Calcium Nitrate Fertiliser in Nigeria –Boost your crop yield by up to 300%
Calcium nitrate is a colourless salt used for various purposes. It is called Norwegian Saltpeter. Calcium nitrate as a chemical formula of Ca(NO3)2. This inorganic compound and colourless salt can absorb moisture from the air.
Calcium nitrate is often used as a fertiliser by farmers to make their crops resilient and increase their yields.
Calmag is a type of fertiliser that can be used as an alternative to calcium nitrate.
What is calcium nitrate fertiliser?
Calcium nitrate fertiliser is the only calcium based fertiliser that is water soluble. It can be used for plants in greenhouses and hydroponic settings. It can also be used for crops planted on the soil. When calcium nitrate is reacted with ammonium nitrate, it forms a new type of fertiliser or compound called Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN). Aside the use of calcium nitrate as a fertiliser, it can also be used as cold packs.
The fertiliser proportion of calcium nitrate fertiliser is 15.5-0-0 + 19% Ca. Most calcium nitrate fertilizers contain 1.5% nitrogen (nitrates), 0% phosphorus, 0% potassium and 19% calcium. When magnesium is added to calcium nitrate, it turns to another type of fertiliser called calmag.
Calcium nitrate fertiliser is one of the most effective nitrogen fertilizers farmers can use for their crops. The form of nitrogen (nitrate) present in calcium nitrate is very efficient and fast acting on plants.
The nitrate in calcium nitrate fertiliser makes plants use the calcium nutrient much more efficiently. Calcium nitrate fertiliser also acts as pesticides as some plant’s diseases are controlled with the foliar application of calcium nitrate.
What is calcium nitrate used for?
Calcium nitrate is mostly used as a fertiliser. Calcium they say is the king of nutrients, without calcium, other nutrients cannot be moved around the plant. Calcium ensures that all nutrients work in harmony for the benefit of the crop.
Calcium nitrate fertiliser is also the most efficient calcium based fertiliser available to farmers. It is the only water soluble calcium fertiliser which is very fast acting on plants.
Calcium nitrate can also act as a pesticide. Calcium nitrate is used for the prevention of blossom end rot in tomatoes. It is also used to prevent and control some diseases like bitter pit in apple plants. There are evidences that calcium nitrate can reduce the incidences of blight, downy mildew and bacteria wilt.
Calcium nitrate can also be used to treat waste water. In most waste water treatment plants, calcium nitrate is extensively used for treatment of surplus sludge.
Calcium nitrate can also be used in the production of concrete and latex coagulant.
The benefits of calcium to plants
Calcium as a nutrient acts a tool or driver for the delivery of all nutrients to plants. A plant that is deficient in calcium will also show deficiency to most if not all nutrients. Without adequate and quality supply of calcium, plants will not assimilate other nutrients in the soil. This is what calcium nitrate does as it is water soluble and fast acting.
Calcium improves soil aeration. The creation of small pores in the soil makes room for effective and efficient exchange of oxygen between the soil and the plant. Calcium enables the plant and the soil to breathe well, this leads to a significant improvement in the health of the plant and the yield. The improvement in soil aeration also reduces the incidences of soil borne diseases.
Calcium increases the turgidity of plant cells. The availability of calcium in plants improves the cell strength in plants. Crops with good level of calcium often have turgid leaves and stems. Pests do not like feasting on plants with turgid leaves and stems. Incidences of diseases and pests are greatly reduced when the plant cells are turgid.
Calcium with silica is known to strengthen the cell walls of plants. These two nutrients make it hard for pests to feed on plants. Calcium nitrate can make this possible.
Calcium also improves the quality of crop and fruits. Farmers often make the mistake of giving a lot of nitrogen and potassium to their crops and neglecting calcium. When you use a lot of nitrogen and potassium on your crops without using adequate calcium, the quality of the crop and its fruits will be poor.
Calcium is the king of all nutrients; it is the trucker or driver of all nutrients.
How to maximize the effects of calcium nitrate on plants
To maximize the positive effects of calcium nitrate, you may want to use a bit of boron. Boron is a nutrient that has a synergistic effect with calcium. Boron also improves the work of microbes in the soil and on the plant. There should be a fine balance between calcium and boron if you want to have a great crop yield.
Silica can also boost the efficiency of calcium nitrate fertiliser. Silica improves the uptake of calcium by plants. Silica is also a nutrient that improves the turgidity of cell walls just like calcium. The two nutrients can work hand in hand.
Humic acid can also improve the benefits of calcium to crops. Calcium nitrate when foliar sprayed can be mixed with humates. Fulvic acid or humic acid can be added to calcium nitrate to make calcium nitrate much more effective.
Mycorrhizal fungi can also boost the efficiency of calcium nitrate. Mycorrhizal fungi significantly increases the root mass of plants. When plants have large roots, they can access and assimilate more nutrients. Mycorrhizal fungi can also make plants use calcium more efficiently.
What is the price of calcium nitrate?
The price of calcium nitrate in Nigeria varies. Go to Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Benin, Owerri, Aba, Port Harcourt or anywhere in Nigeria, you are likely to get a different price for this unique type of fertiliser.
The price or cost of 25kg of calcium nitrate in Nigeria ranges from N8,000 – N20,000. You should be careful when you see very cheap calcium nitrate fertilizers. They are likely to be sub—standard. Unscrupulous vendors know that Nigerians like super cheap goods, hence they sell sub-standard products to them using low price as the strategy.
