Calcium mobility technology

Key benefits of CaT

• Aids localised calcium movement
• Provides a more uniform calcium distribution
• Improves crop quality, storage, and shelf life
• Increases marketable yield

Why is calcium mobility important?

Calcium is an essential plant nutrient that is used in maintaining cell wall structure and plant membrane integrity. It is principally taken up by roots and moves with water in the plant’s transpiration stream, meaning that organs with low transpiration rates, such as fruits, can get insufficient calcium. This is worse during rapid growth periods when the calcium demand in fruit often exceeds what is provided in the transpiration stream, even if ample calcium is provided in the soil. This leads to calcium deficiency disorders such as bitter pit in apples.

How does CaT work?

CaT is a synthetic molecule that stimulates selective ion transport channels in plant membranes, increasing the concentration of calcium within the cytoplasm of cells. This improves localised calcium movement via the symplastic pathway, which is important in tissues with low transpiration rates.

CaT increases cytoplasmic calcium concentration

We collaborated with Lancaster University to measure the effect of CaT products on cellular calcium concentrations. We incubated Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant, in solutions containing varying concentrations of Veritas, a product containing CaT. We selected a genetically modified variety that could bioluminescence to quantify calcium concentration within the cytoplasm of its cells. Our results showed that applying Veritas increased cytoplasmic calcium concentration compared to the control.