Liming acidic soils creates profits, land use options but often more emissions

S. Kharel; C. d’Abbadie; A. Abadi Ghadim; C. Gazey; R. Kingwell

doi:10.1071/CP24227

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 75(10)

Liming acidic soils creates profits, land use options but often more emissions

S. Kharel ^A , C. d’Abbadie ^A , A. Abadi Ghadim ^A , C. Gazey ^A and R. Kingwell

^A ^B ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Perth, WA, Australia. Email: Sud.Kharel@dpird.wa.gov.au, Christophe.dAbbadie@dpird.wa.gov.au, Amir.AbadiGhadim@dpird.wa.gov.au, chris.gazey@dpird.wa.gov.au

^B University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: ross.kingwell@dpird.wa.gov.au

Handling Editor: Caixian Tang

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP24227 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP24227

Submitted: 15 May 2024 Accepted: 13 September 2024 Published: 15 October 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Soil acidity constrains crop production in Australia. The practice of liming can reduce soil acidity but produces greenhouse gas emissions.

Aims

By examining land use sequences over three decades at a range of locations in Western Australia, this study aims to identify firstly where and when liming might boost farm profits and secondly, what emissions and land use management flexibilities are generated by liming.

Methods

Bioeconomic simulation modelling is used to identify the gross margins and emissions associated with liming in land use sequences at 14 locations in Western Australia. Three intensities of cropping and three different rotational sequences are considered. The simulations account for price and weather–year variations across a 30-year period of analysis.

Key results

Liming is profitable at almost all locations and across all rotation sequences examined. Where problematic soil acidity is a feature or is poised to soon become a problem at a location, liming is a profitable ameliorative practice that enables greater diversity in land use. For most situations assessed, liming increases emissions. The exceptions are at locations where liming prevents a switch away from a crop-dominant system, due to soil acidity reducing crop yields, into additional sheep production that increases emissions.

Conclusions

Liming is profitable in most acidic soil situations and preserves land use flexibility, although additional greenhouse gas emissions are often generated.

Implications

Liming acidic soils bolsters land use profitability and helps sustain biologically diverse land use sequences, despite often increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Keywords: biological diversity, crop sequences, dryland cropping, greenhouse gas emissions, lime, net margins, soil acidity, soil amelioration.

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