Spatial soil pH variability of more than 2 pH units can occur in a field even within short distances. To cover these in-field differences variable liming strategies are necessary but have not been used in Germany due to substantial costs for manual soil sampling and lab analysis so far. By using the on-the-go soil pH mapping system Veris MSP this variability can be measured at high spatial resolution. However, the decision of a farmer to use such an on-the-go pH sensing system to calculate variable lime application rates has to be based on reliable information on economic data for soil and cropping conditions in Germany.

A detailed survey based on test measurements for different fields (small, medium, and large scale) under practical farm conditions was conducted. Time requirements needed for all working steps (incl. preparatory phase, online pH measurement in the field, sampling of reference soil samples, data management and preparation of the lime application maps) was measured and labour costs were calculated using typical wages for agricultural service providers. Furthermore the depreciation for technical equipment and the costs for tractor use were considered. On the other and the financial benefits for farmers due to variable lime application (i.e. savings in lime, increased yields due to optimal soil pH in each subunit of the field) were calculated based on results from field trials.