Rectifying Calcium Deficiency in Plants through Soil and Foliar Application in Calcareous Soils: A Global Review

Sajid Farid¹, Saadia Razzaq²

¹ Head of Farm Advisory Centre, FFC Pakistan.

² Associate Professor, Department of Education, Islamabad Model College for Girls, Islamabad, Pakistan. 

Abstract

Calcium (Ca) deficiency in plants grown on calcareous soils is a major agronomic and physiological issue, even though such soils contain high levels of calcium carbonate. This paradox occurs because plant calcium nutrition depends not only on total soil Ca, but also on calcium availability in the soil solution, root uptake, transpiration, xylem transport, and distribution to developing tissues. Calcareous soils, common in arid and semi-arid regions, are typically characterized by high pH, bicarbonate dominance, low organic matter, and nutrient imbalances that can restrict effective Ca uptake and partitioning. As a result, plants may develop localized Ca-deficiency disorders such as blossom-end rot, bitter pit, tip burn, fruit cracking, weak cell walls, and reduced postharvest quality. Global research indicates that soil-applied calcium sources such as gypsum and calcium nitrate can improve root-zone calcium supply and soil physical conditions under some circumstances, but their effectiveness is often limited in calcareous soils where total Ca is already abundant. Foliar application, particularly with calcium chloride or calcium nitrate, has shown beneficial effects on fruit firmness, cracking resistance, and storage quality, although responses vary by crop species, developmental stage, spray timing, and tissue absorptive capacity. The broader literature suggests that neither soil nor foliar application alone is consistently sufficient. Instead, the most effective correction strategy is integrated management involving accurate diagnosis, stable irrigation, balanced nutrition, improved root-zone conditions, and crop-specific Ca supplementation. This review synthesizes global research on correcting calcium deficiency in calcareous soils through soil and foliar application.     

Keywords: Calcium deficiency, Calcareous soils, Calcium transport, Foliar application, Soil amendments, Fruit quality, Integrated nutrient management

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