Blessed Philippines! Limestone, A Treasure Which We Just Ignore!

Traveling across the country and discovering the remotest areas of the Philippines made me realize how beautiful and blessed our country is.
Our only problem is we do not recognize or appreciate the gifts that God through Mother Nature had given the Filipino people.
Yesterday, passing through the seldom traveled stretch of countryroad from Malapag, Carmen to Banisilan town in North Cotabato enroute to Cagayan de Oro City, I saw large deposits of limestone exposed when the road was built.
I am quite familiar with limestone because this was the base material which I asked road engineers to use in paving our farm to market roads in North Cotabato when I was Governor.
Limestone, however, is a very valuable agricultural resource which could improve farmers’ productivity if they know how to use it.
Here is an article which I saw in the website of the Iowa Agricultural Literacy Foundation which explains the importance of limestone to Agriculture:
“That white dust is agricultural lime, sometimes called aglime. It is a soil conditioner made from crushed limestone. Once the lime dissolves, it releases a base that lowers the acidity of the soil. Farmers apply lime to increase yields. Homeowners and landscapers use it to improve the appearance of lawns that have acidic soils.
“Making sure soil does not become too acidic is critical to good plant health. Soils that are too acidic can stunt root growth, limit nutrient availability, and reduce the effectiveness of fertilizer and herbicides. Most soils have a tendency to become more acidic over time for variety of reasons such as erosion, leaching, decomposition of organic matter, and fertilizer application.
“Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcium carbonate. It is mined and mechanically crushed into varying degrees of fineness depending on its intended use. Limestone’s versatility, durability, and affordability make it a useful for many construction, industrial, home-improvement, and agricultural applications. Coarsely crushed limestone can be used to rock driveways, support railroad tracks, and prevent erosion on slopes and shores. Lime used as a soil amendment is ground into a very fine power so it easily dissolves in the soil. Soil amendments are organic or inorganic materials added to change the physical or chemical properties of soil and improve plant health.
“Lime is a good soil amendment for acidic soils because it contains a high amount of calcium, which works to neutralize the soil’s pH level. Soil pH indicates the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. It is measured on a 14 point scale. A pH of 7 is neutral. Values below 7.0 indicate acidic soil, and values above 7 indicate alkaline, or basic, soil. A soil test is used to determine the pH of a soil. Farmers who practice precision agriculture often use grid sampling to determine where and how much lime to apply in specific parts of a field.
“Lime can be applied any time after the previous crop is harvested. Lime is not lost by leaching, so farmers can apply it whenever practical. Agronomists recommend putting down lime several months before planting, so the lime has enough time to neutralize acidity.”
Crushed limestone could also be used in poultry raising in confined pens, a topic which I will discuss in my future posts.
#BountyOfThePhilippines!
#OurCountryIsRich!