Sub-micronized calcium for better quality crops

Delivering the right amount of calcium at the right time

A crop’s demand for available calcium spikes to a high level at the onset of fruit, tuber, nut or bulb formation. A calcium deficiency at this point in development results in dividing cells being unable to stay bound together. This causes problems like hollow heart in potatoes, blossom end rot in tomatoes, and poor storability.

ENCOURAGE® NANOCAL® is a readily available, soil-applied calcium supplement that dramatically improves fruit and tuber quality. Unlike typical calcium additives with particle sizes up to 80 microns, NANOCAL is milled to less than one micron.

NANOCAL’s improved calcium uptake benefits include:

  • Increased firmness in fruit or flesh
  • Better uniformity of maturity
  • Increased yield and coloring
  • Reduction in calcium deficiency-based physiological disorders
  • Improved shelf life and storability

Soil Health

Growers have always known the value of calcium in producing healthy crops. However, the challenge has been how to deliver enough readily available calcium to fruits and tubers at the right time in their development. Maintaining calcium levels with a comprehensive soil fertility program is important but may not provide the level of available calcium demanded by a developing crop.

The only way to prevent insufficient calcium in the developing produce is to increase the concentration of soluble calcium in the soil immediately surrounding the crop’s root system.

NANOCAL is a liquid, soil-applied product with calcium particles milled to less than 1 micron in size. This micronized particle size addresses some of the shortcomings of larger sized particles found in other calcium sources.

NANOCAL is formulated to be applied at bloom in fruits and vegetables and hook initiation in potatoes so the sub-micron particles are available to the developing crop. This timing takes the guess work out of whether there is enough calcium available when demand skyrockets during the critical period of cell division in the crop’s development.

We guarantee that when you choose Oro Agri products for your operation, you can GROW WITH CONFIDENCE.

ENCOURAGE NANOCAL

The one-micron-sized calcium found in NANOCAL provides roots a denser field of calcium particle for uptake. Unlike other calcium additives that are far too big to be readily absorbed, NANOCAL’s unique nano-sized calcium carbonate allows the immediate movement into the meristematic region of growing roots for superior fruit and tuber development.

NANOCAL’s 1-micron size is small enough to be immediately taken up by plants.

Foliar-applied calcium will not translocate to roots.

The movement of calcium is primarily through a plant’s transpiration system. For the plant to grow, a steady supply of calcium and water must be supplied by the root system. NANOCAL prevents calcium deficiency by delivering a high concentration of soluble calcium in the soil immediately surrounding the plant’s root system.

Soil-applied NANOCAL calcium particles are immediately available to developing tubers or fruit.

 

Soil flocculation for improved growing conditions.

An additional benefit of NANOCAL is soil structure improvement. After disassociation from the calcium carbonate molecule in the soil, the positively charged calcium ions bond to the negatively charged clay particles, which opens up pore space for better water and oxygen penetration and reduced resistance to root growth.

 Flocculation Before / After

The only calcium supplement with TransXylem™ technology.

The proprietary TransXylem™ technology in NANOCAL facilitates easy movement of material upward from the roots to the fruits and other parts of the plant. This translocation up the xylem ensures calcium is delivered in the most effective way to benefit the entire plant.

Timing of applications:

  • Potatoes: Apply 1-3 weeks prior to hook
  • Stone and Pome fruit: Apply at petal fall
  • Indeterminate crops: Apply at bloom with subsequent applications every 14 to 21 days for continuous crop development
  • Other crops: Apply just before fruit/vegetable initiation

Calcium increases by crop

Calcium Increases in Potatoes

Oro-Agri ENCOURAGE NANOCAL Calcium Uptake in Potatoes

Calcium Increases by Crop

Oro-Agri ENCOURAGE NANOCAL Calcium Uptake by Crop