Rothamsted Long-term Liming Experiment
- Local identifier
- R/CS/10
- Years operational
- 1962—
- Objective
- To study the effects of different amounts of lime (and thus soil pH), P and K on the yields of a sequence of arable crops.
- Description
- Yields of various crops were recorded from 1962-1996 and papers published (Bolton, 1971, 1977 a,b; McEwen et al, 1990; Holland et al, 2019). Soil samples have been used for experiments determining the effects of pH on the bioavailability of heavy metals (Sanders et al, 1986). Lime was applied in one year (1962) and then in small doses between 1982-1987. The plots were also used as part of a dataset to produce the Rothamsted Lime Model (RothLime; Goulding et al, 1989) which was used from 1982 onwards to apply small amounts of lime to keep the plots at the target pHs (1:2.5 soil:water) of 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5. The experiment was under grass from 1997-2019 and no treatments were applied. In April 2019 the experiment was revived, and is currently being used to investigate the effect of different lime, P and Zn treatments on macro and micro nutrient uptake of wheat varieties. For more details contact Dr SM Haefele.
- Data Access Statement
- Available to any researcher on request
- Data license
- CC BY
- Data URL
- http://www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk/Other/liming
- Data policy
- Yes (not online)
- Organization
- Rothamsted Researchresearch organisation
- People
- Dr Sarah Perrymandata managerRothamsted ResearchIntelligent Data EcosystemsDr Margaret Glendiningdata managerRothamsted ResearchIntelligent Data EcosystemsDr Stephan Haefeleprincipal investigatorRothamsted Research
Site: Sawyers Field I
- Type
- research station field
- Local code
- R/CS/10
- Location
- HarpendenHertfordshireUnited Kingdom
- Geographic location
- 51.8157, -0.3752
- Elevation
- 130 Metres
- Visits permitted?
- Yes
- Visiting arrangements
- By arrangement with Dr Andrew Gregory
- History
- The site is an old arable site, which had not grown beans for many years. The soil was acidic and deficient in P and K. The intial pH ranged between 4.8 and 5.6. The experiment was started in 1962.
- Management
- From 1962-1996 the site was managed according to conventional practices. In most years N fertilizer was applied at a rate appropriate for the crop and site, and a range of conventional pesticides were used to control weeds, pests and diseases. The experiment was under grass from 1997-2019 and no treatments were applied. In April 2019 the experiment was revived, and is currently being used to investigate the effect of different lime, P and Zn treatments on macro and micro nutrient uptake of wheat varieties. For more details contact Dr SM Haefele.
- Soil type
- luvisol
- Soil description
- Chromic Luvisols and Orthic Acrisols Podzoluvisols (FAO). Paleo-argillic brown earth (Soil Survey England & Wales) Paleudalfs, Hapludalfs (Fragiudalfs) (US Soil Taxonomy). Derived from drift and loess over clay-with-flints. Batcombe series, Flinty silty clay loam (Bolton 1977).
- Soil properties
Variable Depth Value (range) Units Ref year Estimated? Baseline? course sand content 0 – 23 Centimetres 14 Percent 1974 find sand content 0 – 23 Centimetres 40 Percent 1974 silt content 0 – 23 Centimetres 23 Percent 1974 clay content 0 – 23 Centimetres 21 Percent 1974 soil total carbon 0 – 23 Centimetres 1.4 Percent 1974 total soil nitrogen 0 – 23 Centimetres 0.15 Percent 1974 soil density 0 – 23 Centimetres 2800 tonnes per hectare 1905 soil pH 0 – 23 Centimetres 5.1 (4.8 – 5.6) pH 1962 - Climatic type
- temperate oceanic climate
- Climate properties
Variable Time period Value (range) Units annual total precipitation 1981 – 2010 737 (515 – 973) mm annual mean air temperature 1981 – 2010 9.8 (8.51 – 10.89) degree Celsius
Design period: Period 1 (1962—1980)
- Design Type
- Randomised block
- Description
- Four lime levels with and without fertilizer P and K. Magnesium was tested on split plots 1974-1978.
