Calcium-related Disorders of Fruits and Vegetables1

Abstract

Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the earth’s crust, accounting for more than 3% of its composition. The exchangeable Ca content of a “normal” soil ranges from 65 to 85% of its total exchange capacity (12). Leaves of dicotyledonous plants generally contain from 0.5 to 5.5% Ca on a dry weight basis (44). The aboveground woody portions of trees in a 36-year-old apple orchard (35 trees per acre) contain about 200 lb. of Ca/acre as compared to about 175 lb. of all other nutrient elements combined (98). Recognizable foliar symptoms of Ca deficiency are seldom observed on field-grown fruit or vegetable crops. Despite these facts, serious economic losses occur annually from physiological disorders resulting from an inadequate level of Ca in the fruits, storage roots, or tubers of many plants or to the heart leaves of cabbage, lettuce, and other compact leafy vegetables.

The salt tolerance of greenhouse crops.

“…Negative effects of salinity on the quality of glasshouse produce are often related to calcium deficiency (Geraldson, 1979;Bernstein, 1964;Shear, 1975). In such cases the supply as well as the distribution of calcium may be affected by salinity.…”

Plant Hormone and Inorganic Ion Concentrations in the Xylem Exudate of Grafted Plants Depend on the Scion–Rootstock Combination

“…In general, Ca deficiency in plants inhibits root and pollen tube elongation and causes the chlorosis of leaves, leading to stunted plant growth [ 13 ]. Moreover, in horticultural crops, Ca causes physiological disorders, such as bitter pit in apples, affecting fruit quality [ 14 ]. Blossom-end rot is an important physiological disorder in tomato, and its incidence is negatively correlated with the soluble Ca concentration in the fruit [ 22 , 41 ].…”

“…Ca deficiency inhibits root and pollen tube elongation and causes leaf chlorosis, resulting in stunted plant growth [ 13 ]. In horticultural crops, Ca affects fruit quality by contributing to physiological disorders such as bitter pit in apples [ 14 ] and blossom-end rot in tomatoes [ 15 ].…”

A Sensitive Method for Measuring Changes in Calcium Concentration in ‘McIntosh’ Apples Demonstrated in Determining Effects of Foliar Calcium Sprays1

“…The need for improved wood hardiness in peaches is well documented (2,6,9). Although artificial freezing has long been used to assess hardiness (6), most cultivar improvement is the result of identifying hardy genotypes after test winters.…”