Woburn long-term liming experiment
- Local identifier
- W/CS/10
- Years operational
- 1962—1996
- 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. Mg, Mn and S treatments were also applied.
- 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). The experiment is now discontinued.
- Data Access Statement
- Available to any researcher on request
- Data Access Notes
- Contact the e-RA curators: era@rothamsted.ac.uk
- Data license
- CC BY
- Data URL
- http://www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk/Other#SEC18
- Data policy
- Yes (not online)
- Organization
- Rothamsted Researchresearch organisation
- People
- Dr Margaret Glendiningdata managerRothamsted ResearchIntelligent Data EcosystemsDr Sarah Perrymandata managerRothamsted ResearchComputational and Analytical SciencesDr Andrew Gregoryprincipal investigatorRothamsted ResearchProtecting Crops and the Environment
Site: Stackyard Field Section 3
- Type
- research station field
- Local code
- W/CS/10
- Location
- WoburnBedfordshireUnited Kingdom
- Geographic location
- 52.0003, -0.6149
- Elevation
- 89 Metres
- Visits permitted?
- No
- Visiting arrangements
- The experiment is now finished
- 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 5.6 and 6.3. The experiment was started in 1962 and cropped until 1996. In 1997 the experiment was discontinued.
- Management
- From 1962-1996 the site was managed according to conventional practices. In most years N fertilizer was applied to crops at a rate appropriate for the crop and site, and a range of conventional pesticides were used to control weeds, pests and diseases.
- Soil type
- arenosol
- Soil description
- Sandy loam, Cottenham series. Brown sand on Lower Greensand Brown sands (Soil Survey England & Wales) Udipsamments; Udalfs or Udults (Arenic) (US Soil Taxonomy) Cambic and Luvic Arenosols (FAO)
- Soil properties
Variable Depth Value (range) Units Ref year Estimated? Baseline? course sand content 0 – 23 Centimetres 50 Percent 1974 find sand content 0 – 23 Centimetres 27 Percent 1974 silt content 0 – 23 Centimetres 7 Percent clay content 0 – 23 Centimetres 11 Percent 1974 soil total carbon 0 – 23 Centimetres 0.82 Percent total soil nitrogen 0 – 23 Centimetres 0.08 Percent 1974 soil weight 0 – 23 Centimetres 3400 tonnes per hectare 1934 soil pH 0 – 23 Centimetres 6 pH 1962 - Climatic type
- temperate oceanic climate
- Climate properties
Variable Time period Value (range) Units annual total precipitation 1981 – 2010 652 (460.5 – 870.4) mm mean annual temperature 1981 – 2010 9.9 (8.7 – 10.9) degree Celsius
Design period: Period 1 (1962—1980)
- Design Type
- Randomized block design
- Description
- Four lime treatments with and without P and K. Magnesium was tested on split plots 1974-1978.
- Design description
- Four lime treatments with and without P and K (4 x 2 x 2 factorial with two replicates, 32 plots) within randomised blocks and with plot sizes of 6 m x 18 m. The experiment was fallow in 1969, 1979 and 1980. In 1962 columns of 4 plots were split for uninoculated v inoculated seed. In 1964 plots receiving both P and K were subdivided for a comparison of method of application, broadcast versus drilled. In 1974-1978 a comparison of with and without Magnesium was applied to the 64 sub-plots.
- Number of plots
- 32
- Number of subplots
- 64
- Number of replicates
- 2
- Number of harvests per year
- 1
- Crops
Crop Years grown spring beans spring barley potatoes spring oats spring rapeseed fallow - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- liming exposure four rates of lime: control, low, medium and high. Applied in 1962/63 and again in 1978. Amounts given are the total amounts applied, see comments for splits.
control exposure (0 t/ha)
1962—1980lime low (6 t/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: twiceChemical form: ground chalk5 t/ha in 1962, 1 t/ha in 1978lime medium (14 t/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: twiceChemical form: ground chalk12 t/ha in 1962, 2 t/ha in 1978lime high (23 t/ha)
1962—1980Application frequency: twiceChemical form: ground chalk19 t/ha in 1962, 4 t/ha in 1978- phosphate fertilizer exposure Two P fertilizer treatments, nil and P.
