Soil acidity is one of the most important soil factors affecting yield of pastures and crops. Periodically, agricultural limestone (ag lime) is needed to neutralize soil acidity and maintain crop productivity. There are over 60 quarries selling ag lime in Kentucky.  Agricultural lime quality can vary tremendously depending on the chemical properties and particle size caused by physical grinding of the stone.   

Inspectors from the UK Division of Regulatory Services pull samples of Ag Lime twice per year. These are analyzed by the Division’s soils lab to determine the Relative Neutralizing Value (RNV) of these samples. The RNV of a lime is an index of how good it is at neutralizing soil acidity. ANR agents may use these values to suggest how much lime must be applied from a particular quarry to provide the desired neutralizing effect. 

• To read more about agricultural lime and the effect of RNV, see ID-163: Agricultural Lime Recommendations Based on Lime Quality

• To see the latest results of samples taken from Kentucky quarries, view the tables at the Division of Regulatory Services, Rock Quarry Lime Reports