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    NUTRIENT:

    CALCIUM

    Calcium (Ca) is found all around us, and the very existence of plants and animals depends on it.

    Essential Secondary Nutrient

    Plants take up Ca as the Ca²⁺ cation. Once inside the plant, Ca functions in several essential ways.

    Calcium Deficiencies

    Calcium deficiencies occur most often in acidic, sandy soils from which Ca leaches via rain or irrigation water.

    Balance Organic Acids

    Calcium helps balance organic acids within the plant as well as activates several plant enzyme systems.

    Cell Walls

    Calcium helps form the compounds that make up part of cell walls, which in turn, strengthen the plant structure.

    pt_nutrient_details_soybean

    Building Yields

    Calcium builds yields indirectly by improving root growth conditions and stimulating microbial activity, molybdenum (Mo) availability and uptake of other nutrients.

    Form Nodules

    Calcium helps enable nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria that form nodules on the roots of leguminous plants to capture atmospheric N gas and convert it into a form plants can use.

    Stimulate Development

    Calcium stimulates root and leaf development, and affects uptake and activity of other nutrients.

      • Calcium Deficiencies

        Calcium deficiencies occur most often in acidic, sandy soils from which Ca leaches via rain or irrigation water.

      • Balance Organic Acids

        Calcium helps balance organic acids within the plant as well as activates several plant enzyme systems.

      • Cell Walls

        Calcium helps form the compounds that make up part of cell walls, which in turn, strengthen the plant structure.

      • Building Yields

        Calcium builds yields indirectly by improving root growth conditions and stimulating microbial activity, molybdenum (Mo) availability and uptake of other nutrients.

      • Form Nodules

        Calcium helps enable nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria that form nodules on the roots of leguminous plants to capture atmospheric N gas and convert it into a form plants can use.

      • Stimulate Development

        Calcium stimulates root and leaf development, and affects uptake and activity of other nutrients.

      Calcium deficiency symptoms

      Symptoms of deficiency can vary across crop species, but similarities exist for how nutrient insufficiency impacts plant tissue color and appearance. Nutrient deficiencies are commonly associated with the physical location on the plant (i.e., whether the symptoms are primarily observed on older versus newly formed plant tissue), but these symptoms can spread as the severity of the deficiency progresses.

      Looking to dig deeper into calcium?

      Browse the Resource Library for Calcium-related articles, research insights and more.

      Resource Library