Virginia's land-grant extension doesn't use a one-size-fits-all number — it uses a published method. Virginia Tech VTSTL uses Modified Mehlich Buffer (CaCl2 substitution; Sikora 2006 / Maguire-Heckendorn). virginia_mehlich_buffer v2.0 (2026-05-27) — lime block unchanged from v1.0; combined source now also carries comprehensive nutrient block (Maguire & Heckendorn Nov 2023 Recommendation Guidebook, Mehlich-1 verbatim per-crop tables). Acidity = 37.94 - 5.928·BpH. Crop-specific target pH (5.2/5.8/6.2/6.5/6.8). Previous-lime credit table (75/50/25/0%). 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: Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory — Mehlich-1 + Modified Mehlich Buffer (combined source)
It depends on your soil's buffer/acidity reading and your target pH — Virginia publishes a method, not a single number. Virginia Tech VTSTL uses Modified Mehlich Buffer (CaCl2 substitution; Sikora 2006 / Maguire-Heckendorn). virginia_mehlich_buffer v2.0 (2026-05-27) — lime block unchanged from v1.0; combined source now also carries comprehensive nutrient block (Maguire & Heckendorn Nov 2023 Recommendation Guidebook, Mehlich-1 verbatim per-crop tables). Acidity = 37.94 - 5.928·BpH. Crop-specific target pH (5.2/5.8/6.2/6.5/6.8). Previous-lime credit table (75/50/25/0%). Enter your values in the free Zone Forge lime calculator for tons of CaCO3-equivalent per acre, with the citation.
Virginia Tech VTSTL uses Modified Mehlich Buffer (CaCl2 substitution; Sikora 2006 / Maguire-Heckendorn). virginia_mehlich_buffer v2.0 (2026-05-27) — lime block unchanged from v1.0; combined source now also carries comprehensive nutrient block (Maguire & Heckendorn Nov 2023 Recommendation Guidebook, Mehlich-1 verbatim per-crop tables). Acidity = 37.94 - 5.928·BpH. Crop-specific target pH (5.2/5.8/6.2/6.5/6.8). Previous-lime credit table (75/50/25/0%). Source: Virginia Tech Soil Testing Laboratory — Mehlich-1 + Modified Mehlich Buffer (combined source).
Zone Forge computes every Virginia recommendation from that state's own published land-grant method — lime, soil-test fertilizer, and full variable-rate prescriptions. See the science →