With rising pressures on farm expenditure liming is often by-passed. Acidity can affect crop performance dramatically. We advise soil testing to be carried out every one to two years to determine the agricultural lime requirements. We offer a full soil testing service, where we can then determine how much you require. We produce our own agricultural lime in our Quarry and deliver it with our 32 Ton trucks, each load has a printed weight ticket and we spread it with our own LPG trailed lime spreaders.
(When the term is encountered in an agricultural context, it refers to agricultural lime, which is crushed limestone or chalk, not a product of a lime kiln.
Agricultural Lime
Lime is a vital yet still often under-appreciated aspect in good soil husbandry. We have been supplying agricultural lime to farmers for 40 years and offer a cost effective service.
Agricultural lime, also called aglime, agricultural limestone, garden lime or liming, is a soil additive made from pulverized limestone or chalk. The primary active component is calcium carbonate. Additional chemicals vary depending on the mineral source and may include calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate. Unlike the types of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide) and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), powdered limestone does not require lime burning in a lime kiln; it only requires milling.
The effects of agricultural lime on soil are:
- it increases the pH of acidic soil (the lower the pH the more acidic the soil); in other words, soil acidity is reduced and alkalinity increased[1]
- it provides a source of calcium and magnesium for plants
- it permits improved water penetration for acidic soils
- it improves the uptake of major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) of plants growing on acid soils.
pH value and Agricultural Lime Requirements
We offer a service to provide you with an accurate pH report. We understand the need for accurate and objective reporting. The degree of soil acidity or alkalinity is measured by what is known as a pH scale. A figure of pH7 represents a materials relationship to the neutral position of pure water at pH 7.0 Figures below 7 indicate increasing acidity and above 7 increasing alkalinity. The optimum for general cropping is between pH 6.8 and 7.0 For permanent grassland the optimum level pH is slightly lower.
If you require further information or a quotation, please contact our professional and friendly team where we can assist you further or visit our Agricultural lime website at www.robinsliming.com.