Producers have questioned the conventional advice to apply lime to change the pH of coastal soils. We look at one set of data on ryegrass pastures that shows the return on investment may indeed be modest.
An inventory of all the different kinds of soils in many Oregon counties is available. These inventories were made starting in the 1970’s by soil scientists of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service in ...
Brad Withrow-Robinson, Debra Zaveson |
Dec 2007 |
Article
Photo Credit: Alyson Yates (Cropped from original)
Q: I have heard about applying lime to my lawn and garden to improve my soil. Can I use the pictured product, and how would I apply it? There are no application directions.
Home gardeners love to grow tomatoes. But getting a tomato from seedling to fruit can be challenging, especially in Oregon where the weather isn't always cooperative. Here are five things that can ruin a home crop.
Poison oak plants contain a chemical that causes a severe rash. Learn how to spot a plant, safely remove, and clean your clothes, gear and skin afterward to prevent a rash.
Silage-making has been used to reduce the concentrations of toxins in a variety of crops. But in the case of poison hemlock, the opposite is true — making silage out of it actually increases one of its toxic alkaloids.
Tansy ragwort, an invasive weed that can harm certain types of livestock, is making a comeback in western Oregon. Find out how to control it and protect your animals.
Shelby Filley, Andy Hulting, Gene Pirelli, Eric Coombs |
Aug 2011 |
Article
This collection of links and publications are compiled information about managing nutrient levels in your pasture. This includes soil testing and assessment, application of fertilizers and minerals, and nutrient cycling in a forage pasture.
The Oregon State University Soil Fertility Program has completed a formal evaluation of the Sikora buffer to replace the SMP buffer for estimating lime requirement in Oregon. Twenty-four acidic soils from Oregon were tested for actual lime requirement using a lab incubation of lime and soils. The actual amount of lime needed to reach pH targets of 5.6, 6.0, and 6.4 was highly correlated to the SMP buffer (r2 = 0.91-0.93) and the Sikora buffer pH (r2 = 0.91-0.93). These correlations are the basis for new updated lime recommendations for both Sikora and SMP buffer pH methods (Table 1) and will be used to update OSU extension guides containing lime recommendations. The new SMP recommendations are included for the time being for the remaining labs still using the SMP method, but may be phased out over time as more labs switch to Sikora. We thank the Oregon Tall Fescue Commission for providing the necessary support to complete this project.