E3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4,1989
BY ROBERT E. LEIBY
AND DAVID L. DUNBAR
Lehigh County Agents
Liming is an important part of
soil management. Alkaline ions,
such as calcium and magnesium,
are leached from the soil as a
result of rainfall, including acidic
rainfall. In time, most soils will
become acidic if not treated with
lime.
Even though soils will turn
acidic naturally, you should not
apply lime without the benefit of a
soil lest. Too much lime can be as
harmful as too little. Excess lime
raises the pH above crop toler
ances and affects availability and
growth of beneficial microorgan
isms in the soil. Information on
sod testing is available in all coun
ty cooperative extension offices
and many lawn and« garden cen
ters. The soil test tells when and
when not to add lime and nutrients
to the soil. A test could actually
save you money if you have
always treated your soil each
season.
Liming the soil to the proper pH
is important to crop growth. Not
all plants grow at the same pH
level. Blueberries do best at pH
between 4.5 and 5.5 Most field
crops need some lime to keep the
soil pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Soil
pH is measured on a scale of 0 to
14, with pH 7 being neutral, neith
er acid nor alkaline. Values below
7 arc listed as acidic and those
above 7 are alkaline or basic.
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WITH
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FARMING
CLASSIFIED
Understanding Lime’s Function In Soil
When you apply lime to the
soil, spread it uniformly. Lime is
insoluble and stays where you put
it, either on the soil surface or at
the depth which you till the soil.
On turfgrass, especially, over
lapped areas are as bad as skipped
areas, so get uniform coverage at
the suggested application rale. For
best coverage, try applying one
half the recommended amount in
one direction and the remainder at
a right angle. Most liming mater
ials arc light-colored and easy to
sec on the soil.
Since lime has no direct effect
on growth, it can be applied
almost any lime. Fall applications
let the lime break down over the
winter from the next season’s
growth. However, if a spring soil
test indicates a need for lime, app
ly the material then.
Lime begins to react with the
soil as soon as it is applied. A
single application should be cllcc
tivc for three to four years. A soil
test within this period will help
you track the progress of the lime
in altering or maintaining the soil
pH.
Fertilizer applied with the lime
will also alter the soil pH. Most
nitrogen fertilizers used on garden
or turf areas have an acidic reac
tion on the soil. Heavy applica
tions of fertilizer can speed the
loss of lime in the soil and lower
the pH faster.
Liming materials come in a var
iety of forms, each with its own
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value, potential use and applica
tion problems. Lime is available in
calcitic, dolomitic, burned,
hydrated and pelletized forms.
Select the one that best meets your
needs as well as those of the soil.
Calcitic lime is mined from
natural limestone bedrock depo
sits. After the rock is crushed and
pulverized, it is run through
screens to meet certain specifica
tions. This is generally labeled as
either ground or pulverized limes
tone. Depending on the quality of
the bedrock, the material has an 85
to 100 percent neutralizing value.
In addition to raising the soil pH,
the material also supplies calcium,
an element essential for growth.
Dolomitic lime is mined and
prepared the same as calcitic lime
HARRISBURG Soil conser
vation practices applied in 1988
reduced soil erosion by more than
2.3 million tons reports Richard
Duncan, slate conservationist for
the USDA Soil Conservation Ser
vice. This is a marked increase
over the 1.7 million ton reduction
in 1987.
Duncan credited U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture programs for
the increased soil savings. He also
predicted that there will be a
marked increase for the next five
or six years for the same reason.
The Conservation Reserve
Program which pays farmers an
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and has about the same neutraliz
ing value. It supplies both calcium
and magnesium for plant growth.
It is often used to meet magnesium
needs.
Burned lime or calcium oxide
(often sold as quicklime or
unslaked lime) is prepared by
healing crushed lime in a furnace
to force off carbon dioxide. It has
the highest neutralizing value,
between 150 and 175 percent, but
is very caustic. It is difficult to
handle because it absorbs mois
ture quickly. When applied to soil,
it must be incorporated immedi
ately to prevent the formation of
granules or flakes that arc diflicull
to break down.
Hydrated lime (sold as builder’s
or slaked lime) is produced by
annual rental for ten years if they
convert highly erodible cropland
to grass and trees was credited
with saving 1.25 million tons of
soil during the past year. Soil con
servation practices such as ter
races, strip cropping, conservation
tillage and grassed waterways
saved another 1.1 million tons of
soil.
Duncan based his prediction of
increased soil savings in the future
on the conservation compliance
requirement of the 1985 Farm
Bill. This bill requires farmers
with highly erodible cropland to
have a conservation plan by the
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Nottingham, Pa 19362
215-932-4761
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Irrigation
Center Church Rd.
r#l East Earl, Pa. 17519 On Drip Orders Paid Before
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adding water to burned lime. Its
neutralizing value is between 120
and 135 percent. Hydrated lime is
also quite caustic and difficult to
handle. Like burned lime, it
should never be applied to turf
grass or other plants that arc estab
lished because it will burn the
foliage. All applications of
hydrated lime should be incorpor
ated into soil immediately.
Pelletized lime is finely ground
agricultural lime to which a
cementing agent has been added.
While more expensive than regu
lar ground limestone, it is easier to
spread and eliminates dust. The
pellets dissolve with a soaking
rain or irrigations and release lime
to the soil. Uniform distribution is
still important.
end of 1989 or lose other USDA
program benefits. They have until
the end of 1994 to install the soil
saving measures in the plan to
maintain their USDA benefits.
“Pennsylvania farmers planned
erosion control for more than
860,000 acres of highly credible
cropland last year” stated Duncan.
Duncan added that this is exact
ly what Congress wanted to hap
pen when the law was passed. “By
treating the highly credible acres,
the greatest soil savings will be
made,” said Duncan.
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RD 1 Box 506 C
Lewisburg, Pa 17837
717 966-3593
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