Lime can be lost due to the removal of crops from paddocks (e.g. it is estimated that 5 kg of lime is
lost for each tonne of grass taken from a paddock) and the application of acidifying fertilisers
(see table below).
The requirements for lime due to these two issues is not a simple topic, and rates of loss, and hence
replacement requirements, depends on many factors. Soil type, farm type, farming intensity, crop type, crop growth rates, rainfall, nitrogen volatilization all play a part in determining the amount of lime
required to maintain soil pH in the recommended range (5.8 to 6.2).
It is a basic fact though that the greater the farming intensity the more lime that will be required.
The table below is a guide to the lime replacement required due to the application of nitrogenous
fertilisers.
However, lime replacement and soil pH are best determined by soil testing every two to three years. |
