Foliar Application Of Calcium Research Articles

Enhancing Quality Fruit Composition in Red Currant Cultivars by Foliar Calcium Application across Preharvest and Postharvest Stages

Foliar calcium (Ca) treatment exhibits strong potential for enhancing yield and quality in some fruit crops. This study aimed to assess the impact of foliar application of Ca-organomineral (Ca-OM) suspension on total soluble solids (TSS) and Ca dynamics in leaves and berries across five red currant cultivars during the vegetation and storage. A randomized block design with two treatments: (1) Control (without Ca-OM treatment) and (2) foliar Ca-OM treatment, with three repetitions, was applied on five different red currant cultivars. Although foliar Ca-OM treatments did not impact Ca or TSS in leaves, they positively influenced Ca and TSS in fruits, displaying significant variability among cultivars. In addition, Ca-OM treatment increased berry density, reduced abscission, and inhibited the development of diseases, extending storage periods for “Lvovyanka,” “Vika,” and “Gazel” cultivars by three to seven days compared to the Ca-OM untreated control. Ca-OM treatment in the early stages of the ontogenesis of currants provided a high percentage of Ca intake in berries. At the stage of complete maturation, the Ca content in berries decreased and depended on the ripening period of the cultivars. Before harvesting, Ca-OM increased the strength of berries (Fc) and reduced the shedding of berries in the clusters (Fs). At the vegetation stage, Ca-OM increased TSS in berries, and the content of TSS depended on the genotype and weather conditions. The Ca-OM treatment and low temperatures contributed to preserving berry density, reducing the shedding of berries and PLW, and restraining the development of diseases during storage. In addition, the high content of TSS and Ca in berries against the background of a slow rate of decrease in berry density in the Ca-OM variants ensured an extension of the shelf life of “Lvovyanka,” “Vika,” and “Gazel” by three to seven days compared to the control untreated with Ca-OM. Clustering analyses identified these cultivars as similar in terms of TSS and calcium content in fruits, emphasizing their common traits. The study underscores the potential of foliar Ca treatment to enhance berry quality during growth and storage, significantly improve storage duration, and fortify resistance against adverse factors, presenting promising opportunities for elevating yield and quality in specific red currant cultivars.

Different cultivation systems and foliar application of calcium nanoparticles affect the growth and physiological characteristics of pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different cultivation systems (soil cultivation, hydroponic cultivation in greenhouse conditions, and hydroponic vertical cultivation in plant factory under different LED lights) and foliar spraying of nano calcium carbonate on pennyroyal plants. Nano calcium carbonate was applied to the plants at a 7-day interval, three times, one month after planting. Results showed that the greenhouse cultivation system with calcium carbonate foliar spraying produced the highest amount of shoot and root fresh mass in plants. Additionally, foliar spraying of calcium carbonate increased internode length and leaf area in various cultivation systems. Comparing the effects of different light spectrums revealed that red light increased internode length while decreasing leaf length, leaf area, and plant carotenoids. Blue light, on the other hand, increased the leaf area and root length of the plants. The hydroponic greenhouse cultivation system produced plants with the highest levels of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. White light-treated plants had less iron and calcium than those exposed to other light spectrums. In conclusion, pennyroyal plants grown in greenhouses or fields had better growth than those grown in plant factories under different light spectrums. Furthermore, the calcium foliar application improved the physiological and biochemical properties of the plants in all the studied systems.

Response of Diverse Peanut Cultivars to Calcium Fertilization under Clay Soil Conditions

