Although the period for the application of both chemical and organic fertilisers is now closed, farmers can continue to apply ground limestone all year round. Winter is an ideal opportunity for lime application. Periods of hard frost are perfect for liming as the ground can cope with heavy machinery. For example, over one-third of all [...]
There was a full house in Portlaoise on September 4th when Grolime members participated in a lime technical training seminar, which was delivered by Teagasc experts Mark Plunkett and Dr David Wall. The topics discussed at the seminar included lectures on national soil fertility levels, the return on investment from lime, soil testing, the soil [...]
Irish soils have a natural requirement for lime to control soil acidity, due to our high levels of rainfall. Lime will neutralise this acidity and restore a more favourable soil pH for crop growth, nutrient release and soil quality. Over 1 million tonnes of ground limestone were spread on Irish farms in 2018, an increase [...]
Soil pH has a major influence on the availability of nutrients in the soil which promote crop production. In 2016, two thirds of all Irish soils tested had suboptimal pH levels. According to Teagasc, in some counties this figure was as high as 80%. When lime is added to soil, it increases the soil's pH, [...]
2018 saw over 1 million tonnes of ground limestone spread on Irish farms, an increase of 38% on 2017 levels. While weather conditions obviously played their part in this increase, it is clear that Irish famers, acting on strong advice from Teagasc, are increasingly utilising the benefits of lime to unlock soil fertility on their [...]
When planning the farm’s annual fertiliser programme, it is essential to factor in the land’s lime requirements. Correcting soil acidity is the first step in fertiliser planning and goes hand in hand with efficient management of fertiliser and manure applications. In order to put together a fertiliser plan, farmers should first soil sample the farm [...]
The Fertilizer Association of Ireland in association with Teagasc launched a Technical Bulletin booklet entitled “Soil pH and Lime” on the 19th October 2016. The booklet highlights the importance of adopting and putting in place a liming plan for grassland and tillage farms and presents the latest research findings on the agronomic and economic benefits [...]
In July 2016 Teagasc updated its publication - Advice on Liming. The leaflet highlights topics such as, the Benefits of Liming, the Importance of Soil pH for Grass Production and Return on Investment from Ground Limestone Usage. This leaflet also gives advice on the spreading of lime and how much lime to spread, when to do [...]
Farmers working off high derogation levels should soil test every year, according to the Head of Grassland Science in Teagasc Moorepark, Michael O’Donovan. “Without annual soil tests and reacting to them, you probably would be working in the dark. If you are working off high derogation levels, you should be testing your soils every year,” [...]
In February 2016, Teagasc produced and launched a new YouTube video on the benefits of lime for soil pH and soil fertility in Irish soils. The video features an interview with Mark Plunkett, Soil Nutrition Specialist with Teagasc. In the interview, Mark addresses the importance of soil pH, the need to control soil acidity, the [...]