Soil acidity problems may be corrected by adding lime to the soil. The lime recommendation is based on the buffer capacity of the particular soil. Buffer capacity is the soil's natural ability to resist change in pH. Lime recommendations are also influenced by the soil's cation exchange capacity, organic matter content, texture, and the particular type of clay minerals present. The complex interaction between these properties often results in soils with a similar pH but different capacities and lime requirements. Several types of lime are available in Mississippi, including calcitic, marls, and dolomitic.
Marls are soft deposits of calcium carbonate and are usually very moist.
Marls are quarried within Mississippi, whereas most calcitic and dolomitic limestones are transported into the state. Lime quality depends exclusively on the material's purity and fineness. CCE is the laboratory measurement that indicates relative purity of a liming material. Finely ground lime is more desirable than coarse lime because similar lime particles react more rapidly and thoroughly than do the large particles to neutralize soil acidity. Lime fineness is evaluated by the percentage of material passing different sized mesh sieves.