Mr. Fertilizer
Calcium Nitrate is a colorless anhydrous salt and when combined with ammonium nitrate forms Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) used majorly as a fertilizer and also in cold packs. It is among the few fertilizers that are hygroscopic. Calcium Ammonium Nitrate is used as a nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture especially in acid soils for its mode of action is acidifying soils.
It is made up of 15.5% Nitrogen and 19% Calcium. Calcium Nitrate fertilizer enhances plants photosynthesis, reduces the soil acidity thus promoting the development of microorganisms in the soil that aid in the nitrogen fixation. Calcium Nitrate is an important fertilizer that plays a big role in the maintenance of healthy cell walls in plants, because of its higher solubility in the soil, it helps the plants in absorbing other important nutrients in the soil.
Calcium Nitrate fertilizer also helps in water regulation in plant tissues, improvement, and enhancement in photosynthesis, and also protecting the plants from biochemical stresses. This helps plants like tomato and apple produce healthy fruits. Additionally, Calcium Nitrate fertilizer is largely used in hydroponics growers who use it to dilute it into feeding tubes to nourish plants growing in water indoors.
Calcium Nitrate enhances uptake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium from the soil, as these are positively charged and fixed in the soil. The negative charge of nitrate releases them from the soil and thus promotes their uptake as the solution of calcium nitrate sprayed on leaves to roots also.
Nitrate increases soil pH, a combined effect of increased pH and strengthening of cell walls by calcium controls cluck root disease in brassica crops.
Foliar spray of Calcium Nitrate fertilizer during critical growth stages prevents bitter pit in apples, end rot in tomatoes and peppers, and flowering and fruit dropping.