Symptoms
Young leaves show chlorotic zones near the margins. These zones will form necrotic areas, spread between the leaf veins and remain visible when the leaves become older. Leaves may have wavy margins. Under severe deficiency, leaves drop prematurely and shoot tips and buds will die.
Calcium deficiency may be confused with magnesium deficiency, but the latter develops on older leaves first.
Reasons
Calcium deficiency.
Adequate Ca nutrition reduces pod drop and enhances tolerance to diseases and environmental stress. Positive impact on crop canopy and tree structure. Cocoa has high Calcium demand, especially in early growth stages. The level of Ca in leaf analysis is supposed to be above 0.6%. Ca uptake depends on soil moisture.