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ARE YOU NEUTRALISING YOUR BANK BALANCE?
There are few improvements so easily and cheaply carried out which can have so fundamental an effect on the success or failure of crops and farming as the application of agricultural lime. Do you know whether the lime you are buying is both value for money and correct for your soil type.
The Agricultural Lime Association has produced these essential guidelines that farmers should consider before purchasing and using lime.
It is important that farmers recognise the key questions to ask and adhere to the guide to prevent contentious issues arising as a result of a purchase; and to safeguard crop assurance.
What you should know when buying lime
| • | Soil Analysis |
| Get soil professionally tested. Take a representative number of spot samples rather than a composite laboratory sample to identify specific low pH areas. BDH field testing tells you what real pH plants have to grow in. Maintain an average of pH7 on arable and pH6.5 on grassland. |
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| • | Liming Materials |
| Know the specification of the product you are buying; Agricultural
Lime is NOT a legal definition – explain that to your farm assurance
inspector. If there is no specification, analysis or datasheet - question the suitability of the product, the price may be right - but is the material??? What is the neutralising value? The higher the NV the better the product. What is the fineness of grinding? The percentage passing 3.35mm ideally 95% and plus 30% passing 150 micron sieve. Check the specification to see how much of the product is calcium, and how much INERT Silica’s. The amount of inert and valueless silica’s can vary from 1 - 2% up to 20 - 30% which only neutralises your bank balance not your soil. |
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| • | Cost Comparison |
| Liming materials should be purchased on the basis of the price
relative to the NV and fineness of products on offer. Divide the price by the known N.V. to get the unit cost, and then examine the % passing 150 micros, ideally 40% but a minimum of 30%. Plus 150 micron material is of no short term liming value. |
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| • | Legal requirements |
| The Fertiliser Regulations control the sale of agricultural liming
materials. Quarry produced materials can be sold under a number of
permitted names (the term ‘Agriculture Lime’ alone is
not sufficient). Each name has a precise meaning and associated declaration,
which are required by law. These are described in the Fertiliser Regulations
Act. Legally supplied weight tickets confirming the NV and fineness should be supplied by the quarry not the supplier. If these cannot be provided farmers should not buy the product. Farmers should ensure that these names are available to them at the time of delivery (as required by law) and that the lime quality is clearly identified at time of quotation. |
The decline in the use of lime has resulted in an increase in the proportion of soil samples exhibiting pH values below optimum in several regions across the UK. It’s use has become undervalued as an input into agriculture, and farmers need to be more proactive when it comes to buying lime products.
Michelle Folley of Midland Lime Ltd based at Northampton says ‘With ever decreasing on farm margins it is important farmers get the correct professional advice to lime where and when required; and that the correct product is supplied in accordance with Fertiliser Regulations to rectify pH problems correctly’.
Natural agricultural lime is used to correct acidity in soil and provide the right conditions in which crops and other plants can grow. Unless steps are taken to redress the balance of soils by applying a liming material there will be a natural reduction in the lime status in most soil. In turn this may reduce soil fertility.
Further information on liming materials can be obtained from the Agricultural Lime Association at the following address.
Agricultural Lime Association |
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Tel: 01733 385240 Fax: 01733 385270 Email: eileen.pullinger@agindustries.org.uk |