The absence of calcium decreases the production of peanuts compared to any other element. To investigate the influence of calcium (Ca) applications on the production and seed quality of four diverse peanut cultivars from different regions—USA (NC-7), Egypt (Giza-6) and Nigeria (Samnut-23 and Samnut-24)—under clay soil conditions, two experiments were carried out at the Agricultural Experimental and Research Station, Cairo University, Egypt, during the two seasons of 2016 and 2017. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a spilt-plot arrangement with three replications. The main plots were allocated to four peanut cultivars (Giza-6, Samnut-23, Samnut-24 and NC-7), and the sub-plots were devoted to calcium applications (soil application in the form of calcium sulfate dihydrate, foliar application in the form of calcium oxide and the control treatment of distilled water). Results indicated that all four peanut cultivars responded differently to the application of calcium fertilizers. The calcium application significantly enhanced peanut growth, yield components, biological, pod, seed, oil yields, seed oil, free fatty acids and seed calcium percentages in different cultivars. Soil calcium application significantly improved peanut production compared to foliar calcium application. NC-7 cultivar treated with the soil Ca application resulted in the maximum values of biological yield (92.9-ton ha−1), pod yield (6.8-ton ha−1), seed yield (4.4-ton ha−1), oil yield (2247.0 kg ha−1), pod index (203.2 g) and seed index (84.1 g). The interaction between the NC-7 cultivar and soil calcium applications is recommended to attain the best combination, leading to the highest yield and seed quality of peanuts.

Foliar Application of Chelated Sugar Alcohol Calcium Improves Photosynthesis and Tuber Quality under Drought Stress in Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Drought stress is a major threat to sustainable crop production worldwide. Despite the positive role of calcium (Ca2+) in improving plant drought tolerance in different crops, little attention has been paid to its role in mitigating drought stress in potatoes. In the present study, we studied the effect of foliar chelated sugar alcohol calcium treatments on two potato cultivars with different drought responses applied 15 and 30 days after limiting soil moisture. The results showed that the foliar application of calcium treatments alleviated the SPAD chlorophyll loss of the drought-sensitive cultivar 'Atlantic' (Atl) and reduced the inhibition of photosynthetic parameters, leaf anatomy deformation, and MDA and H2O2 content of both cultivars under drought stress. The Ca2+ treatments changed the expression of several Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase (StCDPK) genes involved in calcium sensing and signaling and significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities, average tuber weight per plant, and tuber quality of both cultivars. We conclude that calcium spray treatments improved the drought tolerance of both potato cultivars and were especially effective for the drought-sensitive cultivar. The present work suggests that the foliar application of calcium is a promising strategy to improve commercial potato yields and the economic efficiency of potato production under drought stress conditions.

Effect of foliar calcium and nitrogen treatments on yield and fruit quality of table grapes cv. ‘Cardinal‘

The foliar fertilization has been used as an important agrotechnical measure to avoid deficiencies and to improve quality. During the three consecutive years, a study has been performed on Vitis vinifera L. (cv. ‘Cardinal’) to examine whether a yield and grape berry quality have been affected by the foliar application of Ca and N fertilizers. A liquid mineral fertilizer containing 40% Ca(NO₃)₂ as Variant I and 31% N with 0,015 % Fe-chelate; 0,01 % Mg – chelat as Variant II (in text) has been sprayed four times during the growing period (before and after blooming, buckshot berries, and verasion). Results showed that foliar application of calcium and nitrogen increased the yield of table grapes in all three years of research, in comparison with a control variant. The highest yields of grapes in all three years of investigations were achieved in Variant II – 4.57 kg/vine (14.85 t/ha). During the tree years of investigations, the largest mass of grape bunch and berries were recorded in Variant II (382g and 368.68g), while the lowest cluster weight was in the control variant (344g and 330.92g). With a reference to the mechanical properties of the grape berries, the highest resistance to pressure (2229.70g) and breaking resistance (364.52g) were found in Variant I, treated with Ca fertilizer. The foliar application significantly affects the mechanical properties (resistance of the berry to pressure and breaking), especially in Variant I. The application of different types of foliar fertilizers did not have any significant effect on sugar contents and total acids, compared with the control variant.

