Factsheet: Liming grassland soils

RATIONALE: Liming grassland soils grassland reduces soil acidity by increasing soil pH, and thereby optimises grass productivity, improves nitrogen use efficiency, and enhances species richness (i.e., the number of different species present in an ecological community, landscape, or region) and biodiversity (variety of life) (Fig. 1). It can also, indirectly, reduce the need for animal supplementary feeding and improve grazing livestock production. Although liming can increase net CO2 emissions, the impact of liming acidic grasslands on total net GHG emissions from grasslands is negligible, as liming either decreases or has no effect on the emissions of two potent greenhouse gases (i.e., nitrous oxide and methane). Liming is a common practice on acid grasslands to correct the soil pH, optimise nutrient availability and plant growth conditions, and thereby provide the right environment for grassland to reach its growth potential. It can improve farm sustainability and help to fulfil the environmental targets proposed in the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.