Wanna use calcium nitrate fertilizer on your farm, but don’t know what it is? In what conditions should it be used? Don’t worry, I got you covered.
While I always kept my focus on organic as a dedicated organic farmer in India, I have “kept up” with the industry. In this blog, I will distill all that knowledge so you can not only understand its application but also its actual drawbacks that conventional farmers and big companies hide to sell more.
Interested? Let’s begin!
What are Calcium Nitrate Fertilizer Uses
First and foremost, let’s cover the definition and overall usage of calcium nitrate fertilizers. Simply put, calcium nitrate is a fertilizer that is used to improve quality and yield at the farm. It increases calcium in the plant, which in turn helps production of other minerals like potassium and magnesium.
Created by having nitric acid react with either calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate and utilizing a dehydration process until you get a white crystalline substance that is highly soluble in water. The chemical structure of calcium nitrate is as follows, represented by the chemical formula Ca(NO3)2, made from combining (HNO₃) with either (CaCO₃) or (Ca(OH)₂).
Unlike the ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrates, thanks to their neutral pH nature, do not cause soil acidification in the plant. It is highly soluble in water, hence, it can easily be absorbed by the roots of the plant and increase the level of calcium and nitrogen in the plant.
Hence, it is a crucial element in building specialty agricultural applications like greenhouse cultivation and hydroponic systems.
Once applied to soil or plants, calcium nitrate dissociates into its constituent ions:
- Calcium ions (Ca²⁺)
- Cell wall development
- Enzyme activation
- Osmotic pressure regulation
- Nitrate ions (NO₃⁻)
- Chlorophyll synthesis
- And Protein synthesis
In What Conditions Calcium Nitrate Fertilizer Is Used?
Okay, now that we thoroughly understand what it is, it’s time we look at what conditions it should be used. There are primarily 5 conditions that most farmers use calcium nitrate fertilizer for.
To Prevents All Calcium Deficiency
First, the most obvious use of calcium nitrate as a fertilizer is to increase the calcium in the plants. Basically, some Specific crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, require strong calcium levels to grow well and develop proper flavor. Calcium nitrate fertilizer helps address this deficiency by increasing the calcium through absorption.
To Fix Nitrogen Uptake
Proper flow of nitrogen is imperative for a crop. Without the nitrogen a crop can’t produce food with photosynthesis and develop weakness due to lack of protein. By spraying Calcium nitrate fertilizer on a crop mixed with water, farmers can help the crop develop new pathways to absorb more nitrogen from the air.
To Regulate Ph of the Plant.
Next up, the all important Ph value in the soil. Any plant generally needs a regulated pH content in its soil to reach its optimum growth. But, for commercial crops, it is an essential thing that determines your success. That’s why calcium nitrate fertilizer and all its different variants are used throughout the farms to keep the pH balance in check.
To Solving Soil Aeration and Structure Issue
Sometimes commercial crops experience tight soil aeration in its soil. Meaning, soil structure beneath the crop gets so tight that water isn’t able to properly flow and reach it. This eventually can stomp all growth. In order to fix this, calcium nitrate fertilizer is dissolved into clean water and sprayed on the ground around the crop. It first targets any soil clump together to open new pathways and then changes the overall structure by lessening its tightness.
To Fix Too Much Soil Salinity Build up
Last but not the least, calcium nitrate and all its variants can be incredibly useful if a farmer is trying to farm on soil with high salinity levels. Essentially, too much sodium in the soil prevents water from reaching the crop while also making tissues become dry and discolored. Calcium nitrate like fertilizer is applied to these lands months in advance to help regulate the sodium levels in the soil before planting begins.
Types of Calcium Nitrate Fertilizers
Alright, now that you are familiar with its nature and application, next you need a proper understanding of its different variants, because not all calcium nitrate fertilizers are created equal.
There are four specific variants to look out for, each with its unique applications and usages. These are: Granular Calcium Nitrate, Calcium Nitrate Liquid Fertilizer, Calcium Nitrate with Boron Fertilizer. Let’s look briefly at each one.
