What about calcium deficiency in citrus?

During the growth of citrus, there is not only a high demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also a high demand for calcium. If citrus is lack of calcium, it will not only cause fruit drop, but also grow abnormal fruit, seriously affecting the yield and quality. So what about citrus calcium deficiency? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction.

1. The demand for calcium

Calcium is one of the essential minerals for the growth and development of citrus. Generally speaking, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are called essential elements for crop growth, which are often higher than other elements. For citrus, the demand for calcium is not lower than that of phosphorus. Calcium can combine with pectic acid in fruit, which can reduce one of the decomposition of cell wall, improve the firmness of fruit and the toughness of peel, and reduce the phenomenon of citrus fruit cracking. In addition, calcium can also inhibit the formation of ethylene, delay the senescence of citrus fruits and make citrus fruits resistant to storage. in addition, calcium has a variety of physiological functions, which can promote cell elongation and root growth.

2. Symptoms of calcium deficiency

In general, citrus calcium deficiency can be shown in three aspects, namely, leaves, roots and fruits. When the leaves are deficient in calcium, the new leaf tip turns yellow and gradually expands to the leaf margin, making the leaves small and narrow. As the calcium deficiency becomes more and more serious, the yellowing area expands. There will also be the phenomenon of dead leaves and fallen leaves. When the root system is deficient in calcium, the root growth is weak and the fibrous root is less, and when it is serious, the root system will blacken and rot easily. When the fruit is deficient in calcium, the fruit is small in the early stage, the fruit will crack in the later stage, and the fruit becomes soft, so it is not suitable for storage.

3. Symptoms of calcium deficiency

First of all, the content of calcium ion in soil is low, especially in acidic soil, calcium deficiency is very easy to occur, in addition, the content of organic matter in soil is low, resulting in serious loss of calcium ions. The application of a large amount of acidic chemical fertilizer during fertilization will accelerate the loss of calcium, or partial application of nitrogen fertilizer during fertilization will inhibit the absorption of calcium by roots and cause calcium deficiency in plants. In addition, when the soil is stagnant or consolidated, the content of calcium in the soil will be reduced, and the absorption of it by the root system will be hindered.

4. Calcium supplement measures

For the soil with high acidity, the acidity and alkalinity can be regulated by mixing an appropriate amount of lime powder or plant ash into the base fertilizer during soil preparation and fertilization. Watering in time during drought to keep the soil moist, improve the absorption of calcium by roots, be reasonable and scientific in fertilization, reduce the excessive application of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer, reduce the resistance among elements, and improve the absorption of calcium by roots. In the later stage, if the plant is deficient in calcium, it can be supplemented by foliar spraying.

The above is the introduction of citrus calcium deficiency. I hope it can help you. If you want to know more about it, please follow us.