North Carolina's land-grant extension doesn't use a one-size-fits-all number — it uses a published method. NCDA&CS Orange Book Part II — Mehlich Buffer acidity equation Ac=(6.6-BpH)×4, Table 2.1 factors, Table 2.2 class target pH (MIN 6.0 / M-O 5.5 / ORG 5.0). Combined source v2.0: lime + Orange Book Table 2.3/2.4 nutrient equations. Enter your soil-test values in the free calculator and Zone Forge returns tons of CaCO₃-equivalent per acre, ECCE-adjusted, with the citation.
Published source: NCDA&CS Agronomic Division — Mehlich-3 + Humic-Matter Lime + Orange Book Crop Fertilization
It depends on your soil's buffer/acidity reading and your target pH — North Carolina publishes a method, not a single number. NCDA&CS Orange Book Part II — Mehlich Buffer acidity equation Ac=(6.6-BpH)×4, Table 2.1 factors, Table 2.2 class target pH (MIN 6.0 / M-O 5.5 / ORG 5.0). Combined source v2.0: lime + Orange Book Table 2.3/2.4 nutrient equations. Enter your values in the free Zone Forge lime calculator for tons of CaCO3-equivalent per acre, with the citation.
NCDA&CS Orange Book Part II — Mehlich Buffer acidity equation Ac=(6.6-BpH)×4, Table 2.1 factors, Table 2.2 class target pH (MIN 6.0 / M-O 5.5 / ORG 5.0). Combined source v2.0: lime + Orange Book Table 2.3/2.4 nutrient equations. Source: NCDA&CS Agronomic Division — Mehlich-3 + Humic-Matter Lime + Orange Book Crop Fertilization.
Zone Forge computes every North Carolina recommendation from that state's own published land-grant method — lime, soil-test fertilizer, and full variable-rate prescriptions. See the science →