Cost effectiveness of limes
When selecting an agricultural lime to treat soil acidity the total cost needs to be considered. This includes the purchase cost at pit, transport cost to paddock and spreading cost; all factors are converted to 100% neutralising value (NV) for equal comparison and discounted to allow for differences in particle size and speed of reaction.
Sourcing lime from local suppliers, if available, is generally the best option. The further lime needs to be transported, the more critical high neutralising value becomes (Figure 1). The lime supplier should provide up-to-date particle size and neutralising value information that will allow calculation of the best value lime.
Figure 1 With high neutralising value limes you can buy and transport less for the same change in pH