Calcium nitrate

Calcium nitrate is an inorganic salt, Ca(NO₃)₂, composed of calcium ions and nitrate ions. It is used chiefly as a fertilizer and also as an oxidizer in industrial applications.

Nitrate: The polyatomic ion NO₃⁻, in which nitrogen is bonded to three oxygen atoms and carries a negative charge. Nitrate supplies the nitrogen in calcium nitrate and supports its use as a plant nutrient and oxidizer.
Fertilizer: A natural or manufactured material added to soil or plants to supply nutrients and support growth. Calcium nitrate is a soluble source of nitrate nitrogen and calcium for crops.
Dissolution: The process by which particles of a substance disperse into a solvent to form a solution. Water separates calcium nitrate into mobile ions that plants can absorb.
Ammonium nitrate: An inorganic fertilizer and oxidizer with formula NH₄NO₃, containing ammonium and nitrate ions. It supplies nitrogen without calcium and has distinct storage and hazard considerations.
Calcium: A reactive alkaline-earth metal whose ions are essential nutrients and common components of minerals and salts. Calcium forms the salt’s positive ion and provides a plant nutrient distinct from nitrate nitrogen.
Fertigation: The application of dissolved fertilizers through irrigation water. Its solubility makes calcium nitrate suitable for delivering nutrients through irrigation systems.
Oxidizing agent: A substance that accepts electrons from another substance in a redox reaction. Nitrate can accept electrons in suitable reactions, giving calcium nitrate oxidizing uses.
Potassium nitrate: An inorganic salt, KNO₃, used as a fertilizer and in other oxidizing applications. It pairs nitrate with potassium rather than calcium, changing its nutrient contribution.
Ionic compound: A substance made of positively and negatively charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction. Calcium nitrate’s properties follow from its combination of calcium and nitrate ions.
Hydroponics: A method of growing plants without soil by supplying roots with a nutrient solution. Calcium nitrate supplies calcium and nitrate nitrogen in many hydroponic nutrient solutions.

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