Is calcium chloride too expensive to use in crop production?
What are the major uses of calcium chloride in agriculture?
What are the names of your products and how are they used?
How can I determine if I have a sodium problem?
I have used sulfuric acid and gypsum for leaching salt from my field. How effective is N-Cal compared to sulfuric acid and gypsum?
Your product contains chlorides. Won’t adding more chlorides to my soil cause problems?
What are the application methods?
Can your liquid products be tank mixed with pesticides and herbicides?
Does the calcium leach quickly?
Where are your production plants?
Do your products contain any heavy metals?
Do you have an organic registration?
Is calcium chloride too expensive to use in crop production?
No. Because calcium chloride is 100% water soluble, less product and less water is needed to achieve the desired results. It is a cost effective nutrient source when compared against other products used in crop production.
What are the major uses of calcium chloride in agriculture?
It is an excellent source of both calcium and chloride for crops. It is also used as a soil amendment treatment to reduce sodium levels in soil. Calcium chloride improves soil tilth and reduces crusting. It is used as a preharvest treatment (foliar applications) to reduce physiological disorders, such as bitter pit in apples and blossom-end rot in tomatoes. Calcium chloride may also be used as a post harvest dip treatment to improve the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
What are the names of your products and how are they used?
Hi-Cal™ liquid 0-0-12 is a 12% calcium and 24% chloride product. Hi-Cal is applied as a direct source of calcium and chloride in crops. All of our liquid products are derived from Hi-Cal.
N-Cal® liquid 212 is the workhorse of our product group, and contains 2% nitrogen that is derived from urea and 12% calcium. It is applied as a source of calcium, and is an excellent soil amendment additive.
SODEX® liquid 5-0-0-12 contains 5% nitrogen that is derived from urea and is our recommended product for turf.
Cor-Clear is 100% soluble dry calcium chloride, and contains 34% calcium and 58% chloride. Cor-Clear is used as a fruit tree spray to provide an available source of calcium.
How can I determine if I have a sodium problem?
Visual observations such as poor water penetration, compacted soil, soil crusting and poor vegetative growth are the first indicators of a sodium problem. More quantitative measures often used to determine sodium damage include analyzing the soil for its electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and sodium content. Values recommended for good growing conditions are: EC 2-4, SAR < 12 and a sodium level <500 ppm. The N-Cal® product technology provides a soluble source of calcium to quickly leach sodium from the root zone resulting in increased water uptake, improved nutrient utilization and rapid restoration of crops and vegetation.
I have used sulfuric acid and gypsum for leaching salt from my field. How effective is N-Cal compared to sulfuric acid and gypsum?
University studies have shown that N-Cal® fertilizer leached a third more sodium than sulfuric acid-based fertilizers and was 100% more effective than gypsum.
Your product contains chlorides. Won’t adding more chlorides to my soil cause problems?
Research has shown that chloride fertilizers do not contribute to soil salinity. The rates of application of N-Cal® fertilizer and Hi-Cal fertilizer will not contribute to chloride buildup in the soil or in the plant. The calcium (Ca+2) contained in our products replaces the weaker sodium (Na+) which increases leaching and water movement through the soil profile, readily moving chloride and sodium below the root zone.
What are the application methods?
Our liquid products, Hi-Cal, N-Cal and SODEX, can be introduced with the irrigation water of all types. They can be tank mixed for sprays onto stone fruits and apples, and used as a concentrated spray on the soil prior to crop emergence. Our dry product, Cor-Clear, should be applied following the directions on the label.
Can your liquid products be tank mixed with pesticides and herbicides?
Usually. Most pesticides and herbicides can be mixed with calcium chloride, but we recommend jar testing before mixing with any product for the first time.
Does the calcium leach quickly?
We have completed studies at Stephen F. Austin State University. The findings have shown that, in a soil with a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 2, adequate calcium levels were maintained in the soil cross section with irrigation equivalent of up to 12 inches of rainfall.
Where are your production plants?
Amboy, California; Cadiz, California; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Parkersburg, Virginia.
Do your products contain any heavy metals?
No. Our products contain no heavy metals.
Do you have an organic registration?
Yes. Hi-Cal is listed with OMRI, but only for foliar applications.
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