Yield responses of arable crops to liming – An evaluation of relationships between yields and soil pH from a long-term liming experiment

Summary

This long-term liming experiment examined how soil pH influences arable crop yields and identified critical pH thresholds for economically optimal production. The study found that phosphate fertiliser application can reduce the critical soil pH required for adequate yields, suggesting an interaction between soil acidity management and nutrient supply in determining crop performance.

UK applicability

Findings are directly applicable to UK arable practice, as the experiment was conducted under UK conditions. The results inform liming recommendations and fertiliser strategies for managing acidic soils in British cereal and arable cropping systems.

Key measures

Crop yield responses; soil pH; critical pH values; effect of fertiliser phosphorus on pH-yield relationships

Outcomes reported

The study evaluated relationships between soil pH, liming treatments, and crop yields across selected arable crops in a long-term field experiment. The research quantified critical pH thresholds for yield responses and assessed how phosphate fertiliser application modifies these thresholds.

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