Ball don
Professor Emeritus / Auburn University

Most forage crops are sensitive to soil acidity, so when the soil pH drops substantially, lime must be applied to raise the pH to an acceptable level.

This “hidden cost” of using commercial nitrogen fertilizer is one of the reasons why use of legumes and other natural sources of nitrogen tends to be more economically feasible.

From Forage-Livestock Quotes and Concepts, D.M. Ball, et. al,

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PHOTO: Spreading organic suorces of nitrogen such as animal manure. Photo by Karen Lee.