Western Australia soil acidity research and development update 1998 : time to lime

Recent yield responses by canola where lime has been applied to acidic soils are very encouraging. Two sites have shown that the yield increase in canola after lime was applied in the previous year would have easily paid for the total cost of purchase, transport and application of the lime. This work was carried out to demonstrate the increased options that are likely to be available once producers are treating or managing soil acidity. Canola is becoming increasingly important as a cash value crop and a break crop allowing wider rotations. Growers are pushing the limits of canola’s tolerance to low soil pH as production packages become more refined. Canola is more sensitive to low pH than crops such as lupins and wheat. However, reasonable crops of 1.0 to 1.2 t/ha are being grown on soil with very low pH (e.g. 4.3 in 0–10 cm and 3.9 in the 10–20 cm, measured in calcium chloride).https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1179/thumbnail.jp