Effect of Amino Acids, Mono-Potassium Phosphate, and Calcium Foliar Application on Flowering, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Mango “Ewaise” Cultivar

Effect of Amino Acids, Mono-Potassium Phosphate, and Calcium Foliar Application on Flowering, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Mango “Ewaise” Cultivar

Foliar Applications of Calcium, Silicon and Their Combination: A Tool to Improve Grape Composition and Quality

Foliar nutrient sprays are broadly used in commercial agriculture. To date, the application of Ca and Si has been little explored in vineyard production but may lead to positive responses at various levels. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of supplying single or combined calcium (Ca, 120 mM) and silicon (Si, 120 mM) sprays in Tempranillo grape composition. Foliar treatment with Ca + Si foliar enhanced all families of aromatic compounds, whereas single Ca and Si sprays induced lower effects. Regarding phenolic compounds, all foliar treatments led to minor effects. However, all three foliar Ca and Si treatments increased the total grape amino acid content. Consequently, the application of combined Ca and Si sprays to a vineyard is recommended as a tool for improving grape quality.

Preharvest calcium treatment enhanced lenticels breakdown at an environmental-dependent manner

It has been demonstrated that postharvest calcium application enhanced lenticels breakdown (LB), occurring after storage. In this study, we examined whether preharvest in-orchard calcium foliar application can also enhances lenticels breakdown. Calcium foliar application was examined on fruit harvested separately from northern and southern sides of the trees in two orchards. Four in-orchard treatments were applied: No treatment (Control), CaCl2, Ca(NO3)2 and KCl. The orchards were located in regions with different climatic conditions. LB damage was higher in the low humidity orchard in comparison to that in the higher humidity orchard. Moreover, LB was enhanced by preharvest calcium application only in apples from the northern side of the trees, located in the lower relative humidity orchard. Preharvest calcium application reduced the peel thickness of apples from both tree sides in the high relative humidity orchard, and only in the northern side of the low humidity orchard. Hence, in-orchard calcium foliar application can enhance LB only under specific field climate conditions. Reduced peel thickness by calcium in the northern side of the low relative humidity orchard, might have led to a higher post storage LB. Nevertheless, the status of open lenticels at harvest can only partially explain the postharvest LB. In addition, the force needed to puncture the peel does not explain LB results. In conclusion, this study supports the finding that calcium increases LB, but only under certain environmental conditions.

Foliar calcium applications and crop load regulation in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees trained as KGB

Foliar calcium applications and crop load regulation in sweet cherry (<i>Prunus avium</i> L.) trees trained as KGB

Effect of Foliar Application of Calcium and Nano-Chitosan on the Growth of Rose Seedlings

During 2021-2022 growing season atAl-Rafidain private nursery in Zayouna, Baghdad, researchers examined the impact of spraying calciumand nano-chitosan on the development, flowering, and storability of the rose variety Anglina. The experiment was set up as a factorial experiment with three replicates, testing foliar sprays of calcium at concentrations of 0, 150, and 200 mg. L-1 and nano-chitosan at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 150mg.Liter-1. In particular, the number of leaves per plant increased to 75.70, the chlorophyll content increased to167.3 mg 100g -1 fresh weight, the dry matter percentage in the leaves increased to 41.45%, the total carbohydrate content in the leaves increased to 20,093 mg 100 g -1 fresh weight, the percentage of calcium in the leaves increased to1.108, and the vase life of the stored flowers increased to w days. When compared to the control treatment, which resulted in the lowest averages for the aforementioned traits, foliar spraying of nano-chitosan at a concentration of150 mg.l-1 resulted in superior vegetative and floral characteristics, including an increase in leaf number (66.70 leaves), leaf total carbohydrates (17.567% mg.100 g-1. Fresh weight), leaf percentage of calcium (1.1121%), and vase life after storage (8.18) days.

Foliar Calcium Effects on Quality and Primary and Secondary Metabolites of White-Fleshed ‘Lemonato’ Peaches