Granular Calcium Nitrate
First, it is the most popular form as a solid granular. Easy to handle and easy to use, it allows farmers to spray it directly on the ground or mix it in with soil itself. Regardless of the method they end up using, the crop is guaranteed to receive a boost in both calcium and nitrogen instantly.
Calcium Nitrate Liquid Fertilizer
The second most popular form is a crucial element for setting up and regulating hydroponic systems. Hydroponic systems, for those unaware, are a kind of method where roots for each plant or crop is suspended in nutrient-rich water solution, completely removing any need for using the conventional soil.
Hence, there is a need for water to be regulated with Ph, nutrients, nitrogen, calcium etc. Thus, instead of getting a granular form of calcium nitrate, for the hydroponic system, people use, already liquified version called Liquid calcium nitrate fertilizer.
Calcium Nitrate with Boron Fertilizer
Boron is a micro nutrient that helps a crop develop better cell wall formation and more efficient sugar transport pathway within the plant. Resulting in a stronger system that increases fruit development capabilities. Hence, calcium nitrate with boron fertilizer is simply a supercharged version of regular calcium nitrate fertilizer to boost early flower development that ensure advantageous results for crops particularly vulnerable to boron insufficiencies. For example, apples and grapes.
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer (CAN)
And finally, the variant mixes with ammonium for the farmer looking for a supercharged version for soil with low pH. Calcium ammonium nitrate fertilizer (CAN) offers the benefits of better disease prevention, improved nutrient uptake, and promotes root development, while having a near-neutral effect on soil pH.
Drawbacks Of Calcium Nitrate Fertilizers
With all the types, benefits and applications covered, you might think you’re ready to use. Well, not quite, there are some very specific drawbacks you have to go through. Here are the most prevalent ones;
Over Reliance Can Become A Burden
With an ability of properly regulating the minor elements the pH, calcium, nitrogen and magnesium, thus, getting better overall control on taste, quality, and yield. A small but business oriented farmer might think of tapping into the high ticket from the get-go!.
However, they should keep in mind that all variants of calcium nitrate fertilizer are more expensive than traditional fertilizers and given the swiftness of Indian consumers toward more health conscious organic farmed produce. Slowly going to get out of fashion. In short, it might be a good deal in the beginning, but in the long term, over-reliance on synthetic fertilizers is guaranteed to hurt business for the farmers.
Quality of the Soil Can Suffer and Degrade
It’s not a secret anymore, all forms of non-organic synthetic fertilizers are bad for soil. Calcium nitrate fertilizer, when overused, can directly increase soil salinity and pH instead of helping farmers regulate it, leading directly into soil quality degradation. Particularly, in region with more aggressive form of commercial agriculture like Haryana and Punjab, degradation of the soil can decrease crop yields by up to ⅕ and stunt growth for a while.
Shipping and Storage Challenges
Now, you are acquiring your fertilizer from outside the states and planning to bring it to your farmland. You need to invest heavily, a storage container with adequate ventilation to prevent moisture buildup.
Both shipping and storing is a major issue for all high humidity level states and coastal regions of India. You can experience an estimated 10% to 15% loss during transport, and 10% to 15% more if you store them in an inadequate storage unit without ventilation.
Conclusion
Armed with knowledge above, hopefully, you were able to grasp calcium nitrate fertilizer uses and how to get the best result. This will ideally help you make a better decision regarding the direction you want to take with calcium nitrate fertilizer and its variants
Also, if you are going with a big brand, make sure to read its label and confirm its originality, as it is not strange to see counterfeit fertilizer and pesticide ruining an unassuming farmer’s crops. Otherwise, you can also choose to try to experiment with upcoming organic versions of calcium nitrate fertilizer too.
Regardless of what you decide, you wanna make sure and slow and steady into the farmland. That’s only to ensure proper damage control for the crops, if you need it.