Sources of lime in the South-West

Authors

I M V Brown

Keywords

Liming materials, Western Australia

Disciplines

Geology | Soil Science

First Page Number

146

Last Page Number

147

ISSN

0021-8618

Abstract

Many Western Australian farmers topdress or incorporate lime into their acid soils to neutralise them and to improve crop or pasture yields. Most use pulverised limestone or limesand which is cheap and relatively easy tospread.

Agricultural lime isdefined as "any fertiliser used principally for the purpose of reducing soil acidity and having calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate, or both, as its main ingredients".

Less extensive sources of liming material are found in scattered inland areas where deposits of calcrete have been formed by the weathering of calcium-rich rock and also in association with internal drainage systems.

Magnesite, generally formed by the weathering of ultrabasic rock (an igneous rock relatively poor in silica and rich in iron and magnesium minerals), also forms a potential source of agricultural lime.

Recommended Citation

Brown, I M V (1984) "Sources of lime in the South-West," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 25: No. 4, Article 12.
Available at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol25/iss4/12