Calcium fertilizers – the importance of calcium in plant cultivation?
Calcium regulates the soil reaction and is an essential element for proper plant growth and development. Plants properly nourished with calcium, which controls the process of water photolysis, remain green and photosynthetically active for longer, which results in an increased yield. Its role during the mitotic division taking place in plant meristems should also be emphasized. These processes are particularly important in the development of the root system and the formation of root hairs, which is the basis for the construction of future plant yields. With properly developed roots, plants can take up larger amounts of macro (N, P, K, S and Mg) and microelements (Mo, Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe, B) from the soil. Additionally, insufficient Ca2+ levels block anaphasia, which inhibits plant growth.
A good supply of calcium to bean plants (papilionaceous) is a necessary condition for the formation of root warts in which nitrogen fixation takes place . Calcium deficiency causes a disturbance in the growth of maize pollen tubes, and as a result, no fertilisation occurs – with the visible result being incomplete cobs. Calcium ions and other minerals are taken up by the roots together with water mainly on days when the leaf stomata are open. Calcium is taken up by plants, and after its incorporation into the central blade (calcium pectinate), it guarantees high strength of cell walls and maintains the integrity and consistency of tissues, thus indirectly contributing to increased resistance to pathogens and infections in dry conditions – e.g. acidic soil reaction resulting from abandoning soil liming may contribute to the occurrence of cabbage syphilis in rapeseed cultivation (in case of inappropriate alteration). The uptake of calcium ions (Ca2+) by plants is largely determined by genetic factors. Monocotyledonous plants usually absorb less calcium than most dicotyledons. Calcium fertilizers are the best way to change the acidity of the soil to slightly alkaline or neutral and to ensure proper growth and development of your plants.
