The Importance of Lime on Your Beef Farm

Soil pH plays a key role in soil fertility and it is also critical for maximising the availability of nutrients (N, P & K) applied in organic and chemical fertilisers. On this episode of the Beef Edge Podcast, Shane Devaney Teagasc Business & Technology Drystock Advisor joins Catherine Egan to discuss the importance of lime on beef farms and a campaign he organised in 2018 in Co. Longford ‘Time 2 Lime’. Shane highlights the fact that lime is continually being lost from the soil and needs to be replaced as part of a nutrient management programme. During the ‘Time 2 Lime’ campaign the aim was getting farmers to apply two tonnes of lime per acre on part or all of their farm. As a result of the campaign, there was 5,340 tonnes of lime applied on the farms over the 3 years which was nearly three times as much lime applied in 2018 versus 2017 and 2016. Feedback was very positive with the general quote that ‘the land that got the lime greened up very quickly’.  Shane advises that now and over the coming months is the ideal ‘Time 2 Lime’. For more on the campaign click here and for further advice on liming click here For more episodes and information covered on the Beef Edge, visit the show page at: teagasc.ie/thebeefedge