Ag Lime vs. Pellet Lime Question

So I have a field that calls for 1.5 tons of lime per acre. My question is, does it take 1.5 tons of pelletized lime to equal 1.5 tons of ag lime? I've heard conflicting information,so thought I would ask here. Thanks in advance.

Yes, but the pelletized lime acts much faster to correct Ph.

From what I read 1500# of pell lime = 1 ton of ag lime.

Jcannon is right, 75-80%. Thats how it worked where i put it too, and almost immediately. I did before and after soil samples

Not necessarily. All depends on what you get. Coating thickness and how finely the incorporated particles are ground are the real determining factors. Good stuff will be faster than Ag lime but it really is surface area contact with soil that drives the ph correction. Smaller the particles the quicker it will react. Negatives on pellet are cost and the manual handling. Positives are that it can be spread where you cannot get a buggy or lime truck and it generally reacts slightly quicker than Ag lime. Negatives on Ag are you have to have equipment to handle and spread it. Positives are that it last longer due to the multiple particle sizes breaking down and reacting with the soil over a longer period of time, and of course, cost of Ag lime is 4x to 5x cheaper than pelletized.

Another cheap but long term solution is to apply 400-600 lbs of pelletized per acre each year when you plant your plots, it will add about $60-90 to your costs. Once your get things balanced you can back off of it.

Excuse me. I meant to add that it works quicker when disced in

Thanks guys. I had a member offer for me to borrow his spreader, so I'll haul and spread myself. This will save me a lot of money. I'm going to go with ag lime due to cost.

Unless he has a lime spreader, you’re going to catch hell trying to use bulk ag lime.
Even the spreaders with the extended auger in them are a fight with bulk lime.

Especially as wet as it has been lately.

Its a gravity type drop spreader.

Spreader worked great, put out a little over 7 ton saturday morning.

You need to check the calcium content to really compare ag lime to pelletized. Last time I put pelletized lime out it actually took much LESS pelletized to equal ag lime due to calcium content. I think it was 1/3 less. May have been almost 1/2. Cannot recall. Hit the google machine for info on this. I remember there being a coop paper out there on it.

Mesh size and soil type determines everything. Smaller mesh size changes pH faster but doesn't last as long. PH changes faster in sandy soils and it takes longer in clay soil.

I put 1800 pounds of pellet lime on a half acre field. It took a while, even with a 3pt spreader. If I wanted to take it apart and pull out the directional plate, it would probably sling more of it. I wore a path thru the field from going over it so many times.

Liming did great for me this past season

May do my main 2 fields again this year and hit my new turkey field too