Effects of Carbonatation Lime Distribution on Silty Clay Loam Soils

Carbonatation lime is a sugar industry by-product obtained during purification of the raw juice after the addition of milk of lime and carbon dioxide and subsequent decanting, fermenting and elimination of the water. The end-product can be used by farmers as it has an alkaline pH and contains a varying percentage of organic matter that makes it suitable for distribution on soils as an amendment or fertilizer. The aims of this study were to verify the effects of the distribution of increasing rates of carbonatation lime on typical crops and clay-loam soils in the province of Bologna (Italy) and to provide indications on the efficiency of its mechanical distribution by spreader carts commonly used for organic manures from livestock. The research was conducted for four years on three plots, differentiated by the rates of lime distributed over the years and the total amount present at the end of the trials. The plots were cultivated on the basis of a four-year rotation (wheat, sugarbeet, sorghum, tickbean), using organic farming methods. The work quality and performances of a manure-spreading cart used to distribute the carbonatation lime were evaluated. The influence of the different rates of lime distributed on the soils was evaluated through determination of the penetrometer index and soil moisture content measured at different depths.