Soil pH & Lime
Apply lime to increase soil pH. Optimum soil pH is critical for efficient uptake of fertilizers.
Optimum soil pH for crops
| Beet, beans, peas and oilseeds | 7.0 |
| Cereals and Maize | 6.5 |
| Grassland | 6.2-6.3 |
| Potatoes | 6.0 |
Sulphur (S)
A significant proportion of Irish soils will show a response to applied sulphur (S)
There is no reliable soil test for S, but responses are most likely on light textured soils with low organic matter content.
The following rates of S are advised for crops grown on soils responsive to S:
| Grazed grass | 20 kg/ha per year |
| Grass Silage | 20 kg/ha per cut |
| Cereals | 15 kg/ha per year |
| Oilseed Rape | 25 kg/ha per year |
Magnesium (Mg)
Mg application to tillage crops is only advised on soils with < 50 mg/L of soil test Mg (Index 1 and 2).
On such soils, using magnesium limestone when applying lime will supply sufficient magnesium to the crop.
Where there is no lime requirement, Mg should be supplied with Mg-containing fertilizers once every 3–4 years as per table below.
Foliar Mg products can also be used to help to prevent and alleviate Mg deficiency in growing crops.
Mg recommendations (kg/ha) – Tillage crops
| Soil Mg (mg/L) | Index 1 | Index 2 |
| 0-25 | 26-50 | |
| Cereals, Maize, Oilseed Rape | 60-75 | 30 |
| Beet | 100 | 50 |
| Potatoes | 90 | 45 |
