Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

In Eastern Idaho, farmers are facing increasingly acidic soils that are hurting their yields. Their solution has been to apply precipitated calcium carbonate, also known as lime, a byproduct from local sugar beet processing facilities. By adding this lime to their fields, they are rebalancing soil fertility and pH, allowing them to restore proper yields. Unfortunately, no research has identified the most effective application rate or how often lime should be reapplied in this region. As a result, farmers may be wasting money by over-applying lime out of fear that using too little won’t allow their crops to grow properly.

Working closely with farmers, Dr. Jared Spackman with the University of Idaho Extension applied for a Western SARE Professional + Producer grant to help answer these questions.