|
|
| This was posted last year by Hay Wilson in TX. In light of the recent energetic discussions about liming soils I thought it might be prudent to resurrect this article:
Plant & Soil Sciences Newsletter Page 6
200 pounds is not the same as 2,000
By Jeff Edwards
Follow us on Twitter ...
• @OSU_smallgrains
• @OSUWeedSci
• @OSU_NPK
I have received several questions regarding liming materials and application. This is a good thing because it means that more people are soil sampling and addressing low soil pH. I am concerned, however, with the
types of questions I am getting regarding the application of pelletized lime. Most of these questions essentially ask if a couple hundred pounds of pelletized lime will perform the same as ½ or one ton of regular
Ag lime.
The answer is NO. If your soil test recommends one ton of 100% ECCE lime you will need one ton of ECCE lime, regardless of the source. I will attempt to explain why in the next few paragraphs.
What is soil acidity? Soil acidity is a measure of the amount of hydrogen (H+) ions in the soil solution. The lower the pH, the more H+ ions there are in the soil solution.
Lime (CaCO3) corrects soil acidity as it dissolves into Ca and CO3. Calcium (Ca) has a positive charge like H+ and displaces the H+ ions from the surface of soil particles, etc. The carbonate (CO3) reacts with
the H+ ions to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).
The purpose of this chemistry lesson was to show that one molecule of calcium carbonate will neutralize
two H+ ions. There is no shortcut around this reaction. The lime recommendation you receive with your soil test is calculated based on the amount of H+ ions you need to neutralize in your soil and the number of
calcium carbonate (CaCO3) it will take to get this done.
Can I get by with less pelletized lime than Ag lime? No. It is true that some liming materials are more effective than others.
The effectiveness of a liming material is expressed as the effective calcium carbonate equivalent (ECCE). The ECCE is based on the purity of the material and the fineness of the material (finely ground lime will react
more quickly than coarse-ground lime).
Most agricultural lime sources in Oklahoma are about 65 – 85 % ECCE. So, if the soil test called for one ton of lime, you would need to apply 1.33 tons/A of a 75% ECCE material to get the job done. If a pelletized
lime source were 90% ECCE it would take 1.11 tons/A of this material to get the same job done, not a few hundred pounds.
Once again, if the soil test calls for a ton of ECCE lime, you need a ton of ECCE lime.
What about banding pelletized lime?
We have two studies (near Altus and Wakomis) comparing broadcast Ag lime to in-furrow pelletized lime and in-furrow 18-46-0 (DAP). This research is still in its preliminary stages, so it is too early to glean
recommendations from the results; however, what we do know from previous research is that in-furrow DAP is an effective band-aid treatment in low pH soils. It is also important to note that the mixing of pelletized
lime and DAP is not recommend because the calcium in the pelletized lime can bind to the phosphorus in the DAP and make it unavailable to plants.
Jeff Edwards can be reached at [email protected].
