Determining The Need For Agricultural Lime
The primary reason to apply agricultural lime is to correct the high levels of acidity in the soil. Acid soils reduce plant growth by inhibiting the intake of major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Some plants, particularly legumes, will not grow in highly acidic soils.
Soils become acidic in a number of ways. Locations that have high rainfall levels become acidic through leaching. Land used for crop and livestock purposes lose minerals over time by crop removal and become acidic. For example when a 600 pound calf is removed from a pasture, 100 pounds of bone is also removed, which is 60% calcium compounds. The application of modem chemical fertilizers is a major contributor to soil acid by the process in which the plant nutrients react in the soil.
Aglime, which is high in calcium, can also be beneficial to soils where the land is used for breeding and raising foraging animals. Bone growth is key to a young animal's development and bones are composed primarily of calcium and phosphorus. Young mammals get their needed calcium through milk, which has calcium as one of its major components. Dairymen frequently apply aglime because it increases milk production.
The best way to determine if a soil is acid or deficient in calcium or magnesium is with a soil test which can be provided by a university with an agricultural education department for under $30.00, if you live in the United States. Farmers typically become interested in soil testing when they notice a decrease in crop response to applied fertilizer.
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