Calcifert

[Clive]

http://www.calcifert.com/

Been recommended this today by someone who knows his stuff

Have always discounted granulated lime as it looks expensive but looking at the application charts it seems you need a lot less to get the same effect due to availability

I like the idea of being in control of lime applications ourselves, logistically lime on stubbles is a nightmare, trucks tipping in field gateways that then need cultivation to sort and getting contractors here in good time in small windows like between wheat and osr plus narrow spread widths meaning lots of wheelings - this year it was just not possible with the wet conditions and fast turn around of ground, osr drill following the combine out of fields etc !

This stuff can be done by us up the tramlines giving us a much bigger window to apply - much better if its is any good and cost effective

Anyone used it ? What on you reckon ? I know it's not popular on BFF when mentioned but let's face it lime contractors are never going to recommend a product you no longer need their services for are they.

 

[RBM]

Used some last year and works well. Used the various rate maps to spot apply, but we had a corner of a field that dropped to ph4.5 and hadn't grown anything for a couple of years. This year it has established and grown, so it has certainly worked for us and be in control of when it is applied.

 

[Clive]

Used some last year and works well. Used the various rate maps to spot apply, but we had a corner of a field that dropped to ph4.5 and hadn't grown anything for a couple of years. This year it has established and grown, so it has certainly worked for us and be in control of when it is applied.

What kind of price / t is it ?

 

[Feldspar]

Kinsey seminar will be very useful for this type of decision. He'll say that the decision to lime should not just be basd upon pH. pH is after all the concentration of H+ ions and not Ca2+ ions - for that you need pCa. If you're thinking of spending a good deal of money and can hold off on the order until after the seminar I would.

What type and depth of soil tests have you done on the fields you intend to fertilise? Why are you wanting to apply this product? If it is just to comabt soil acidity then I would definitely wait until after the seminar. Also if this is your goal then I'm curious to know why you concluded that MAP is right for you. If your soils are acidic the acidifying effect of MAP is not useful. On our farm we have water pHs of 8 and so MAP is useful.

All fun stuff.

 

[Clive]

Kinsey seminar will be very useful for this type of decision. He'll say that the decision to lime should not just be basd upon pH. pH is after all the concentration of H+ ions and not Ca2+ ions - for that you need pCa. If you're thinking of spending a good deal of money and can hold off on the order until after the seminar I would.

What type and depth of soil tests have you done on the fields you intend to fertilise? Why are you wanting to apply this product? If it is just to comabt soil acidity then I would definitely wait until after the seminar. Also if this is your goal then I'm curious to know why you concluded that MAP is right for you. If your soils are acidic the acidifying effect of MAP is not useful. On our farm we have water pHs of 8 and so MAP is useful.

All fun stuff.

Not considering it for ph reasons really more wanting to feed Ca to the plant

This is why I think it might be a better product than ground lime as its more available

Only soil testing top 3" - 4" as that's where we are growing the crops, the way I see it is soil below that depth is just the water store

 

[Feldspar]

Kinsey seminar will be very useful for this type of decision. He'll say that the decision to lime should not just be basd upon pH. pH is after all the concentration of H+ ions and not Ca2+ ions - for that you need pCa. If you're thinking of spending a good deal of money and can hold off on the order until after the seminar I would.

What type and depth of soil tests have you done on the fields you intend to fertilise? Why are you wanting to apply this product? If it is just to comabt soil acidity then I would definitely wait until after the seminar. Also if this is your goal then I'm curious to know why you concluded that MAP is right for you. If your soils are acidic the acidifying effect of MAP is not useful. On our farm we have water pHs of 8 and so MAP is useful.

All fun stuff.

Not considering it for ph reasons really more wanting to feed Ca to the plant

This is why I think it might be a better product than ground lime as its more available

Only soil testing top 3" - 4" as that's where we are growing the crops, the way I see it is soil below that depth is just the water store

Sounds very sensible.

 

[Clive]

Think I will hold off any spending however until I have heard what Kinsey has to say !

Have a feeling it might change my ideas and views on many of these things !

 

[Simon C]

My land needs a bit of gypsum, half a ton an acre, just to free up the surface where the drill works. I spoke to the guy at Lamma about Calcifert S, twice as much Calcium and two and a half times as much SO3 compared to plasterboard waste. Also all available straight away, rather than over years, like gypsum.

Self spreading any time of year must be better.

But 180/ton. I'm waiting for quote for plasterboard delivered in, So will wait to see how they compare.

Kinsey will enlighten you all. Had a day with him15 years ago, Albrecht tests ever since, got the biology working, no P or K or lime. Before,we used to lime every few years, but it doesn't' acidify any more. pHs always 7.

