molecules Article Ultrastructure of Cells and Microanalysis in Malus domestica Borkh. ‘Szampion’ Fruit in Relation to Varied Calcium Foliar Feeding Piotr Kowalik 1, Tomasz Lipa 1 , Zenia Michałoj´c 1 and Mirosława Chwil 2,* 1 Institute of Horticulture Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, Poland;
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[email protected] (Z.M.) 2 Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, Poland * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 18 August 2020; Accepted: 8 October 2020; Published: 11 October 2020 Abstract: Calcium is one of the most poorly reutilized nutrients. Its deficiencies cause various physiological disturbances and, consequently, reduce the quantity and quality of yields. Reduced content of Ca2+ ions in cells leads to development of, e.g., bitter pit in apples. Efficient and instantaneous mitigation of Ca2+ deficiencies is provided by foliar feeding. There are no detailed data on the effect of foliar feeding with various calcium forms on the cell structure or on the microanalysis and mapping of this element in apple fruit cells. Therefore, we carried out comparative studies of the ultrastructure of epidermis and hypodermis cells, to assess the content and distribution of calcium in the cell wall, cytoplasmic membrane, cytoplasm, and precipitates of Malus domestica Borkh. ‘Szampion’ fruit exposed to four Ca treatments, including the control with no additional Ca supplementation (I) and foliar applications of Ca(NO3)2 (II), CaCl2 (III), and Ca chelated with EDTA (IV).