Should I test the lime quality before use?

It is very important to test lime quality before application so you know if its suitable, and how much more is needed, depending on the quality.

If our soil test report calls for 1 ton of lime per hectare, it is assuming that you are using calcitic or dolomitic limestone which has a calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE) of about 90%. If you use another material that has a calcium carbonate equivalent of only 45, then it has only half of the soil acid neutralizing value of normal calcitic or dolomitic limestone and, therefore, twice as much (in this case 2 tons per Hectare) should be applied. Our Lime Qualty Assessment Test tells you the calcium carbonate equivalent of your lime sample, so then just divide 100 by that number (100÷X) and multiply it times the lime recommendation from our soil test report to more accurately determine the amount you need to applyper acre. We currently use a default CCE of 90, but some limestones are much lower quality so more lime will be needed. Calcium carbonate equivalent is the same as Neutralizing Value (NV).