Granular Liming Developments

Mark Tripney

ALA Conference

21st November 2012

Liming

Liming is the application of Calcium & Magnesium rich materials to soils in various

forms.

Liming benefits soil by neutralising acidity, improving texture and increasing the activity of

soil microorganisms'.

Ideal Soil Structure

Air, 25

,Organic Matter

5

Water, 25

Minerals, 45

What the soil & plants need

Fertiliser Efficiency

Soil acidity

Nitrogen

Phosphate

Potash

% Fertilser

wasted

Extremely acid 4.5 pH

30%

23%

33%

71.34%

Very strong acid 5.0 pH

53%

34%

52%

53.67%

Strongly acid 5.5 pH

77%

48%

77%

32.69%

Medium acid 6.0 pH

89%

52%

100%

19.67%

Neutral 7.0 pH

100%

100%

100%

00.0%

Calcifert Products

Fields Trial Aug 2010 to Aug 2012

• Sandy Loam soils in Nottinghamshire

• Used on 3 fields

• Oilseed Rape

• Spread on 24 meter tramlines

• Spread with farm spreader

• Rate 250 kg / ha of Calcifert

• pH regularly measured

Field Trial

Spread Calibration

Products spread checked regularly by

COV of 3.6% at 36 m

Calcifert Club Root Trial

Broadcast 500 kg/ha

Placement application

250 kg/ha

Crop Revival

Root Development

Precision - Soil Mapping

Soil Mapping pH

2011 Range 5.5 - 6.2 Average 5.85

2012 Range 5.6 - 6.7 Average 6.2

Access - Llyn Peninsula

5.6 6.4 420kg/ha

4.8 6.2 600kg/ha

5.7 6.2 275 kg/ha

Increase Grass Yields

Rapid regrowth

Less fertiliser

Calcium Sulphate

• Field Trials

– Grassland

– Cereals

– Oilseed Rape

– Vegetables field & glasshouses

– Apples

Compacted Soils

Soil Conditioning

Harvest 2011

Harvest 2012

N:S Ratios from Trials

• Winter Barley Shropshire

19.4:1 (control) 11.0:4 (160kg/ha)

• Winter Wheat Scotland

13.0:1 (control) 9.0:1 (200kg/ha)

• Spring Barley Scotland

18.0:1 (control) 11.5:1 (125kg/ha)

• Grassland 1st Cut Cheshire

19.5:1 (control) 10.5:1 ( 90kg/ha)

• Grassland 2nd Cut Cheshire

15.4:1 (control) 11.0:1 (200kg/ha before 1st Cut)

• Effective & rapid Increase in pH for todays crop

• Optimise Fertiliser Efficiency

• 100% of product available to the soil

• Precision Farming-Spot & Variable Rate Application

• Low application rates

• Little & often Maintenance

• Spreading –minimal if any weather affect

Granulated Lime Application Benefits

Part of a complete liming service

• Spread up to 36M with conventional spreaders

• Band & placement options

• Apply to growing crops does not stick to the leaf

• 600 kg Bags for easy storage & handling

• Very low levels of dust when spreading near houses & roads

• Spread small areas & paddocks

Are farmers in trouble this season?

Mark@calcifert.co.uk