Calcium and Transpiration in Plants

Calcium is an important macronutrient for various physiological processes in plants, primarily in strengthening cell walls, regulating enzymes, and enabling cell signaling. As a component of calcium pectate, it provides rigidity to cell walls which enhances the structural integrity and resilience of plant tissues. 

This macronutrient also influences enzyme activity, particularly those involved in cellular signaling and stress response. This allows plants to adapt to environmental changes effectively. Furthermore, calcium acts as a secondary messenger in signal transduction pathways that help cells respond to physiological and environmental signals.

Unlike other nutrients, calcium’s movement within the plant relies heavily on transpiration. It is absorbed passively from the soil and transported through the xylem along with water via the transpiration stream. When transpiration rates decrease, as commonly observed in high-humidity environments, calcium movement becomes limited, leading to deficiencies in actively growing tissues like young leaves and fruits. 

Since calcium cannot be readily redistributed once deposited, maintaining adequate transpiration is important to ensure consistent calcium supply to developing tissues. Insufficient calcium transport due to low transpiration can lead to physiological disorders, such as blossom end rot in tomatoes and tip burn in lettuce, which are characterized by localized tissue breakdown and necrosis in calcium-deficient areas.

Managing Calcium Deficiency

To effectively address calcium-related issues in hydroponic plants, growers must manage environmental factors that influence transpiration and calcium transport. Studies, such as those by Olle and Bender (2009) and Bugbee (2004), highlight that calcium, an immobile nutrient in plants, relies on transpiration flow to reach actively growing tissues. In hydroponic setups, optimized airflow, light intensity, and humidity balance are key to enhanced transpiration and calcium distribution.

For instance, maintaining enough airflow around plants can increase transpiration rates. Also, balanced light exposure contributes to photosynthesis and transpiration which indirectly aids calcium uptake. These strategies, along with a well-aerated root system, can maximize calcium absorption efficiency.

By implementing these environmental adjustments, growers can effectively reduce calcium deficiency symptoms, such as tipburn in leafy greens, ensuring healthier and stronger plant growth in hydroponic systems.

In addition, incorporating NutriHydro’s calcium chelate into the nutrient regimen allows for more efficient calcium distribution to growing tissues, which helps reduce issues such as tipburn and blossom end rot.

References:

Naeem, M., Ansari, A. A., & Gill, S. S. (2017). Essential plant nutrients. In Springer eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58841-4 

Hocking, B., Tyerman, S. D., Burton, R. A., & Gilliham, M. (2016). Fruit calcium: transport and physiology. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00569

Carrasco-Cuello, F., Jené, L., Dolcet-Sanjuan, R., Quiñones, A., Rufat, J., & Torres, E. (2024b). Differential response to calcium-labelled (44Ca) uptake and allocation in two peach rootstocks in relation to transpiration under in vitro conditions. Scientia Horticulturae, 326, 112718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112718 

Verma, S., Negi, N. P., Narwal, P., Kumari, P., Kisku, A. V., Gahlot, P., Mittal, N., & Kumar, D. (2022). Calcium signaling in coordinating plant development, circadian oscillations and environmental stress responses in plants. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 201, 104935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.104935 

Olle, M., & Bender, I. (2009). Causes and control of calcium deficiency disorders in vegetables: a review. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 84(6), 577–584. https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2009.11512568 

Petrazzini, L. L., Souza, G. A., Rodas, C. L., Emrich, E. B., Carvalho, J. G., & Souza, R. J. (2014). Nutritional deficiency in crisphead lettuce grown in hydroponics. Horticultura Brasileira, 32(3), 310–313. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-05362014000300012 

Thor, K. (2019). Calcium—Nutrient and messenger. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00440 

Bugbee, B. (2004). NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN RECIRCULATING HYDROPONIC CULTURE. Acta Horticulturae, 648, 99–112. https://doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2004.648.12