- Design description
- The original design was four lime treatments with and without P and K (4 x 2 x 2 factorial with two replicates) within randomised blocks and with plot sizes of 6 m x 18 m. Until 1978 test P and K were both applied cumulatively. In 1962 columns of 4 plots were split for uninoculated v inoculated seed. 1969, 1979 and 1980 were fallow years. In 1974 plots were subdivided for a comparison of with and without Magnesium, applied at 112 kgMg/ha/yr in 1974, 1976-1978.
- Number of blocks
- 2
- Number of plots
- 32
- Number of subplots
- 64
- Number of replicates
- 2
- Number of harvests per year
- 1
- Crops
Crop Years grown spring beans 1962—1964 spring barley 1965—1967 potatoes 1968— fallow 1969— spring oats 1975— spring rapeseed 1976— - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- liming exposure Four rates of lime: control, low, medium and high. Applied in 1962, 1963 and 1978. Amounts given are the total amounts applied, see comments for splits.Plot application: Whole plot
control exposure (0 t/ha)
1962—1980lime low (7 t/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: twice5 t/ha in 1962, 2 t/ha in 1978lime medium (15 t/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: twice10 t/ha in 1962, 5 t/ha in 1978lime high (30 t/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: twice15 t/ha in 1962, 5 t/ha in 1963, 10 t/ha in 1978- phosphate fertilizer exposure P either applied or not applied to plots. Treatments not applied in fallow years.Plot application: Whole plotEffect: Cumulative
control exposure (0 kgP/ha)
1962—1980P fertilizer exposure (27.5 kgP/ha)
1962—1980Applied to crop: All cropsApplication frequency: annually in springChemical form: triple superphosphate55 kgP/ha applied to potatoes. Not applied in fallow years 1969, 1979, 1980.- potassium fertilizer exposure K either applied or not applied to plots. Treatments not applied in fallow years.Plot application: Whole plot
control exposure (104 kgK/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: annually in springChemical form: muriate of potashIn 1968 and 1974, 156 kgK/ha was applied to potatoes. Not applied in fallow years 1969, 1979 or 1980.potassium K (104 kgK/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: annually in springChemical form: muriate of potashIn 1968 and 1974, 156 kgK/ha was applied to potatoes. Not applied in fallow years 1969, 1979 or 1980.- Rhizobium leguminosarum exposure Spring beans seed inoculated with RhizobiumPlot application: Sub plot
control exposure (0 )
1962—1962Applied to crop: spring beansInoculated
1962—1962Applied to crop: spring beansApplication method: seed dressing- magnesium nutrient exposure Magnesium either applied or not applied to sub-plotsPlot application: Sub plot
control exposure (0 kgMg/ha)
1974—1978magnesium Mg (112 kgMg/ha)
1974—1978Application frequency: annually in springChemical form: magnesium sulphateNot applied in 1975. Applied as Epsom salts 1974-1977 and as Kieserite in 1978.
- Measurements
Variable Material Units Frequency Scale Comment yield components All crops t/ha annually Crop grain yields at 85% dry matter for cereals, 90% dry matter for oilseeds and fresh weight for potatoes. No straw data. soil pH Not specified every few years pH in water 1:2.5 soil: water suspension from topsoil (0-23cm). Sampled in autumn/winter after harvest and before sowing the next crop. plant available phosphorous Soil ppm Every few years Olsen P (plant-available P) in soil, ppm in soil.
Design period: Period 2 (1981—1996)
- Description
- Since 1981 the effects of four rates of P and four rates of lime, with effects of K residues. Manganese was tested on spit plots, 1987-1990; sulphur was tested on spilt plots, 1991-1996. Lime was applied to achieve soil pH of approximately 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5.
