Soil acidification—the use of sulphur and acidic plant materials to acidify arable soils for the recreation of heathland and acidic grassland at Minsmere, UK

Attempts are being made to restore heathland and acid grassland on arable land at the Minsmere reserve of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Experiments were conducted to acidify the arable soils (pH 6–7) to heathland levels (pH 3.5–4) by the addition of varying amounts of elemental sulphur (S), bracken litter and pine chippings. All rates of S addition reduced soil pH, although the efficacy of acidification was related to the application rate. Rates of 1 and 2 t S ha −1 produced soils of c. pH 4. Rates of 8 t S ha −1 and above reduced the soil pH to