Calcium cyanamide – improves the structure of your soil
Lime is necessary:
- to maintain an optimum pH value
- to promote microorganisms
- to positively influence topsoil stability
- to control decomposition processes and humus formation
- to provide the plants with nutrients
Commercially available calcium cyanamide contains about 50% or 60% lime (Perlka® or ground calcium cyanamide), with a third or a half respectively being present as free lime. The rest is chemically bound in calcium cyanamide and is released during conversion in the soil. This lime release has a particularly intensive effect because it is extremely reactive while in a nascent state.
Lime value:
The so-called lime value specifies the effect of a nitrogen fertilizer on the lime balance of a soil. If a fertilizer provides more lime than is required to neutralize the acids that are produced when nitrogen is converted in the soil, its lime value is positive. In the opposite case its lime value is negative, which means it consumes the lime content of the soil, reducing the soil's pH value.
Lime values of various nitrogen fertilizers
| Fertilizer | Lime gain or loss in kg CaO | |
|---|---|---|
| per 100 kg fertilizer | per 100 kg N | |
| PERLKA calcium cyanamide 19.8% N | + 30 | + 152 |
| CAN calcium ammonium nitrate, 27% N | - 16 | - 58 |
| Urea, 46% N | - 46 | - 100 |
| NPK, e.g. 13-13-21 | - 13 | - 100 |
| Ammonium sulphate nitrate | - 51 | - 196 |
| DAP 18 - 46 | - 37 | - 205 |
| Ammonium sulphate 21% | - 63 | - 300 |
As shown in the table below, an additional 152 kg of lime (calculated as CaO) is available per 100 kg N of PERLKA®. No other nitrogen fertilizert contains so much fast-acting calcium as PERLKA®.