Farmers in Washington and Idaho seek answer for acidic soil
LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — Some farmers in northern Idaho and western Washington are looking for solutions after years of applying nitrogen-based fertilizer has left their land with acidic soil.
Carol McFarland with Washington State University told the Lewiston Tribune that soil surveys show a gradual increase in the acidity of soil in the region since the 1980s. Nitrogen-based fertilizer enriches the soil for some crops like wheat, but it can lower the natural pH of the soil, increasing the acidity level.
"There's a certain degree of natural acidity in soil. However, on the Palouse, our previously near-neutral soils are being acidified by the application of nitrogen-based fertilizers.