Lime and Spring Barley.....or lack of it!

Got a call to go and have a look at some Spring barley that was looking rather sick near Bodmin. The first field had come out of grass and had had no lime before being drilled as it was assumed that the seasand that had been applied in the past(4-5 years previously) would still be active. The second field had been limed the season before at 2 ton/ac with maglime, which had been ploughed over and down for this crop. pH tests revealed figures of 5.1 and 5.5 respectively, not good! The pictures below reveal the stress on the stems (purpling) and leaves, sparse plant populations and evidence of herbicide breakdown. At this stage it's almost too late to save, granular lime at 300kgs/ac might have saved it, however the farmer ploughed it in. Very expensive loss.