INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS PRECIPITATED CALCIUM CARBONATE (PCC) 'SPENT LIME' RATES ON SUGARBEET PRODUCTION, ROTATIONAL CROPS AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS.

摘要

The quality of lime is defined as its effective neutralizing power (ENP). This value can be calculated for any liming material by using the efficiency factors and the calcium carbonate equivalents (CCE) for the lime in question. The rate of reaction is affected by particle size. The finer the lime, the faster it will neutralize soil acidity. Lime too coarsely ground will be very slow in raising the soil pH. Lime particle size is based on the percentage of materials that pass through 8, 20, 60, and 100 mesh screens. The higher the CCE, the more neutralizing ability the lime has, therefore, helping maintain the optimum nutrient availability to plants. Liming also enhances nitrogen fixation and improves soil structure and soil tilth.Precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) or "spent lime" is a valuable resource for the growers in Michigan. Historically, PCC has simply been stock piled on site at each of the four factories in Michigan. As a result, large piles of this material are present at each factory site. Today, on a typical year, Michigan Sugar Company produces 154,000 tons of lime with 220,000 tons being used by the growers, thus aiding in the reduction of Michigan Sugar Company's PCC surplus that has accumulated the past 100 years. In 2012, Michigan Sugar Company initiated a project to study the effects of PCC on sugarbeets, rotational crops, and soil fertility. Three trials were established each year during 2012, 2013 and 2014 for a total of nine trials. PCC was applied at rates of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 tons per acre in the fall and incorporated into the soil and sugarbeets were planted the following spring. Tissue samples were taken each year to track nutritional levels in the sugarbeets. Soils were also evaluated each year for pH levels and other parameters.