What makes a good relationship – maybe shared understanding, good communication, the same values?
What about between nutrients? Let’s look at calcium and boron. They’re vital to each other and have a symbiotic relationship. That means that if your soil is short on one, then the other is more difficult to get into the plant.
Both calcium and boron do not translocate in plants, meaning they will not go from one part of the plant to the other. So, when you have new growth, if you’re short on a nutrient, the calcium will not move from the old growth to the new growth.
“You’ll just be deficient…that’s why it is important to give it a continuous supply,” said Abe Isaak, AgroLiquid western region agronomist.
For boron, the same is true. That’s why it is important to give your crops a continuous supply throughout the whole growing season.
Timing
There are times during the season where it becomes even more important. For instance, in the beginning of the growing season, nutrients are particularly important. Whether you’re growing a permanent crop or an annual, you need to have the boron available when reproduction starts, like when a plant starts to flower. If you’re short on boron from flowering, such as grapes or almonds, you might not get a good nut set or berry set, and you’ll find yourself short on yield.
One of the problems that happens when you’re short on calcium, is that calcium needs boron in order to be picked up by the plant.
Specifically, calcium is important for cell walls. When you have that cell division start in the spring, you get cell division. Now it wants to fill those cell walls and build those cell walls. Calcium is a component that’s vital for that. It gives that cell a little strength in both your crop and in the leaf.
If you’re looking at good, thick, healthy leaves, and they have that good waxy feel to them, chances are your calcium levels are very good in that plant. Good calcium levels will also help it be disease and pest resistant.
As a result, Isaak said, “You can save yourself a lot of aggravation and time by keeping calcium levels up high.”
Pollination
Again, it’s important to keep that flower open, and keep that pistol on that flower firm and receptive to pollination. So that when that bee or that pollination from another plant comes in there, it hits it, it’ll set, and you will end up with nice, even crops through your field.
“One of the key factors we always want to look at from the AgroLiquid standpoint is – what does your soil test say? There’s some wonderful information that you can gather from a soil test,” Isaak said.
Base saturation on calcium is one of the vital ones, and growers would look for it being between 65 and 75%.
Then look at your boron level. If your parts per million are less than 1 part per million, that’s good. But if it’s lower than 0.2, that’s not as good. You might think about adding a nutrient, either through foliar spray or through soil application.
For more information, check back on your soil tests, yields, and the quality of your fruit.
“If it’s not quite where you want it to be, it might be time to come in with that boron, and that will help that calcium and you’ll see a wonderful, wonderful thing at work together,” Isaak said.
Boron and calcium working together help with:
- Cell wall strength: Calcium is a building block of plant cell walls. Boron helps with calcium uptake and use, leading to stronger cells that are more resistant to pests and diseases.
- Flower and fruit development: Boron plays a role in pollen tube growth and successful pollination, while calcium improves proper cell division and expansion in developing fruits. Together, they promote abundant flowering, high fruit set, and improved fruit quality.
- Nutrient transport and uptake: Calcium helps with the movement of nutrients within the plant, while boron improves the absorption of elements like calcium from the soil. Their combined action improves nutrient availability and distribution through the plant.
- Stress tolerance: Both boron and calcium help plants withstand stresses like drought, heat, and cold. Boron improves root growth and water uptake, while calcium strengthens cell membranes and reduces water loss.
- Overall plant health: By working together to strengthen cell walls, improve nutrient uptake, and deliver better stress tolerance, boron and calcium contribute to overall plant health. This results in better growth and higher yields.
Good relationships are important – for people and for nutrients. Happily, the formula for boron and calcium is both simple and clear.
For more information, watch our video: Agronomic Advisor Focus | Relationship Between Calcium and Boron.
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