Water-soluble Calcium (WCa) - Japan - ARI
by the Asian Rural Institute
submitted August 2019
Water-soluble Calcium (WCa)
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What is Water-soluble Calcium (WCa)?
Water-soluble Calcium (WCa) is a liquid fertilizer. It is made from local resources which contain calcium, such as egg shells, oyster shells and crab shells. If we mix vinegar and substances which contain calcium, they have reactions and we can make a calcium saturated solution with vinegar. We call it Water-soluble Calcium (WCa). Plants can absorb it more easily compared to the solid form of calcium and vinegar itself can make plants harder and stronger against disease.
What are the functions of calcium in the plants?
Calcium contributes to better utilization of carbohydrates and protein.
Calcium is a major element in forming cell membranes.
Calcium enables smooth cell division.
Calcium bonds with organic acid to rid harmful substances in the body.
Calcium prevents over-growth of crops.
Calcium hardens the plant’s fruits
Calcium prolongs the storage period
Calcium promotes crops' absorption of phosphoric acid and helps crops accumulate nutrients.
What happens if calcium is lacking in the body of plants?
If there is calcium deficiency:
Protoplasm of cells cannot form properly.
Roots and hair roots become feeble.
The leaves will dry out and turn brown.
In the case of peanuts, it causes empty shells.
In the case of tomatoes, it causes bottom rot.
How to make WCa
Calcium is abundant in egg, oyster and crab shells. The best is egg shells.
Collect eggshells and take the inside peel out.
Crush the shells.
Lightly roast the shells to remove any organic substances that can rot.
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Put the roasted shells in a container filled with brown rice vinegar.
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If you do not have brown rice vinegar, you can use fruit vinegar or local wine vinegar. The eggshells will move up and down, emitting bubbles, and melt to become a neutralized liquid. When there are no more bubbles with the eggshells, it means the solution is saturated and ready to use.
How to use WCa
Calcium moves carbohydrate from the body (leaf and branch) to the storage organs (fruit). It is effective when crops have overgrown, leaves have bad color or no shine, floral differentiation is weak, flower blossoms just fall, fruits do not ripen and the fruits are not sweet. Dilute it by 500 - 1000 times and spray on the leaves, flowers, and fruits.
① WCa is effective in converting plants' nutritive cycle from vegetative to reproductive growth (the change-over period).
② Apply WCa to the flower bud and you will get good fruits and a big yield next year.
③ Apply WCa on the leaves after the fruits have become large. It prevents overgrowth and gets a sweet hard fruit.
④ Apply WCa with seawater and false acacia Fermented Plant Juice and you can see more effects. As crops enter the later stages of their life cycle, they need calcium, salt, and a variety of minerals. Calcium and salt are very important for their health. Focus only on NPK is wrong.
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