Which one of the following crops requires highest amount of calcium?
Show Hint
Forage legumes like Alfalfa (Lucerne) and Berseem are heavy feeders of calcium.
They require high soil calcium levels to support their rapid vegetative growth and maintain forage quality.
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Calcium (\(\text{Ca}\)) is an essential secondary plant nutrient.
It plays a critical role in cell wall structure (as calcium pectate), cell division, and membrane permeability.
Different plant species have varying calcium requirements based on their growth habit, cell wall composition, and dry matter accumulation. Detailed Explanation:
Let us compare the calcium requirements of the different crop groups:
- Cereals: Monocots generally have a lower cation exchange capacity in their roots, resulting in a lower calcium requirement.
- Oilseeds: Some oilseeds (like groundnut) require calcium during specific stages like pod development, but their overall vegetative requirement is moderate.
- Legumes: Legumes have a high calcium requirement compared to cereals because calcium is essential for nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and root development.
- Forage Crops: Forage legumes (such as Alfalfa/Lucerne, Berseem, and Clovers) have the highest calcium requirement of all crop groups.
Calcium is a major structural component of their rapid vegetative biomass.
Additionally, high calcium content is essential for forage quality, as it improves the nutritional value and digestibility of the feed for livestock.
Therefore, forage crops require the highest amount of calcium. Step 2: Final Answer:
Among the options provided, forage crops require the highest amount of calcium.
