Limestone Particle Size and Liming Scheduling Influence Soil Properties and Pasture Production

Abstract

Liming is a common practice in Galician (NW Spain) soils devoted to pasture production. Although many studies have established the right liming rates, there is a lack of information concerning the ideal particle size for optimal agronomic results. This study aims to evaluate the effects of particle size (2Y4, 0.5Y2, 0.25Y0.5, G0.25 mm) of magnesium limestone as well as the application schedule (in a single application or split in 3 yearly applications) on the proprieties of an acid soil in Galicia and on the yield and quality of pasture growing on the soil during the 2 years after liming.The soil proprieties were monitored seasonally, and the pasture yield and nutritional contents were determined in summer and autumn. The soil analysis showed that the plots treated with a single application of the finest limestone exhibited the highest pH (pH water 5.05Y5.53), and the lowest exchangeable Al (G10% Al saturation throughout the period of study), the highest concentrations of exchangeable Ca (8.40Y10.18 cmol (+) kg j1 ) and Mg (1.39Y1.71 cmol (+) kg j1 ) and the highest effective cation exchange capacity (11.2Y13.7 cmol (+) kg j1 ). In contrast, plots treated with the coarsest limestone had values similar to control plots.The highest production of total dry matter and, especially, the highest yield of sown species were found in the plots receiving the finest limestone (0.75Y1.10 t ha j1 dry matter in summer harvest versus 0.30Y0.75 t ha j1 in control plots). Available P, exchangeable cations (K and Ca), and pH explain a high percentage of the variance of these parameters. The Mg concentrations and the total contents of Ca and Mg in plant tissues were significantly higher in the plots treated with the finest limestone.

Different limestone particle sizes for soil acidity correction, Ca and Mg supply and corn yield

“…Limestones with higher granulometries resulted in similar corn yield when compared to the use of limestone with lower granulometry in the second crop year, when applied proportional to its reactivity. Similar results for pasture was observed by Alvarez et al (2010), when the larger limestone granulometry increased the yield when compared to the use of lower particle sized limestone.…”

“…However, there was no difference between the limestone fractions used to raise the Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ contents in the soil (Table 6 and 7). Higher granulometry uses resembled the use of finer magnesium limestone particles for Ca2 + and Mg2 + contents in pasture soil (Alvarez et al, 2010). Similar result was provided by the use of limestone fractions of 2.00 mm to 0.30 mm.…”

Performance assessment of nanoparticulate lime to accelerate the downward movement of calcium in acid soil

“…There was no variation among NL doses in increasing pH and Ca 2+ in the leachate (Table ). However, the significant increase of pH and Ca 2+ in the top 10 cm of soil supports our hypothesis that NL has high solubility, probably because of the large surface area of the particles, which improves the dissolution and release of Ca 2+ and alkaline anions (OH – or CO 3 2– ) over an extended period (Álvarez et al., ; Nascente & Cobucci, ; Reddy & Subramanian, , , ). Leaching of the soil displaced excess alkalinity and Ca 2+ , thus relatively increased pH and Ca 2+ in the leachate (Table ).…”

“…Farmers in the humid tropics rarely lime their fields, on account of the high cost and the slow effect. As the particle size of liming materials is critical in increasing their reactivity with the soil, finer particles will dissolve faster, leading to better incorporation and faster downward movement, but at greater expense (Pagani & Mallarino, 2012;Álvarez, Viadé, Fernández-Marcos, & Hernández-Nistal, 2010;Viadé, Fernández-Marcos, Hernández-Nistal, & Álvarez 2011). However, nanotechnology is now being used to make CL more effective at quickly mitigating soil acidity at optimized application rates (Reddy & Subramanian, 2015, 2016.…”

Root Growth, Nutrition and Yield of Maize with Applied Different Limestone Particle Size in the Cerrado Soil

“…In that year, the maize had bigger CREM using limestone to a particle size of 2.00 mm to 0.82 mm ( Table 3). The residual effect of limestone in larger than 0.30 mm was also observed by [7,12,13].…”