‘Lemonato’ is a Greek peach melting-flesh white-flesh cultivar with high nutritional value highly appreciated by the consumers. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-harvest foliar calcium application on fruit quality, primary metabolite profile, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and phenolic profile of the ‘Lemonato’ peach, clone ‘Stamatis’. The experiment was conducted for two years, 2019 and 2020, in two commercial orchards at Kato Lehonia and Agios Vlasios regions, central Greece, where the ‘Lemonato’ clone ‘Stamatis’ is traditionally cultivated. The treatments were organic calcium (Ca), calcium–silicate in nanoparticles (Ca–Si), and calcium chloride (CaCl2). Foliar application of the different Ca formulations, commonly used as a horticultural practice, were not effective at improving the fruit quality characteristics in this clone, which is characterized by fruit softening during ripening. The study revealed the sugars and organic acid composition and phenolic profile of the ‘Lemonato’ peach, clone ‘Stamatis’. Peach fruit quality, primary metabolites, and phenolic compounds of the two orchards showed a different response to organic Ca and Ca–Si, indicating that genetic or environmental factors may also be involved. A higher concentration of organic Ca and CaCl2 increased the peach fruit phenolic compounds content and the total antioxidant activity, improving the fruit nutritional quality.

Foliar applications of calcium and potassium increase cracking resistance and enhance fruit quality in sweet cherries

Sweet cherry production represents a competitive sector with important economic prospects but faces many challenges. Rain-induced cracking stands out as a particular issue, as it has been linked to yield losses of up to 90%. To address this concern and meet consumer demand, foliar treatments, involving a mixture of commercial products rich in calcium and potassium salts, have been tested in sweet cherry commercial orchards. This study was a randomized block experiment consisting of three blocks (ten plants each), five of which were treated and five were controls. The treatments were applied in addition to the standard cultivation practice throughout the season. Observations were made on the SPAD index and shoot elongation, and in post-harvest, cherries were analyzed for qualitative characteristics (skin color, caliber, firmness, total soluble content, titratable acidity and cracking index) and nutraceutical parameters (total anthocyanin content, total phenols content and antioxidant activity). Results indicate that foliar salt application can facilitate the maturation process, indicated by a higher soluble solid content (TSS), softening, and darker pigmentation in treated fruits. The applied formulations also provided increased shoot growth and enhanced SPAD index. Furthermore, the treated fruits exhibited a significantly lower incidence of cracking compared to the control treatment and showed improved nutraceutical properties

RESPONSE OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM) TO NP ORGANIC FERTILIZER (RICH IN PHOSPHORUS) AND CALCIUM

This current research proceeded during the growing season of 2021 at the Al-Nakhil Station, Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq, to evaluate the response of hybrid tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) ‘OULA F1’ to foliar application of organic fertilizers NP and calcium. The first factor included spraying phosphorous and nitrogen with three concentrations (0, 1, and 2 ml.L-1), while the second consisted of calcium spray with three different concentrations (0, 1.25, and 2.5 ml.L-1). The experiment was setup according to the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in a factorial arrangement. The results showed that the organic fertilizer rich in phosphorus at a concentration of 2 ml.L-1 significantly improved the traits, i.e., plant height (49.98 cm), leaf number (34.80 leaves.plant1), leaf area (3775.90 cm2.plant-1), shoot dry weight (156.70 g.plant-1), and leaf content of total chlorophyll (183.19 mg.l00g-1 FW) in comparison with the control treatment. Also, the same concentration of phosphorus revealed superiority in the percentage of N, P, K, and Ca in tomato leaves and fruit yield per plant (1.79%, 0.71%, 2.23%, 1.69%, and 2.89% kg.plant-1, respectively), compared with the control treatment. Moreover, the results further revealed that the organic calcium fertilizer at a concentration of 2.5 ml L-1 realized the highest averages for plant height, leaf number, leaf area, shoot dry weight, leaf N percent, leaf P percent, leaf K percent, and fruit yield per plant by 52.39 cm, 35.27 leaves.plant-1, 3850.20 cm2.plant-1, 175.73 g.plant-1, 1.74%, 0.70%, 2.17%, and 3.12 kg.plant-1, respectively. The foliar application of calcium at a concentration of 1.25 ml.L-1 provided the maximum total chlorophyll (175.03 mg.l00g-1 FW) and Ca (1.74%) in the leaves.