control exposure (0 kgP/ha)
1962—1980Applied to crop: All cropssuperphosphate P (27.5 kgP/ha)
1962—1978Application frequency: annuallyChemical form: triple superphosphate55 kgP/ha applied to potatoes and 0 applied in fallow years 1969, 1979, 1980- potassium fertilizer exposure Two treatments, nil and K
control exposure (0 kgK/ha)
1962—1980potassium K (104 kgK/ha)
1962—1978Applied to crop: All cropsApplication frequency: annuallyChemical form: muriate of potashIn 1968 and 1974, 156 kgK applied to potatoes. Not applied to fallow years, 1969, 1979, 1980.- magnesium nutrient exposure Two magnesium treatments applied to sub-plots 1974-1978, nil and Mg
control exposure (0 kgMg/ha)
1974—1978magnesium (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.- Rhizobium leguminosarum exposure Spring beans seed inoculated with Rhizobium
control exposure (0 )
1962—1962Applied to crop: spring beansInoculated
1962—1962Applied to crop: spring beans
- 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.
Design period: Period 2 (1981—1995)
- Design Type
- Randomized block design
- 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.
- 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
- 62
- Number of replicates
- 2
- Number of harvests per year
- 1
- Crops
Crop Years grown spring oats potatoes spring barley winter triticale spring lupins linseed spring beans winter rapeseed winter lupins winter wheat fallow - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- phosphate fertilizer exposure
control exposure (0 kgP/ha)
1981—1996P0P1 (?? kgP/ha)
1981—1996Superphosphate at 25, 25 & 50 kgP/ha applied in 1981, 1982 & 1983 and 25 kgP/ha applied 1988P2 (?? kgP/ha)
1981—1996Chemical form: triple superphosphateSuperphosphate at 25, 0 & 50 kgP/ha applied in 1981, 1982 & 1983 and 25 kgP/ha applied 1988P3 (?? kgP/ha)
1981—1996Chemical form: triple superphosphateSuperphosphate at 75, 25 & 100 kgP/ha applied in 1981, 1982 & 1983 and 75 kg/ha applied 1988- liming exposure Continuation of 4 treatments in Period 1 Further applications made after period 1. Applied in 1981, 1982 and 1986. Amounts given are the total amounts applied, see comments for splits.
control exposure (0 t/ha)
1981—1996lime low (3 t/ha)
1981—1996Application frequency: 3 timesChemical form: ground chalkTotal application over the whole experiment = 9 t/ha. Total amount applied to plots previously receiving 6 t/ha chalk between 1962 and 1978. Chalk was applied at 2, 0 and 1 t/ha in 1981, 1982 and 1986 respectively.Lime medium (11.5 t/ha)
1981—1996Application frequency: 3 timesChemical form: ground chalkTotal application over the whole experiment = 24.5 t/ha. Total amount applied to plots previously receiving 14 t/ha chalk between 1962 and 1978. Chalk was applied at 5, 5 and 1.5 t/ha in 1981, 1982 and 1986 respectively.lime high (22.5 t/ha)
1981—1996Application frequency: 3 timesChemical form: ground chalkTotal application over the whole experiment = 52.5 t/ha. Total amount applied to plots previously receiving 23 t/ha chalk between 1962 and 1978. Chalk was applied at 10, 10 and 2.5 t/ha in 1981, 1982 and 1986 respectively.- manganese nutrient exposure Manganese fertilizer applied to split plots 1987-1990 only
control exposure (0 kg/ha)
1987—1990Manganese applied to split plotsmanganese (0.3 kg/ha)
1987—1990Application frequency: annuallyApplication method: manganese spraysApplied twice a year as foliar spray- sulfate fertiliser exposure Sulphur applied to split plots
control exposure (0 kgS/ha)
1991—1996sulphur (30 kgS/ha)
1991—1996Applied to crop: All cropsApplication frequency: annuallyChemical 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
- Woburn long-term liming experiment http://www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk/WCS10 [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]
- Woburn long-term liming experiment plans 1962-1996 https://doi.org/10.23637/wcs10-Plans [In English]
- Woburn long-term liming experiment lime and fertilizer treatments 1962-1996 https://doi.org/10.23637/wcs10-Treatments-01 [In English]