How is soil acidity corrected?
Soil acidity can be corrected easily by liming the soil, or adding basic materials to neutralize the acid present. The most commonly used liming material is agricultural limestone, the most economical and relatively easy to manage source. The limestone is not very water-soluble, making it easy to handle. Lime or calcium carbonate’s reaction with an acidic soil is described in figure 1, which shows acidity (H) on the surface of the soil particles. As lime dissolves in the soil, calcium (Ca) moves to the surface of soil particles, replacing the acidity. The acidity reacts with the carbonate (CO3) to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The result is a soil that is less acidic (has a higher pH). How much lime is needed? Although harvested crops remove copious limelike elements each year, the soil pH does not change much from year to year, meaning the soil is buffered, or resistant to change. The most important source of buffering in an acidic soil is the exchange of the limelike ele
