum level, soil function is greatly improved. In turn, this means you get the most of your investments in fertilizer and Agchem – as they work more efficiently for you.
A long-term Soil pH plan will give you a structured approach to your soil pH – so you can make short term and long-term gains. Putting a together detailed soil amendment plan does not have to be difficult or expensive – especially if you let the experts do all the work.
Optima Lime provide an on-farm meeting with a qualified and experienced soil scientist to observe current practices, current soil health and talk about your outcomes and expectations. We will then put together a detailed pH soil amendment plan with recommendations for soil remediation in the short and long term. We present your plan back to you and agree the likely results to meet your business needs. Then it is about continuous improvement, measuring the results against the expected outcomes and adapting the plan to continuously make more gains.
What to Look for In Lime Sand?
The transport costs for lime sand are expensive. So, to make the most of your transport costs you need to make sure you are transporting the best quality lime sand – there is no point paying to transport ineffective dirt.
Make sure you check the specification for the pit from where your lime is coming from. Look for the bulk NV rating and the particles sizes. A higher bulk NV means there is more lime per load. Finer particles mean the sand permeates through the soil quicker – and this means the lime will change the soil PH profile quicker.
Top Tips. Check the pit specification is up to date. And check if the pit specification changed over time – choose a pit that has historically high-level specifications.
What’s Best? Lime Sand or Manufactured Lime Products?
WA lime sand is an excellent pH adjustment tool when it is used in the appropriate way. It has great power to change the soil pH, but it is not necessarily the best lime product to use in every situation.
If permeation through the soil and speed of action are important to you and / or tillage is an issue, consideration should be given alternative liming products. Optima Lime have 3 alternatives including Bio-Lime, Hi-Cal, and Agri-Cal.
How Do I Try Manufactured Lime Products?
Many farms have had great success using manufactured lime products. There are some great case studies and examples available. However, you do not have to jump straight into them using them across your program.
Why not see how they perform on your farm this year with a small scale on farm performance check? Measure the improvements you make and the effect on your soils – and then use that as a case study for the year after.
Its not too late to have a go this year. We will help you work out specific area and have product samples available for people buying lime sand.
