As a newbie farmer, you will soon learn that years of cultivating farmland take a toll on the soil's alkalinity levels. It can be attributed to pesticides and fertilisers, all of which increase the soil's pH levels. Luckily, soil pH can be adjusted to optimal levels by applying agricultural lime. However, effective application of aglime requires a little bit of knowledge about the product, which can be acquired by asking a supplier the right questions. Here are vital questions every novice farmer must pose to an aglime supplier.
Which Is Affordable Between Dry Aglime and Liquid Lime?
Agricultural lime costs money, and the quantity you require depends on various factors, such as the size of your farmland and soil neutralisation needs. Notably, commercial farmers need to choose a cost-effective aglime product to control overheads. Determining the cost-effectiveness of dry and liquid lime requires you to compare two things: neutralising power per unit weight and cost per unit weight. It can be complicated for the average farmer to do a comparative analysis, and only a supplier (aglime expert) can help you choose the most cost-effective product based on your unique needs.
How Much Lime Is Needed?
As much as agricultural lime is supposed to improve soil quality for increased yield, too much of it can be counterproductive. The reason is that a little bit of acidity in agricultural soil is necessary for some crops to thrive. It means that you must find the sweet spot regarding the amount of aglime your land needs. While various factors determine the amount of aglime your farmland requires, the soil's buffer pH is arguably the most important one. Buffer pH refers to soil's acidity level and the amount of time it takes to correct the pH. For instance, soil with low buffering activity requires less agricultural lime and takes a short time to fix the pH and vice-versa. Therefore, your supplier or consultant must first determine your land's buffer pH to calculate the amount of lime necessary to correct activity and reserve acidity.
Should Lime Be Applied Deep or On the Surface?
Whether you are using liquid lime or dry aglime, you achieve the best results by tilling it into the soil to a specific depth. Although liquid lime naturally sinks into the soil, it only reaches so far. If you leave it on the surface, the high acidity levels deep in the soil might not be corrected. Thus, crops whose roots grow deep produce poor yields because they are exposed to high acidity levels in the soil. Therefore, consult an aglime supplier regarding the optimal depth of applying their product for the best results. Contact an aglime supplier for more information.
Share3 August 2021
Hello, my name is Darren and I live in a small rural community near Alice Springs, Australia. Although I now look like a farmer, this wasn't always the case. I grew up in a big city and spent the first 10 years of my adult life working in an insurance office. However, one day, I realised that I had had enough of that life. I sold my apartment and moved out here to stay with my uncle. He has been a farmer all his life and he took me under his wing. I learnt how to look after the land and how to repair agricultural machinery. I hope you enjoy my blog.
