41,000 farmers in the Republic of Ireland have applied for a grant to subsidise the cost of lime under the Irish Government’s new National Liming Programme.
The programme was introduced by the Republic’s Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine to incentivise the use of lime, which is a natural soil conditioner. Lime corrects soil acidity by neutralising the acids that are present in the soil, increasing nitrogen (N) uptake and soil microbial activity as well as unlocking soil phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).
Trials have also indicated that increasing soil pH to optimum levels leads to a significant reduction in Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions while simultaneously increasing grass and other crop yields.
The Irish subsidy of €16/tonne (£14/tonne) of lime for a minimum of 10 tonnes of ground limestone and a maximum of 200 tonnes is aimed at reducing Irish chemical fertiliser usage and improving the environmental and economic sustainability of the Irish sector.
Research recently published by Aberystwyth University and UK Environment Systems has suggested that the acidification of previously limed upland pastures in Wales may be an overlooked flood risk factor, as acidification reduces earthworm numbers, meaning less water can penetrate the soil.
Researchers examining Welsh land where lime had not been applied for periods of between two and 30 years, found there was a 6-fold reduction in water infiltration rates between high and low pH soils; a trend that correlated with reductions in earthworm abundance.
The Welsh Government has previously rejected calls by the FUW to introduce a similar scheme in Wales under the Rural Development Programme.