Limestone as a soil amendment increases crop yields by reducing soil acidity (increasing alkalinity), through the introduction of calcium carbonate into fields. 

 

Most vegetable, fruits, grains, and plants require a pH between 6 and 7 to grow healthy and thrive. However, the application of fertilizer, manure and the use of tilling all increase soil acidity, decreasing the pH value, and causing diminishing yields through time. 

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Much like adding baking soda to cola sterilizes the fizziness of the soft drink, limestone interacts with acidic minerals in the soil to neutralize soil acidity and increase the pH level towards the optimum near-neutral range.  Adding limestone helps plants and crops flourish, especially in the naturally acidic soils of the Peace Country. These methods were often referred to in older times as sweetening the soil, and the benefits of limestone have been recognized for decades. Decreasing the acidity of soil greatly increases the ability of crops to absorb nutrients, and soil neutralization can make soil less hospitable for pestilence like clubroot. 

 

The Peace Country of northeast B.C. and northwest Alberta is a uniquely challenging agricultural district, as its location at the boundary between the Plains and the muskeg and northern boreal forests have caused a naturally high acidity. This has been compounded by intensive agriculture, which has introduced acidifying fertilizer and manure to the soil in industrial quantities. 

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Good soil management practices needed to overcome these growing challenges include crop rotation, zero till and applying lime to neutralize the soil. These methods have all been proven to deliver significant increases in yield and productivity.  Limestone application in particular pulls more CO2 into the soil and accelerates and promotes the uptake of nutrients and the effectiveness of fertilizers. 

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Here at Renew Commodities Ltd. we think this is a big deal. Recognizing that lime is a grossly underused resource, we are working to solve the supply, logistical and agrology challenges that have hindered its use. 

The agrological benefits of soil enhancement via limestone application are generational - an application of lime can offset years of fertilizer and manure application, ensuring agriculture in the Prairies is sustainable for the next 100 years.

 

At the same time, these agrological benefits extend beyond the farmer and the consumer. Greater application of calcium carbonate into soils (via liming) can trap and store atmospheric carbon, in turn promoting plant growth, in a virtuous cycle of enhanced farm yields and cleaner air.

 

The solutions for sustainably feeding a hungry world are here in northeast B.C., and we are excited to be part of the moment.