Effect of foliar application of different nutrients on growth, yield, and quality of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Sankhu, Kathmandu, Nepal

A study was conducted from January to June 2021 in the farmer’s field at Shankharapur-7, Sankhu, Kathmandu, Nepal to assess the effectiveness of the foliar application of different nutrients for potato production. The field experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with six treatments, T1: zinc at 560 ppm, T2: magnesium at 0.4 %, T3: boron at 100 ppm, T4: calcium at 0.8 %, T5: copper at 1 %, and T6: control and were replicated four times. The chemicals were sprayed 30 and 40 days after planting until runoff. The highest tuber yield was obtained with the application of calcium at 0.8 % (38.57 Mtha-1) while the lowest marketable tuber yield was obtained with copper at 1 %. The highest calcium and zinc content in potato tuber was observed with the application of calcium at 0.8 % and zinc at 560 ppm respectively. Likewise, the application of zinc increased the protein percentage in tuber by 23 % compared to the control. Thus, it can be concluded that the foliar application of calcium at 0.8 % is the most economical resulting in the highest plant growth, yield, and producing the best quality potatoes under the climatic condition of Sankhu, Nepal.

Effect of Soil Moisture and Calcium Deficiency on Incidence of New Branch Necrosis and Tip-Burn in Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.)

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is the most important native species of Rhamnaceae, a large cosmopolitan family, and is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees in the world. In recent years, consumption of fresh fruit and big fruit jujube has increased. The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes and its alleviation techniques of new branch necrosis and tip-burn, which occur in jujube during the new branch growth period. As a result of analyzing the inorganic component content of leaves, the calcium content was markedly 1.48% of abnormal samples compared to 1.90% of normal samples appeared low. Also, the calcium content in a necrotic new branch was also 0.14%, which was very low compared to 0.76% in the normal sample. In addition, the incidence rate of tip-burn at -30 kPa by soil at starting point of irrigation was 16.53%, higher than 7.22% at -10 kPa. The incidence of tip-burn by calcium foliar application was 0.6%, which was very low compared to control of 4.3%. Therefore, this study suggests that the symptoms of necrosis of new branch and tip-burn that occur during the new branch growth period of Jujube are related to the calcium content in the plant and lack of soil moisture and that calcium foliar application is effective in alleviating the occurrence of these abnormal symptoms.Alleviation effect of leaf tip-burn by Ca foliar application.

Abscisic acid application regulates vascular integrity and calcium allocation within apple fruits

Calcium is a very poorly translocated nutrient in the flesh of apple fruits with the advancement of growth. Within the fruit, movement is further restricted toward distal portion relative to proximal. Even numerous foliar applications of calcium do not always achieve the desired effect. Thus, the objective of this study was to enhance the calcium allocation in distal parts of apple fruit in response to whole plant application of abscisic acid (ABA). Five-year-old apple plants of Super Chief Sandidge on M9 were treated with ABA at 400 ppm, calcium chloride at 0.4% and water (Control) at four stages (30, 65, 100, and 135 days after full bloom (DAFB)), and then analyzed for xylem functionality and calcium allocation in leaf and various fruit tissues at 10 days after each treatment, i.e., S1—40, S2—75, S3—110, and S4—45 DAFB. The results obtained showed that xylem functionality started impairing just after S2; consequently, the calcium allocation was also reduced in middle and calyx portions of fruit after that stage. However, xylem functionality was significantly retained (up to 30%) in ABA-treated fruits at S4 stage, which in other treatments was found to be nil at the calyx end of the fruit. This retention of xylem tissue functionality enhanced allocation of calcium from roots in middle and calyx end of the apple fruit. Leaf calcium was reduced with ABA applications. With the enhancement of calcium in the fruits, increases in soluble solid content and titratable acidity were observed at maturity.

Foliar application of calcium and micronutrients for yield, quality and fruit shelf life enhancement in papaya var. Surya

