Soil acidity

Soil acidity is a major constraint to farming in Western Australia. Extensive surveys of soil pH profiles across the south-west show that more than 70% of surface soils and almost half of subsurface soils are below appropriate pH levels. The majority of growers now place soil acidity in their top three management priorities. Managing soil acidity is both achievable and profitable.

The department supports landholders in reducing the impact of soil acidity by providing technical information on diagnosis and management options and is currently researching innovative approaches to managing subsoil acidity in collaboration with the University of Western Australia and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

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Articles

  • Photograph of spreading lime on pasture

    Carbon farming: liming and carbon sequestration

    18 October 2013

    Acid soils cause significant losses in production and biomass, which restricts the ability to sequester carbon.

  • Soil health

    21 November 2022

    Healthy soils support the exchange of energy and nutrients, which sustains plant and animal life as well as the production and decomposition of organic matter.

  • iLime tips and tricks

    29 September 2020

    These pages have been produced as an online user manual for iLime, outlining specific features of the app and how to use them.

  • Spreading lime onto spring pasture at South Bodallin.

    Applying lime

    27 November 2013

    If you are deep-ripping, ploughing or spading to remove subsurface compaction or another constraint, it is a good idea to incorporate lime in the same operation.

  • Field day with growers discussing benefits of managing soil acidity at Holt Rock

    Benefits of maintaining an appropriate pH profile

    27 November 2013

    Liming to recover an acidic soil to an appropriate pH can result in significant production benefits, however a response to liming indicates that previous production has been lost due to an acidic t

  • Modified deep-ripper used to inject lime at depth

    Complementary strategies to liming

    27 November 2013

    The rate of soil acidification due to agriculture can be reduced but not eliminated. Liming will always be needed to prevent the soil from becoming too acidic.

  • Combine harvester operating in a cereal crop

    Causes of soil acidity

    3 December 2013

    Soil acidification occurs naturally very slowly as soil is weathered, but this process is accelerated by productive agriculture.

  • pH changes in a soil profile illustrated by universal pH indicator

    Soil pH

    3 December 2013

    A small decrease in soil pH represents a large increase in soil acidity.

  • Limestone mine near Myalup.

    Lime sources

    3 December 2013

    Agricultural lime is any product that is used to increase the pH of soil. In Western Australia, the three main sources are limesand, limestone and dolomitic lime.

  • Poor nodulation and lower biomass production in sub-clover plants that failed to effectively nodulate due to soil acidity.

    Effects of soil acidity

    3 December 2013

    Aluminium toxicity in the subsurface is the major problem associated with soil acidity in Western Australia.

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