The influence of liming on the increase in the profitability of rapeseed cultivation

Liming is a primary agronomic practice contributing to the improvement of soil conditions, such as maintaining a granular soil structure, aerating, increasing soil pH, and increasing the availability of nutrients, which significantly affects yield increases and the profitability of crop production (Fig. 1). Rapeseed is particularly sensitive to acidic soil. It has been shown that at soil pH below 5.7, even very high mineral fertilization will not meet rapeseed’s nutritional needs because the applied nutrients will become ineffective.

Proper liming of rapeseed grown on soils with improper pH leads to a 15% increase in seed yield (Deja and Remarczyk, 2018; Pietr and Krysztoforski, 2022). Furthermore, in the case of rapeseed cultivation on acidic soils with low magnesium content, it has been shown that the use of magnesium lime further increases seed yield by at least 10-15% (Deja and Remarczyk, 2018). It is estimated that the post-application of 1 t∙ha^-1 of granular lime Polcalc III Generation will improve soil pH and increase rapeseed seed yield by 0.48 t∙ha^-1 compared to the control, resulting in an additional amount of 874 zł∙ha^-1 (purchase price on August 17, 2023).

The results presented unequivocally indicate that the application of 1 t∙ha^-1 of granular lime Polcalc III Generation allows for more efficient utilization of macronutrients from mineral fertilizers NPK, with the current purchase cost being 2800 zł∙ha^-1 for an expected seed yield of 4.0 t∙ha^-1. The application of granular lime Polcalc III Generation under rapeseed will also have a positive effect on the yield of the succeeding crop (Fig. 2). However, in the case of acidic soils deficient in magnesium, it is recommended to apply granular magnesium lime such as SuperMag, which contains 8% MgO in a form readily available to plants. It is estimated that after the application of 1 t∙ha^-1 of this fertilizer, the increase in rapeseed seed yield will be 0.95 t∙ha^-1, which at the purchase price of rapeseed seeds on August 17, 2023, would yield 1730 zł∙ha^-1 (Fig. 3). The appropriate soil pH (at least pH 6.0 for medium soils and pH 7.1 for heavy soils) allows the plant to develop a strong root system, providing greater winter hardiness and resistance to drought and diseases. A well-developed root system of rapeseed ensures its adequate supply of water and essential mineral nutrients, resulting in a significant increase in seed yield.

Granular lime Polcalc III Generation and SuperMag are available from our distributors throughout Poland. For information on the nearest distributor, please contact us by phone at 880-880-801 or use the search engine on our website.