- Design description
- The experiment was modified in 1981. The 4 lime treatments continued, the PK treatments were replaced with 4 P levels with two replicates (4 x 4 x 2). The main plots were split into sub-plots 1987-1990 to test foliar Manganese, and in 1991-1996 to test Sulphur
- Number of plots
- 32
- Number of subplots
- 2
- Number of replicates
- 2
- Number of harvests per year
- 1
- Crops
Crop Years grown oats 1981—1982 potatoes 1983— fallow 1984— barley 1985— triticales 1986— lupins 1987— beans 1989—1990 rapeseed 1991—1992 lupins 1993—1994 wheat 1995—1996 - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- phosphate fertilizer exposure Plot application: Whole plot
control exposure (0 kgP/ha)
1981—1996Control treatment 1962-1980, no fertilizer P applied.P1 (?? kgP/ha)
1981—1996Chemical form: triple superphosphate25 kgP/ha applied in 1981, 1982 and 1988. Received K treatment 1962-1980, no fertilizer P applied.P2 (?? kgP/ha)
1981—1996Chemical form: triple superphosphate25, 50 & 25 kgP/ha applied in 1981, 1983 and 1988 respectively. Received P treatment 1962-1980, a total of 495kgP/ha.P3 (?? kgP/ha)
1981—1996Chemical form: triple superphosphate75, 25, 50 & 75 kgP/ha applied in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1988 respectively. Received PK treatment 1962-1980, a total of 495kgP/ha.- liming exposure Continuation of 4 treatments in Period 1. Further applications in 1981, 1982 and 1986. Amounts given are the total amounts applied, see comments for splits.Plot application: Whole plotEffect: Residual
control exposure (0 t/ha)
1980—1996lime low (8.0 t/ha)
1982—1987Application frequency: 3 timesChemical form: ground chalk2, 5 and 1 t/ha chalk applied 1982, 1983 and 1987 respectively. Total application 1962-1987 = 15 t/ha.lime medium (9.5 t/ha)
1982—1987Application frequency: 3 timesChemical form: ground chalk5, 3 and 1.5 t/ha chalk applied 1982, 1983 and 1987 respectively. Total application 1962-1987 = 24.5 t/ha.lime high (22.5 t/ha)
1982—1987Application frequency: 3 timesChemical form: ground chalk10, 10 and 2.5 t/ha chalk applied 1982, 1983 and 1987 respectively. Total application 1962-1987 = 52.5 t/ha.- manganese nutrient exposure Manganese fertilizer applied to split plots
control exposure (0 kg/ha)
1987—1990manganese (0.3 kg/ha)
1987—1990Application frequency: annuallyApplication method: manganese spraysFoliar spray applied twice a year- sulfate fertiliser exposure Sulphur fertilizer applied to split plots
control exposure (0 kgS/ha)
1991—1996sulphur (30 kgS/ha)
1991—1996Applied to crop: All cropsApplication frequency: AnnualChemical form: calcium sulfate
- Measurements
Variable Material Units Frequency Scale Comment yield components All crops t/ha annually Crop grain yields at 85% dry matter for cereals, 90% dry matter for oilseeds and fresh weight for potatoes. No straw data. soil pH Soil every few years pH in water 1:2.5 soil: water suspension from topsoil (0-23cm). Sampled in autumn/winter after harvest and before sowing the next crop. plant available phosphorous Soil ppm Every few years Olsen P (plant-available P) in soil, ppm in soil.
Related publications
- Rothamsted long-term liming experiment http://www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk/RCS10 [In English]
- Bolton, 1971 https://doi.org/10.23637/ERADOC-1-34802 [In English]
- Bolton, 1977 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600027222 [In English]
- Holland et al 2019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2019.02.016 [In English]
- Rothamsted Long-term Liming Experiment Plans 1962-1996 https://doi.org/10.23637/rcs10-Plans [In English]
- Rothamsted long-term liming experiment lime and fertilizer treatments 1962-1996 https://doi.org/10.23637/rcs10-Treatments-01 [In English]