|
|
| |
|
PROSPECT, TENNESSEE | Lots of people will use the pellet ed lime with their nitrogen to reduce the lowering of the soils PH value. I know of some that hasn't used AG lime in 6 or 8 years PH still good. I have been running some numbers, almost makes since. |
|
| |
|
ecmn | So mixing some pel lime in with my starter for corn 2x2 isn't doing me any good then. Is there any good uses for pel lime? Maybe a couple hundred pounds to get a crop through a year or two while the ag lime is being incorporated?? |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | bigmoe - 1/12/2011 09:55 So mixing some pel lime in with my starter for corn 2x2 isn't doing me any good then. Is there any good uses for pel lime? Maybe a couple hundred pounds to get a crop through a year or two while the ag lime is being incorporated?? Your Fine ground Ag lime should be available to an extent as soon as it is applied and comes in contact with the soil, or soon after. and continues to slowley release for years to come. soil Moisture soil temperature soil biological activity will determin the time and effect of any applied Nutrient. even Pell lime |
|
| |
|
ecmn | So what it comes down to is your better off spending the money on ag lime instead of limping along with pel lime. Ag lime is $20-22/ ton applied and pel lime is $200/ ton applied. |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | bigmoe - 1/12/2011 10:18 So what it comes down to is your better off spending the money on ag lime instead of limping along with pel lime. Ag lime is $20-22/ ton applied and pel lime is $200/ ton applied. That is My Oppinion Now if I were the manager of the Local co-op ? I could make the argument the other way also. But for YOUR best interest as a Farmer. Your end results, Profit Get the proper Bulk Lime on and be done with it. |
|
| |
|
| You answered your own question with those numbers. IMO. |
|
| |
|
| I would "third" that opinion. I have read some of these posts on Pell Lime, and I come down on the side on Jon S. The only value that pell lime provides is the ease of spreading, since it is a pelleted form. However, when you look at the economics, the proper ag lime is a better value, even on rented acres. |
|
| |
|
S MN | Used aglime for the first time last fall. Here it's about $50 ton plus application. Could live with that if we didn't have a constant 20-25 MPH wind when coop is putting it on with a spreader. Doesn't do much good when it's blowing past the spreader and not hitting the ground. I'm a bit skeptical, but new to this liming issue also. (Grid sampled fields 2.5 acre grids range 5.6-8.0 PH) At least pell lime hits the ground, even if a bit windy when coop pulls onto your farm |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | Briarpatch - 1/12/2011 12:16 Used aglime for the first time last fall. Here it's about $50 ton plus application. Could live with that if we didn't have a constant 20-25 MPH wind when coop is putting it on with a spreader. Doesn't do much good when it's blowing past the spreader and not hitting the ground. I'm a bit skeptical, but new to this liming issue also. (Grid sampled fields 2.5 acre grids range 5.6-8.0 PH) At least pell lime hits the ground, even if a bit windy when coop pulls onto your farm Sounds Like You need to have a visit with your applicator Managing How and when any nutrient is applied is a Big part of the farmers Managment Job |
|
| |
|
S MN | Agreed soil life- told them to move on down the road to somebody else's farm when only half done. They obliged and no good will was damaged (I hope). My point is, if you are located in an area where the wind always blows it can be very difficult to get the ag lime applied correctly. Very few days under 15 mph. Luck of the draw really. A guy hates to be overly fussy, generally you can't predict when a nice calm day will come along. Just saying "here" it can be kind of tricky. |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | Briarpatch - 1/12/2011 13:24 Agreed soil life- told them to move on down the road to somebody else's farm when only half done. They obliged and no good will was damaged (I hope). My point is, if you are located in an area where the wind always blows it can be very difficult to get the ag lime applied correctly. Very few days under 15 mph. Luck of the draw really. A guy hates to be overly fussy, generally you can't predict when a nice calm day will come along. Just saying "here" it can be kind of tricky. understand well. some of My clients spread at night. just for that reason. I think they Like the quiet solitude also ??? Hehehe |
|
| |
|
| depending on the size of your operation, there is where it might pay to own your own spreader*... and then you can afford to be fussy. *- or maybe own one with a couple of neighbors that you can share it with. OR own one, and rent it out when you are not using it..... |
|
| |
|
Northern Ohio Grain | I picked up a few fields for 2011 that had been religously applied with pellet lime over the past decade. Soil samples showed low 4's to low 5's on the pH. I hate to think how much money was spent on pellet lime over those years, and how much better a few tons of ag lime would have been. |
|
| |
|
North Central Ohio, across the Corn belt ! | steiner43511 - 1/12/2011 17:12 I picked up a few fields for 2011 that had been religously applied with pellet lime over the past decade. Soil samples showed low 4's to low 5's on the pH. I hate to think how much money was spent on pellet lime over those years, and how much better a few tons of ag lime would have been. well steiner, You can guess who, said, Go ahead, Just add a few Hundred Pounds to each acre and You will be fine ?? |
|
| |
Pelletized Lime and Ag Lime