Where to buy calcium nitrate fertiliser in Nigeria?
You can get calcium nitrate fertiliser and calmag fertiliser at Veggie Grow Limited. You can contact us by sending an email to sales@veggiegrow.ng or call 08025141924.
Veggie Grow markets quality calcium nitrate fertilizers and other agro inputs. Do not patronize unscrupulous sellers who will sell sub standard types of fertilisers to you.
How to use calcium nitrate fertiliser
Calcium fertiliser can be applied by top dressing or side dressing. The calcium nitrate fertiliser in crystal form is appropriate for side dressing and top dressing. The crystal form of calcium nitrate is low release, when applied; the plants can use it for a relatively long time.
The powder form of calcium nitrate can be used in greenhouses and for hydroponic purposes. The powder form can be mixed with water and fertigated to soil based plants and soilless based plants through venture injector or dosing pumps.
0.5% to 2% solution of calcium nitrate can also be applied to plants through foliar application. This can act as a fertiliser and pesticide.
Foliar application of calcium nitrate
Application of calcium nitrate or calmag fertiliser through the leaves through sprayers is faster acting than root or soil based application.
0.5% to 2% solution of calcium nitrate on the leaves of plants improves the cell strength of plants and the yield. It can also help in preventing and controlling some types of diseases and pests.
To apply calcium nitrate on the leaves, you need to half fill your sprayer, then add the required quantity of calcium nitrate to the sprayer. Ensure the calcium nitrate fertiliser fully dissolves before filling up the sprayer. Shake the filled up sprayer vigorously so the fertiliser can mix with the water effectively.
Foliar application of calcium nitrate and calmag fertiliser can quickly correct calcium deficiency. Top dressing and side dressing this fertiliser is not as fast acting as foliar application.
What crops can I use calcium nitrate for?
Calcium nitrate and its alternative like calmag fertiliser can be used for all crops. Using this fertiliser for vegetables like cucumbers, tomato, pepper, okra, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and watermelon etc. can increase their yield significantly.
Calcium nitrate can also be used on crops like plantain, cocoa, cashew, oil palm, sweet corn, maize and sorghum etc. This fertiliser can increase the yield of all crops.
Our research or study on the use of calcium nitrate
We conducted an empirical study on the efficacy of calcium nitrate on cucumbers, the result of our research showed that calcium nitrate can significantly improve the yield of crops.
We planted cucumbers on three plots of land.
We used only chicken manure on the first plot (plot A); we used NPK and chicken manure on the second plot (plot B) and NPK, chicken manure and calcium nitrate on the third plot (plot C).
The results are shown below:
| Plot A | Plot B | Plot C | |
| Yield (Tonnes) | 1.5 | 3 | 6 |
The plot we applied calcium nitrate to recorded a yield of 6 tonnes of cucumber. This represented 300% increase in yield compared to the plot where manure only was applied to.
We also noticed lesser incidences of downy mildew on the plot we applied calcium nitrate. This further cement the assertion that calcium nitrate can prevent and control diseases.
Experiences of farmers on the use of calcium nitrate and calmag fertiliser
Mr. Lasisi (not real name) is a tomato farmer in Oke-Ogun area in Oyo State, Nigeria. He has grown tomatoes for over 20 years but hardly makes any profit. He experiences tomato blossom end rot on his tomatoes every season.
Mr. Lasisi contacted us and we advise him to use calcium nitrate or calmag. We also advise him on how to balance the cations and how to use different types of fertilisers efficiently.
After implementing our advice, Mr. Lasisi was able to reduce the rate of blossom end rot on his farm by 98%. He also found out that the incidences of bacteria wilt and blight diseases reduced by 81% and 60% respectively. He increased his yield on his tomato farm by over 160%, thanks to his newly acquired knowledge of how to use calcium nitrate and balance the nutrients his crops require.
Today, Mr. Lasisi has expanded his tomato farm and he is able to plant during the rainy season for the first time. Mr. Lasisi has built a small house from the proceeds of his tomato farm. Truly, knowledge is power.
Haruna is a yam farmer in Wukari, Taraba State. Haruna uses only NPK fertiliser and manure for cultivating yam. He has never heard of calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, magnesium nitrate and other specialized fertilisers.
We advised Wukari to use calcium nitrate and other types of fertilisers on his yam farm. Haruna used significant quantity of calmag fertiliser and potassium nitrate fertiliser during the tuber bulking period of his yam crop.
During harvest, Haruna was shocked with the size of his yam tubers. His fellow farmers were surprised because of the huge size of his yam tubers. Thanks to calcium and other types of fertilisers.
All our customers who used calcium nitrate have good stories to share. Why not join these farmers and get superb yield by using calcium nitrate for your crops.
Alternatives to calcium nitrate
The most appropriate alternative to calcium nitrate fertiliser is calmag fertiliser. Calmag fertiliser is a mix of calcium nitrate and magnesium. With calmag fertiliser, you do not need to add magnesium sulphate or magnesium nitrate to your calcium nitrate fertiliser.
Single Super Phosphate (SSP) also has calcium, though the calcium in SSP fertiliser is not soluble, it takes time for the plant to use it. We do not advise the use of SSP in lieu of calcium nitrate because th calcium in it is not soluble.
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) is also a type of fertiliser with calcium. It can be used as an alternative to calcium nitrate
Do you want to increase your crop yield, contact us by sending an email to sales@veggiegrow.ng or call 08025141924 to get quality calcium nitrate fertiliser or calmag fertiliser.
