What are the symptoms of calcium deficiency in vegetables? Calcium supplementation methods explained in one article

Calcium is a metal element. The large amount of calcium in bones and teeth is the main component of body tissues and plays a role in supporting the body.Then people with calcium deficiency are prone to osteoporosis, so what are the symptoms of calcium deficiency in vegetables? How to supplement it?

People with calcium deficiency are prone to osteoporosis, so what are the symptoms of calcium deficiency in vegetables?

Acidic soil is prone to calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency is mainly due to physiological disorders within the crop. When calcium is deficient, deficiency symptoms first appear in the meristematic tissues such as the terminal buds, lateral buds, and root tips of the plant. Plant growth is hindered, internodes are shorter, and the plant is dwarfed and soft. Young leaves curl and are deformed and fragile, leaf margins turn yellow and gradually die, and leaf tips become sticky. There is no fruiting or very little fruiting. Calcium deficiency causes tipburn in cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and lettuce, and blossom-end rot in tomato, pepper, and watermelon. The symptoms of calcium deficiency in several vegetables are as follows:

1. When Chinese cabbage is deficient in calcium, the leaf margins rot, and the edges of the inner leaves are water-soaked, then brown and necrotic, resembling tofu skin when dry. It is also known as dry heartburn, dry edges, and internal tipburn.

2. When tomato is deficient in calcium, the tips of young leaves turn yellow, the plant is thin and weak and wilts, the petioles curl, the terminal bud dies, and necrotic tissue appears around the terminal bud. The root system is underdeveloped, with short roots and many branches, and is brown. The fruit is prone to heart rot or hollow fruit.

3. When cucumber is deficient in calcium, white transparent rotting spots appear on the leaf margins and between the veins. In severe cases, chlorosis appears between the veins, the plant is dwarfed, and the young leaves curl upward. The cucumbers are small and tasteless, and the flowers are small and yellowish-white.

4. When lettuce is deficient in calcium, growth is inhibited, young leaves curl and are deformed, and the leaf margins are brown to gray. In severe cases, the young leaves die from the tip inward, and the dead tissue is gray-green.

5. When cabbage is deficient in calcium, the leaf margins curl, lose color, have white streaks, and the growing point dies.

6. When celery is deficient in calcium, the young leaves die early, growth is thin and weak, the leaf color is gray-green, the growing point dies, and the tips and margins of the leaflets are distorted and turn black.

How to supplement calcium when vegetables are deficient in calcium?

1. Causes of calcium deficiency:

First, soil. For example, if the available calcium content in the soil is low, it cannot meet the calcium demand of vegetables; high salt content in the soil inhibits the roots' absorption of water and calcium; strong soil acidity affects the availability of calcium and is not conducive to the roots' absorption of calcium; soil drought makes the soil solution concentration high and reduces the roots' water absorption, thereby inhibiting calcium absorption; a shallow soil plow layer and excessive sandiness lead to poor water and fertilizer retention capacity and cause calcium loss; soil that is too clayey has poor calcium activity and is not conducive to root absorption. Second, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer. Because there is an interaction between nitrogen and calcium, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer reduces the availability of calcium in the soil and affects the absorption of calcium by vegetables, thereby causing calcium deficiency. In addition, imbalanced water supply and root injury can also cause calcium deficiency in vegetables.

2. Calcium supplementation measures:

First, apply decomposed organic fertilizer to supplement calcium. Organic fertilizer is rich in nutrients, can improve the physical structure and chemical properties of the soil, enhance the soil's water and fertilizer retention capacity, reduce drought damage, and promote the absorption of calcium and other nutrient elements by vegetables. At the same time, applying decomposed organic fertilizer can avoid damage to the root system. Generally, apply 2000-3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, and then add 30-50 kg of superphosphate. Second, rationally apply lime to improve the soil and build up earth. Lime is a commonly used calcium fertilizer. Applying lime in acidic soil helps increase soil pH, improve soil aggregate structure, and also helps reduce diseases, increase yield, and improve quality. The application rate of lime is related to soil type, acidity and alkalinity, and vegetable type. Generally, 40-80 kg of lime per mu is more appropriate; the lime rate for sandy soil should be appropriately reduced; when improving soil, 105-250 kg should be applied per mu. Third, deep plowing and the use of plastic film mulching cultivation. Deep plowing can fully mature the soil, improve the soil's physical structure and chemical properties, and enhance its water and fertilizer retention capacity: the use of plastic film mulching cultivation can maintain relatively stable soil moisture and reduce calcium loss.