The effect of Mg: Ca ratio and osmotic potential of nutrient solutions on calcium transport into emergent leaves of the strawberry plant cv. Cambridge favourite

Strawberry plants, cv. Cambridge Favourite were grown at osmotic potentials of ‐0.2 and ‐0.8 bars in nutrient solutions with magnesium : calcium ratios ranging from 0.3 to 5.6: 1. When the OP was ‐0.8 bars, all plants showed leaf tipburn, guttated little, yielded small volumes of exudate overnight from cut stolons and had small calcium concentrations and contents in their emergent leaves, regardless of the Mg: Ca ratio of the nutrient. No symptoms were seen in plants grown at an OP of ‐0.2 bars, although the calcium concentration in the emergent leaves was smaller when the Mg: Ca ratio of the nutrient exceeded 0.8: 1. The overall salt concentration, which reduced the water potential gradient through the root and prevented development of root pressure at night, was more important than the magnesium to calcium balance of the nutrient solution in causing a local calcium deficiency in emergent leaves of the strawberry plant.