page_title: Calcium deficiency (plant disorder)
section_title: Treatment
hierarchical_section_title: Calcium deficiency (plant disorder) / Treatment
caption_attribution_description: Close up of Blossom-end rot in tomato; due to low calcium concentration in fruit; dissection
context_page_description: Calcium deficiency is a plant disorder that can be caused by insufficient level of biologically available calcium in the growing medium, but is more frequently a product of low transpiration of the whole plant or more commonly the affected tissue. Plants are susceptible to such localized calcium deficiencies in low or non-transpiring tissues because calcium is not transported in the phloem. This may be due to water shortages, which slow the transportation of calcium to the plant, poor uptake of calcium through the stem, or too much nitrogen in the soil.
context_section_description: Calcium deficiency can sometimes be rectified by adding agricultural lime to acid soils, aiming at a pH of 6.5, unless the subject plants specifically prefer acidic soil. Organic matter should be added to the soil to improve its moisture-retaining capacity.  However, because of the nature of the disorder (i.e. poor transport of calcium to low transpiring tissues), the problem cannot generally be cured by the addition of calcium to the roots.  In some species, the problem can be reduced by prophylactic spraying with calcium chloride of tissues at risk.
  Plant damage is difficult to reverse, so  corrective action should be taken immediately, supplemental applications of calcium nitrate at 200 ppm nitrogen, for example. Soil pH should be tested, and corrected if needed, because calcium deficiency is often associated with low pH. 
  Early fruit will generally have the worst symptoms, with them typically lessening as the season progresses. Preventative measures, such as irrigating prior to especially high temperatures and stable irrigation will minimize the occurrence.
caption: Dissection of grape tomato with blossom end rot
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