Influence of Calcium on the Development of Corn Plants Grown in Hydroponics

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of calcium on the development of corn plants grown with the omission and excess of calcium in a nutrient solution. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse from March to May 2012. Three concentrations of calcium (0, 200, and 600 mg Ca L−1) were added to the nutrient solution, which was renewed weekly, for a total of 40 days. The following variables were measured weekly: the number of leaves, average stem diameter, dry weight of the plant shoots and roots, and visual leaf diagnosis. The results showed that when the plants were deprived of calcium, their root systems were significantly reduced, as determined by the Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05). The plants with calcium deprivation had shorter roots and a dark brown color and displayed initial symptoms of chlorosis in their young leaves, which eventually led to necrosis and tipping. Hydroponics is promising and has shown satisfactory production results, contributing to the improvement of the environment, job creation, and increased profit for rural producers.