Soil sampling pH

Intensive pH sampling and variable rate lime map production to give you even productive cropping. The ideal start to a precision farming system.

Crops grow best at a suitable pH. Different crops have different optimum pH. Low pH often causes problems because toxic aluminium salts become soluable, and some pathogens can thrive. Higher pH can often lead to nutrient lock up and free lime can have an effect on quality. The main causes of pH variability are soil texture and previous liming technique. The later tends to be more noticable than the former. The United Kingdom is made up from many different types of parent soil material. The exact method employed to correct uneven pH will depend upon the natural acidity of the soils and the crops being grown on them. Liming is generally done on a rotational basis, and a fully thought out and planned sampling and application process should be considered as a high priority in any precision farming system.