Improving Calcium Flow In Soft And Top Fruits
Calcium nutrition for fruit crops
Fruit crops are at peak demand for calcium due to pollination, setting fruit and completing cell division. Deficiencies in strawberry crops can manifest itself as tip burn, or necrotic tissue on leaves and on flower trusses. A severe deficiency can lead to flower abortion and the death of the truss which has consequences for picked yield from a plantation. In apples, insufficient calcium can lead to inconsistencies in fruit quality and bitter pit, with varieties such as Honeycrisp being extremely calcium sensitive.
Calcium Deficiencies in 2026
Because calcium is immobile in the plant, effective uptake requires an active transpiration stream to move it from one cell to the next and fruits are particularly vulnerable to poor calcium flow. Plants can have difficulty in uptake due to rapid changes in temperature and humidity under cover which can happen at dawn and dusk, and during repeating periods of high radiation followed by cloud cover.
Top fruit crops may also find calcium uptake difficult as groundwater levels are beginning to drop in the south of England and are predicted to continuously drop as spring turns into summer. Therefore, with a decreasing moisture level in the soil, uptake of calcium by the crop becomes even harder.
Supporting Crop Growth With CalMax Ultra
To ensure calcium uptake is optimised and alleviate any potential deficiency symptoms, consider applying CalMax Ultra with the novel ingredient “AXM” to actively move calcium into a cell so that tissues do not run out of calcium when they need it.
Alternative products rely on the passive diffusion and are highly dependent on good weather to get calcium into leaves. Whereas the AXM in CalMax Ultra is an active transport promoter that acts like a “pump primer” for calcium movement into plant cells.
It is designed to help calcium cross cell membranes and be deposited inside tissues where it is physiologically useful, rather than remaining on the leaf surface or in the apoplast.
CalMax UltraImproving Calcium Flow In Soft And Top Fruits with CalMax Ultra
CalMax Ultra with AXM is formulated to overcome these biological bottlenecks by:
- Enhancing membrane permeability and transport processes
- Promoting active movement of Ca²⁺ ions into cells
- Reducing reliance on passive transpiration flow
The AXM is:
- An additive that stimulates active calcium transport
- Effective even when transpiration and metabolic activity are low
- Improving cell‑level Ca accumulation, not just surface absorption
To actively move calcium into cells, improve calcium uptake, reduce bitter pit and improve fruit storage quality, apply CalMax Ultra at 0.5-1.0L/ ha every week in soft fruit crops and at 1-3L/ha every 14-21 days in top fruit crops. Combine with Kelpak at 2-3L/ ha to alleviate abiotic stress caused by fluctuations in microclimate.
For further information contact your local OMEX crop nutrition agronomist.