With 2024’s growing season just around the corner, farmers across Western Canada are gearing up to protect their crops against anticipated dry conditions and to ensure optimal yields come harvest time. Agricultural lime, better known as AG Lime, is a natural soil amendment that is known for its ability to improve crop yields, revitalize soil and promote healthy conditions in the long term. As one of the most trusted tools for farmers, Ag lime helps to neutralize soil acidity (which can become problematic during droughts) by raising pH levels, promoting better nutrient uptake, and preventing common issues like soil erosion and more.
At Norstar Agriculture, we’re proud to support Canadian farmers and offer access to agricultural expertise and a diverse inventory of soil boosters, including ag lime. Below, we’ll explore some of the core benefits of using lime to boost your crops. Read on to learn more.
Why Soil Acidity Matters
Soil acidity is a crucial determinant of crop vitality and productivity. Most crops tend to thrive best within a neutral pH spectrum of approximately 6.0-7.5. Drought-like conditions can lead to increased soil acidity, which decreases the availability of core nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Excess acidity also damages the microbiome of your soil, making it harder for earthworms and other healthy organisms and bacteria to survive while also increasing the solubility of harmful elements such as aluminium and manganese. In short, overly acidic soils are rarely conducive to healthy or sustainable crop production in the short and long term.
Ag Lime as a Precision Solution
Acid soil must be rebalanced to protect crops, and fortunately, Ag lime is a highly effective countermeasure that is easy to deploy. Lime works by releasing calcium and magnesium ions, which replace the hydrogen and aluminium ions responsible for acidity. In chemist terms, the following occurs:
CaCO3+ 2H+ – Ca2 + Ca2+CO2+H20
By neutralizing acidity, the soil’s pH rises and becomes more nutrient-dense while also reducing the solubility of harmful elements. The result is farmland ready to support plant vitality and grow efficiently.
Structural Enhancement of Soil
As mentioned above, Ag Lime doesn’t just tackle pH modulation; it significantly improves soil structure by promoting soil aggregation and facilitating water infiltration and aeration. Increased porosity allows roots to grow deeper within the soil and allows water to reach plants better to overcome environmental challenges like extreme heat and dryness. Softer, more porous soil is also less prone to erosion, meaning your crops are at a reduced risk of washing or being blown away.
Remediation of Nutrient Deficiencies
Much like its ability to target and remediate highly acidic soils, Ag lime is useful for managing a wide range of nutrient deficiencies. Dolomitic lime, for example, is often used to address magnesium deficiencies and high-calcium lime, like cement kiln dust (offered by Norstar), is ideal for calcium-starved fields where plants are struggling with poor cell wall fortification, blossom-end rot, and bitter pit.
Apply with Care
Ag lime is a powerful tool for farmers looking to revitalize their soil, but for optimal results, it’s crucial to be informed and judicious in your application. Overuse and application can lead to high pH levels, which cause their own set of issues, including elemental toxicities with boron and molybdenum. To avoid applying lime incorrectly, it’s best to partner with an experienced agronomist who is able to conduct soil testing to determine exactly what your soil needs and what ratio of each amender or fertilizer. Norstar is happy to help determine what works best for your soil and ensure you have the right information and products moving forward!
Revitalize Your Soil with Norstar Agriculture
With a challenging growing season on the horizon, the team at Norstar Agriculture knows that balancing your soil and reducing NO2 emissions is vital for more substantial yields. We offer Cement Kiln Dust (CKD) made from limestone that offers substantial benefits for your crops and soil longevity, as well as access to trained agronomists who can help examine your fields and outline potential factors that may be holding your production back.
Learn more by contacting our team today!
