soil test results

[jpd]

1 field needs 12.5 tons of lime/ha
is this possible?
field was in grass
used for hay for last 5-8 yrs but not pushed(2-3 bags compound ac)
no after grass grazed
limed as per results 10 years ago
ploughed out of grass with 2nd s barley this autumn
cover crop went into stubble both years
and first 1 ploughed in
there were 2 samples and both about the same
all other field samples were as anticipated
5 t/ac appears an awful lot

 

[Brisel]

What is the pH?

 

[jpd]

5.2

 

[Ugo79]

Soil texture and cropping will influence the amount of lime in the recommendation, but roughly speaking 12.5 tonnes/ha is consistent with RB209 lime recommendations for an arable situation on most soil types with a soil pH of 5.2.

Assuming you aren't on peaty soil the target soil pH is 6.7 for continuous arable cropping and 6.2 for grass. So the recommendation you have received is presumably trying to lift your soil pH to 6.7 now you are growing barley?

I wouldn't put 12.5 tonnes/ha on in one hit.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

That's a fair whack of lime.
As above ^^^^ I would look at maybe 2 ton/ac / 5 tonne/ha per year for a couple of years and re-test - remember your soil microbial community has to readjust, just as it does in a ruminant when you change its diet.

 

[jpd]

soil i describe as mineral sandy soil
on broken ground i would never apply more than 2 tons an application.
greater introduces take all probs with barley

 

[phil]

I’d start with 3t acre and follow up year 3 with 2T
If growing barley I wouldconsider gran lime in crop

 

[Cab-over Pete]

2.5-3t per acre Max.

Retest in a years time. Some areas may need more, some may be better.

Use ONLY best quality ground lime, not screened lime.

 

[jpd]

how could i tell the difference?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Tell your supplier that’s what you want and when the first load comes ask the driver for the weight ticket from the quarry. It should tell you what it is. If it doesn’t tell you, ask questions.

I respectable supplier will get you the right stuff.

 

[Iben]

2t/ac on the stubble then plough it in, then 3t/ac on top of the ploughing and mix in 3-4" with cultivator before sowing?

How big is the area? Was sampling from just a few spots in the field, would gps sampling and variable rate application be an option?

 

[jpd]

if i get 3 tons after the cover crop is removed
plough and put in oats?
how would that go?

 

[An Gof]

Be fine for oats

 

[An Gof]

1 field needs 12.5 tons of lime/ha
is this possible?
field was in grass
used for hay for last 5-8 yrs but not pushed(2-3 bags compound ac)
no after grass grazed
limed as per results 10 years ago
ploughed out of grass with 2nd s barley this autumn
cover crop went into stubble both years
and first 1 ploughed in
there were 2 samples and both about the same
all other field samples were as anticipated
5 t/ac appears an awful lot

Did you have a successful field of spring barley this year? If so it seems strange it would need 5t/acre now. Are there brassicas in the cover crop and are they growing 0k?

Put 1t/acre on before ploughing and plough in. Then put another 2 tonne/acre on top and work in before drilling. Test again on the autumn before next crop.
As your next crop is oats it is more important to start building pH up for the next crop.
If the plan is to return the field to a grass ley in next two years you won’t need to lime to 6.5 if you don’t want to.

 

[2wheels]

think you need to leave at least a year between liming and retesting.

 

[Yale]

2.5-3t per acre Max.

Retest in a years time. Some areas may need more, some may be better.

Use ONLY best quality ground lime, not screened lime.

Unless the screened is really cheap and you have your own spreader.

 

[jpd]

s barley was the same as all the rest this year ie bad-no rain in may and a long v hot dry spell in which all spring crops struggled.
my plan was to graze or plough in the present cover crop,lime in the spring with 3 tons per ac,,then sow another cover crop in july /august,leaving it fallow for a couple of months,then the brain wave of oats hit me-it will tolerate a low ph soil

 

[ollie989898]

Put 2 tonne on now and plough it in then another 2 tonne on top. Retest in 12 months or so after last application.

The localised improvement in pH will make a crop possible this year just be on the look out for transient micronutrient issues.
Ive grown wheat on land that was below the minimum pH and it did well for the kind of land it was.

 

[Chae1]

Ph can go too low for oats, we rent some land that's destined for houses and oats won't grow on it now.

@2t/acre x 2 your looking at £68/acre for lime and spreading based on prices up here.

 

[Dave6170]

Ph can go too low for oats, we rent some land that's destined for houses and oats won't grow on it now.

@2t/acre x 2 your looking at £68/acre for lime and spreading based on prices up here.

We are £30/t here. Spreading £6/t on top of that