 

[Clive]

My land needs a bit of gypsum, half a ton an acre, just to free up the surface where the drill works. I spoke to the guy at Lamma about Calcifert S, twice as much Calcium and two and a half times as much SO3 compared to plasterboard waste. Also all available straight away, rather than over years, like gypsum.

Self spreading any time of year must be better.

But 180/ton. I'm waiting for quote for plasterboard delivered in, So will wait to see how they compare.

Kinsey will enlighten you all. Had a day with him15 years ago, Albrecht tests ever since, got the biology working, no P or K or lime. Before,we used to lime every few years, but it doesn't' acidify any more. pHs always 7.

Simon - where are you located ? It no use to me on our soils but I have an almost free source of plasterboard waste if your interested ? If your far away haulage kills it though

 

[Clive]

Just had a price of £100/ t

Reckon used alternate years at something like 125kgs per ha that doesn't work out too bad ??

 

[Simon C]

Thanks Clive, Essex Coast, Google Maps says 165 miles to Lichfield but no idea what haulage would be for that distance. Can't seem to get plasterboard waste round here any more, they must have found another use or else they are recycling it back into the board manufacturing. Needham Chalks say they can get it, bit don't say where from or how much yet.

 

[Jim Bullock]

We have gypsum recycling plant just eight miles away from us at Worcester
http://www.arrow-gypsum-recycling.co.uk and they are talking of £8/ton ex-plant (plus £1.35/ton transport to us ) which did not seem too bad...but I will have to hire a spreader or get a contractor in to spread it so the cost goes up a bit.
But Clive's advisor has suggested that some of the re-cycled material is not up to much and we would be better of using some of the Calcifert products as we are in a no-till situation. A little and often approach would be better for us..and we can be much more site specific..I am very tempted to try both..

 

[shakerator]

RE plasterboard gypsum

What are people's opinions on the potential impact of anti moulding agents (fungicides) which will inevitably remain in the product once applied to land?

 

[Simon C]

Had a quote for Calcifert S today, £153/tonne delivered. That's £30/ha at 200kg/ha for 110kgs of SO3 to give the equivalent of 1.25t/ha of gypsum. So Gypsum needs to be less than £24/tonne delivered and spread, Shaker may be right about the fungicides in it as well.

 

[sleepy]

Had a quote for Calcifert S today, £153/tonne delivered. That's £30/ha at 200kg/ha for 110kgs of SO3 to give the equivalent of 1.25t/ha of gypsum. So Gypsum needs to be less than £24/tonne delivered and spread, Shaker may be right about the fungicides in it as well.

That's very expensive when its £100 to my yard - I'm sure I could get it from here to you via the haulier that keeps his trucks in my yard for a lot less than £53/t !!

 

[Simon C]

That's very expensive when its £100 to my yard - I'm sure I could get it from here to you via the haulier that keeps his trucks in my yard for a lot less than £53/t !!

We are talking about different things, Calcifert S, £153/ton with 55 per cent SO3, I think your £100/ton is for Calcifert to use instead of lime.

 

[Clive]

That's very expensive when its £100 to my yard - I'm sure I could get it from here to you via the haulier that keeps his trucks in my yard for a lot less than £53/t !!

We are talking about different things, Calcifert S, £153/ton with 55 per cent SO3, I think your £100/ton is for Calcifert to use instead of lime.

Oh yes - I missed the S bit !

What are you quoted for gypsum delivered and spread ?

 

[Will]

To those lucky enough to get to the Kinsey seminar, what was Neil`s opinion of Calcifert?

Cheers

 

[Clive]

To those lucky enough to get to the Kinsey seminar, what was Neil`s opinion of Calcifert?

Cheers

There was a LOT said about lime particle size - a filter was passed around that was 100 mesh, it looked like a sprayer filter it was so fine and he said ground product should be that fine or better to be available

The calcifert products were bought up by the audience - the suggestion is these could go through a finer mesh still and as a result 90% plus available in year 1 - Neil said these products were fantastic in this respect

Bigger particles can take decades to become available and cause false results in subsequent soil tests when they grind samples down

However the question bought up by the audience (cab over Pete) was are these uk product really any better ? He things not and they are no finer

Would like to know the truth on all this - basically just how fine us calcifert ? If it is as fine as Neil says is useful then it will be a great product to use but if Pete is correct then it is snake oil !

 

[ridger]

I've rented some grazing ground for one year, soil tested and it's ph 5.3 not much point spending on it for someone else but will have to do something