Calcium for Corn & Soybeans: Boost Yields with Pro-Cal & Advanced-Cal
If you’re a farmer and you want to treat your soil well, calcium is just as important a nutrient as NPK. Calcium is a foundational element for healthy soil and strong plants. Without adequate calcium, your fertilizers don’t work as efficiently, root systems struggle to expand, and plants become more vulnerable to stress and disease. For corn and soybeans, two of the most widely grown crops in the U.S., calcium plays an especially critical role in maximizing yields and profitability.
At AgriTec International, we’ve seen time and again how the right calcium program transforms crop performance. Whether applied in granular or liquid form, getting calcium into the soil is the key. But thanks to modern advancements, liquid calcium solutions like Pro-Cal and Advanced-Cal deliver faster results, greater efficiency, and lasting benefits.
Why Calcium Is So Important
1. Balances Soil pH and Unlocks Nutrients: Most Midwestern soils tend toward acidity over time. Low pH levels lock up vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), preventing plants from absorbing them. Calcium raises soil pH into the ideal range (6.0-7.0), ensuring nutrients stay available and your fertilizer investment pays off.
2. Strengthens Cell Wall Structure: Calcium is a building block for plant cell walls. In corn, strong stalks resist lodging, while in soybeans, sturdy stems support heavy pods without collapsing. This structural strength helps plants stand through storms and mechanical harvesting.
3. Promotes Root Development: Deep, expansive root systems are essential for accessing water and nutrients. Calcium improves soil structure, making it easier for roots to penetrate compacted layers and explore more soil volume.
4. Enhances Fertilizer Efficiency: With proper calcium levels, fertilizers move more freely in the soil solution. This increases the uptake of NPK and micronutrients, maximizing your return on fertilizer dollars.
5. Supports Protein Production and Plant Health: Calcium aids in protein synthesis, which is vital for seed development in soybeans and kernel formation in corn. It also boosts plant immunity, helping crops withstand disease pressure and environmental stress.
The Science Behind Liquid Calcium
Traditional limestone applications have been used for decades to supply calcium and raise pH. While effective, agricultural lime can take 9-12 months to break down, delaying results. On average, only about 15 pounds of calcium per ton of lime becomes plant-available in the short term.
AgriTec’s bio-active liquid calcium technology delivers the most usable portion of lime, without the excess sediment or slow breakdown. This means soil pH can be corrected within weeks, not months, and calcium base saturation can be raised quickly and precisely.
Pro-Cal’s Long-Lasting Results
Pro-Cal is AgriTec’s premium liquid calcium soil treatment. Designed to be applied before planting or early in the growing season, Pro-Cal delivers fast-acting, long-lasting results.
Benefits of Pro-Cal:
Neutralizes soil acidity and balances pH
Increases movement of NPK into plants
Acts as a soil aerator, reducing compaction
Assists plant protein production
Improves fertilizer efficiency
Promotes root development
Improves water penetration and drainage
Strengthens plant cell walls
Enhances beneficial soil bacteria
Can be applied with any sprayer
Livestock safe
Lasts up to 2-4 years in the soil
Application flexibility means Pro-Cal can be broadcast, fertigated, or applied in-furrow. For soils with a cation exchange capacity (CEC) around 10, 2 gallons per acre can raise calcium base saturation by about 3%. Higher CEC soils will require proportionally higher rates.
Advanced-Cal Adds Micronutrients
Advanced-Cal builds on the foundation of Pro-Cal by adding a micronutrient and trace mineral package, along with organic matter and carbon energy sources for the soil.
Benefits of Advanced-Cal:
All the advantages of Pro-Cal
Supplies boron, manganese, iron, sulfur, and more
Increases organic matter
Improves protein levels in plants
Boosts photosynthesis
Enhances soil structure
Expands microbial populations
Promotes even greater root development
Advanced-Cal is ideal for growers who want to maximize the efficiency of every nutrient input while improving the biological life and organic matter in the soil.
Calcium for Corn and Soybeans
In corn, adequate calcium levels contribute to:
- Strong stalk integrity, reducing lodging
- Better ear fill and kernel weight
- Improved drought tolerance
- Higher nitrogen use efficiency
In soybeans, calcium promotes:
- More robust branching and pod set
- Increased seed size and protein content
- Resistance to pod shattering
- Enhanced nodulation for nitrogen fixation
Farmers who maintain calcium base saturation between 65-75% consistently see improved standability, yield, and quality in both crops.
Application Timing and Strategies
For best results:
- Pre-Plant Applications – Apply Pro-Cal or Advanced-Cal to correct pH and boost calcium availability before planting. This sets the stage for early root development.
- In-Season Maintenance – If pH and calcium are already near target, a maintenance application of 1-2 gallons per acre can keep soils in balance.
- Post-Harvest Corrections – Fall applications allow calcium to work into the soil profile before spring planting, especially in no-till systems.
Both products can be applied with standard spray equipment, pivots, or planters, and they are safe for mixing with many other inputs (always jar test before blending).
Liquid or Granular?
Many farmers use a combination approach, granular lime for baseline maintenance and liquid calcium for rapid corrections and in-season optimization.
- Granular lime is cost-effective for long-term pH maintenance but is slow to react.
- Liquid calcium provides immediate results, precise application rates, and efficient nutrient uptake.
Calcium Is a Profit Driver
Ignoring calcium is like trying to build a barn without a solid foundation. For corn and soybeans, the right calcium levels unlock the full potential of every other nutrient in your program.
Pro-Cal and Advanced-Cal not only correct pH and boost calcium levels but also improve soil structure, increase fertilizer efficiency, and enhance plant health from root to tip. Whether you’re chasing higher yields, better grain quality, or more resilient crops, calcium is the key.
AgriTec International is committed to helping farmers achieve highest production, healthiest crop, and best results. Our soil advisors can review your latest soil tests and design a calcium program tailored to your CEC, base saturation, and crop goals. Start building a better soil foundation for your next harvest!