This weekend while talking with some friends, I was asked about pelletized lime. One friend said his agronomist called pel-lime renters lime. He wanted to know why as a landowner he would want to use SuperCal 98G.

Why have renters used 98G? It costs less, you see yield results the first cropping year.

In most cases, 300- 400 pounds of SuperCal 98G, every other year, on a corn-bean rotation will raise soil pH. The cost of 300-400 lbs applied is usually in the $20-$25, or $10-$12.50 per year for liming (could be less depending on pH).

Compare that to applying AgLime waiting 3 years for pH to rise then waiting to re-apply for 2 more years until the pH falls again. You will pay $20-$25 per ton of AgLime, and most people put on 2-3 tons when they apply it. So you pay $40-$75 to put on AgLime, wait 3 years for it to make a small change, then watch it fall for two. This roller coaster is costing you $8-$15 per year.

That does not include the cost of lost yield. In trails, SuperCal 98G has shown 4.5-bushel advantage over AgLime in soybeans. At today’s commodity prices, you could be leaving $40 dollars in the field.

The longevity of AgLime is a misconception. It only seems to “last” longer, because it takes longer to break down in the field. Most AgLime has large particle size lime that takes years to breakdown. You would not buy seed, chemical, or fertilizer that took years to go to work, why would you buy lime that takes years to work?

Discover what renters have known for years, SuperCal 98G works in weeks, not years.