- Every plant needs calcium to grow
- Calcium is a critical nutrient that helps plant cells sense and respond to stress
- Proper development of fruits and storage roots are dependent on a constant soil supply of calcium
- Calcium deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in agricultural soils
- Once fixed, calcium is not mobile in the plant and a plant cannot re-mobilize calcium from older tissues
- Plants do not accumulate high calcium concentrations when it is in excess
- Because calcium does not relocate in the plant regular applications of available calcium throughout the growing season is preferred
- Nothing gets into the plant that isn’t in liquid form
- Calcium deficiency, is more frequently a product of low transpiration of the whole plant
- Reduced transpiration may be due to water shortages or excessive usage of, potassium or, nitrogen fertilizers
- The calcium supply to growing tissues will rapidly become inadequate if transpiration is reduced
- Calcium deficiency is usually the inability of the plant roots to carry calcium to the growing parts
- High levels of magnesium, ammonium, iron, aluminum and especially potassium will reduce calcium uptake in many crops
- Calcium deficiency is hard to detect with plant analysis or soil testing because it can be caused by low soil water uptake
- If not treated, calcium deficiency can affect the growth, appearance, and health of crops