An experiment was carried out to assess the effect of foliar application of micronutrients (boron and zinc) and calcium on yield characteristics, quality attributes and fruit shelf life of papaya (Carica papaya L.) var. Surya at College of Agriculture Vellayani during 2019-20.The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. Among different treatments, foliar application of borax (0.5%), zinc sulphate (0.5%) along with calcium nitrate (0.5%) had most favorable effect in increasing the yield characters likefruit weight (722 g), fruit length (21.0 cm), fruit girth (39.8 cm), fruit volume (709.3cc), pulp percentage(82.1%), flesh thickness (3.2cm), number of fruits plant-1 (50.5) and total yield plant-1 (36.5kg), qualitative attributes like TSS (14.5ºbrix), total carotenoids (2.2 mg 100g-1), ascorbic acid (65.3 mg 100g-1), total sugar (9.8 %)and shelf life of papaya fruits (7.0 days). The control plants showed the lowest values for fruit weight (384.2 g), fruit length (14.5 cm), fruit girth (26.8 cm), fruit volume (309cc), pulp percentage(61.3%), flesh thickness (1.8cm) and total yield plant-1 (13.6kg), qualitative attributes like TSS (11.1ºbrix), total carotenoids (1.4mg 100g-1), ascorbic acid (43.2mg 100g-1), total sugar (6.6%) and shelf life of papaya fruits (4.2 days). water spray recorded lowest value for number of fruits plant-1(35.2).

Foliar application of calcium and micronutrients for yield, quality and fruit shelf life enhancement in papaya var. Surya

An experiment was carried out to assess the effect of foliar application of micronutrients (boron and zinc) and calcium on yield characteristics, quality attributes and fruit shelf life of papaya (Carica papaya L.) var. Surya at College of Agriculture Vellayani during 2019-20.The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. Among different treatments, foliar application of borax (0.5%), zinc sulphate (0.5%) along with calcium nitrate (0.5%) had most favorable effect in increasing the yield characters likefruit weight (722 g), fruit length (21.0 cm), fruit girth (39.8 cm), fruit volume (709.3cc), pulp percentage(82.1%), flesh thickness (3.2cm), number of fruits plant-1 (50.5) and total yield plant-1 (36.5kg), qualitative attributes like TSS (14.5ºbrix), total carotenoids (2.2 mg 100g-1), ascorbic acid (65.3 mg 100g-1), total sugar (9.8 %)and shelf life of papaya fruits (7.0 days). The control plants showed the lowest values for fruit weight (384.2 g), fruit length (14.5 cm), fruit girth (26.8 cm), fruit volume (309cc), pulp percentage(61.3%), flesh thickness (1.8cm) and total yield plant-1 (13.6kg), qualitative attributes like TSS (11.1ºbrix), total carotenoids (1.4mg 100g-1), ascorbic acid (43.2mg 100g-1), total sugar (6.6%) and shelf life of papaya fruits (4.2 days). water spray recorded lowest value for number of fruits plant-1(35.2).

Combined foliar application of calcium, zinc, boron and time influence leaf nutrient status, vegetative growth, fruit yield, fruit biochemical and anti-oxidative attributes of “Chandler” strawberry

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of calcium (Ca), Boron (B) and Zinc (Zn) alone and in combination along with different times of application (pre-flowering stage, post fruit development and combined application at both stages) on the plant growth, yield and quality of strawberry fruit. Foliar application of Ca alone and combined with Zn and B were applied. The experiment was arranged under randomized complete block design in split plot arrangement. Irrespective to application time, strawberry plant sprayed with combined application of Ca, Zn and B exhibited significantly increased leaf macro-nutrients (N, P, K, Ca), micro-nutrients (Zn, B, Fe), average fruit weight, yield, fruit size, fruit firmness, significantly higher TSS:TA ratio, ascorbic acid contents, anthocyanin and also antioxidative enzymes activity viz. catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD)] than untreated plants. Similarly, spraying at both stages (pre-flowering and post-fruit development) significantly increased number of leaves, fruits, yield and average fruit weight, significantly higher fruit TSS:TA ratio, vitamin C, anthocyanin and also anti-oxidative enzymes viz. CAT, SOD and POD of strawberry fruit. In conclusion combined foliar application of Zn, B and Ca applied at pre-flowering stage and post fruit development significantly improved the vegetative growth, fruit yield, fruit bio-chemical attributes and antioxidative enzymes attributes.

Effects of foliar calcium applications and maturity stage on ‘Lemonato’ peach fruit quality and bruising severity

Effects of foliar calcium applications and maturity stage on ‘Lemonato’ peach fruit quality and bruising severity