Calcium is Critical to Plant Nutrition
Widespread research supports the importance of calcium in plant nutrition, more specifically, soluble calcium fertilizer’s ability to help facilitate the production of high-quality crops. Calcium fertilization is overlooked all too often, as growers tend to focus in on macronutrients or specific micronutrients instead. Calcium plays a vital role in the physiology of plants and is a multifunctional nutrient, also playing a large role in increasing nitrogen-use efficiency. Calcium deficient plants are subject to a number of dangers that will negatively affect the harvest as a whole. Some of the most common symptoms of calcium deficiency are as follows:
- Growing points die off
- Unusually dark green foliage
- Stems are weakened
- Shredding of buds and blossoms is premature
Calcium is imperative to strengthening and thickening the cell walls of plants. In addition, calcium helps the structural integrity of fruits and flowers, allowing for higher quality productions. In Florida, calcium is particularly important due to its presence and necessity in citrus production. Some of the most notable components of calcium’s importance include:
- Regulations of enzyme systems
- Increases in nutrient uptake
- Regulates phytohormone activities
- Helps seed formation
- Facilitates pollen tube elongation