Soil Responses to Liming Materials Three Years After Application to a Mississippi Silt Loam.

An applied study of locally available liming materials is being conducted at Crystl Springs, Mississippi.  Equal rates of ten liming materials were applied and tilled into the upper 15 cm of a Providence silt loam in April 2005. Materials applied included slags, dolomitic limes (both pelleted and non-pelleted), a hydrated lime, bulk and bagged products, all available to local farmers.  The plots have remained fallow and chemical weed control has been used to minimize root growth in the plots.  Pre-application and quarterly soil samples have been used to monitor soil pH and extractable nutrient concentrations over time.  At thirty-six months after application, soil pH levels in all plots  are higher than we anticpated.  All treated plots had signifcantly elevated mean pH values (7.2 to 8.0) compared to that of the untreated control plots  (6.75) in this four-replicate study. Lime source-related differences continue to be found in soil test values for phospohrus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and sodium levels.  There were no significant differences in soil organic matter content, potassium or sulfur test levels.