Imperial Valley • Central Valley • Coastal California

California vegetable and row crop acres are moving into aggressive vegetative growth, bloom, fruit set,
and sizing stages where nutrient demand and plant metabolism are rapidly increasing.

Across the Imperial Valley, Coastal regions, and Central Valley, growers continue balancing:

• Fast biomass growth
• Heavy nutrient demand
• Salinity pressure
• Heat stress
• Fruit sizing
• Water management
• Insect and disease pressure

The key focus moving forward remains maximizing nutrient efficiency, maintaining plant energy,
supporting strong root systems, and building fruit quality while protecting crops through upcoming
summer stress conditions.

Key Nutritional Priorities

1. Drive Plant Energy & Early Fruit Development

Vegetable crops require aggressive phosphorus and magnesium availability during:

• Bloom
• Fruit set
• Fruit fill
• Root expansion
• Canopy development

Axiom Ion Recommendations:

• Basilic Thunder (6-19-4)

Ortho-phosphate phosphorus supporting:

• ATP production
• Energy transfer
• Root activity
• Flower initiation
• Fruit development
• Early vigor

• Axiom Ion Magnesium

Critical for:

• Chlorophyll production
• Photosynthesis
• Sugar production
• Energy movement throughout the plant
• Maintaining healthy canopy growth
• Atlas

49 Independent Fermented Strains designed to:

• Increase nutrient cycling
• Improve nitrogen efficiency
• Stimulate root growth
• Improve nutrient uptake
• Support soil biology under stress

2. Support Fruit Size, Quality & Shelf Life

As fruit load increases, calcium and potassium become critical for:

• Cell expansion
• Fruit firmness
• Uniform sizing
• Sugar movement
• Shelf life
• Reducing physiological disorders

Axiom Ion Calcium

Our lactate-bound calcium supports:

• Stronger cell walls
• Improved fruit structure
• Better root development
• Reduced blossom end rot
• Reduced tip burn
• Increased plant integrity under heat stress

Especially important in:

• Bell peppers
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Melons

Kalibrate

Supports:

• Sugar transport
• Fruit fill
• Water regulation
• Heat stress management
• Uniform fruit sizing and maturity

3. Maintain Soil Health & Irrigation

Efficiency

Vegetable ground continues facing challenges with:

• Salinity buildup
• Tight soils
• High bicarbonates
• Water infiltration issues
• Reduced oxygen in root zones

Axiom Soil Backbone:

• Atlas
• Axiom Ion Calcium
• Basilic Thunder

Designed to improve:

• Soil structure
• CEC
• Root expansion
• Water infiltration
• Nutrient availability
• Irrigation efficiency

Maintaining active roots becomes critical during aggressive production periods and upcoming summer heat.

4. Micronutrient Demand Increasing

Vegetable crops have increasing demand for:

• Zinc
• Boron
• Iron
• Manganese

Critical for:

• Hormone activity
• Pollination
• Fruit set
• Carbohydrate metabolism
• Chlorophyll production
• Stress tolerance

Axiom Ion Micronutrients

Our lactate-bound micronutrients are designed for:

• Improved foliar uptake
• Less soil tie-up
• Faster plant availability
• Increased efficiency under stressful conditions

Pest & Disease Pressure Update

Current Pressure Areas:

• Thrips
• Aphids
• Whiteflies
• Worm pressure
• Mites
• Leafminers
• Powdery mildew
• Bacterial pressure in peppers and tomatoes

Rapid vegetative growth and warm temperatures continue increasing pest and disease pressure across
vegetable acres.

Excessive nitrogen and weak plant structure can increase susceptibility to:

• Soft tissue feeding
• Blossom end rot
• Fruit abortion
• Weak fruit finish quality
• Increased disease pressure

Plant Health & Defense Strategy

Finale

Supports:

• Plant defense response
• Reduced environmental stress
• Stronger canopy health
• Improved plant resilience during pressure periods

Axiom Ion Calcium

Helps strengthen:

• Fruit tissue
• Leaf structure
• Root systems
• Overall plant integrity

Axiom Ion Zinc

Supports:

• Enzyme activation
• Hormone regulation
• Stress management
• Carbohydrate metabolism

Balanced nutrition remains one of the strongest tools for reducing stress-related disease and insect
pressure while improving fruit quality.

Crop-Specific Focus

Bell Peppers & Peppers

Key Focus:

• Fruit set
• Wall thickness
• Uniform sizing
• Calcium movement
• Heat management

Backbone Program:

• Basilic Thunder
• Calcium
• Kalibrate
• Magnesium
• Atlas

Eggplant

Key Focus:

• Fruit sizing
• Continuous flowering
• Canopy balance
• Root activity
• Water regulation

Backbone Program:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Atlas
• Zinc
• Kalibrate

Cannery Tomatoes

Key Focus:

• Fruit fill
• Brix development
• Uniform maturity
• Calcium demand
• Disease pressure management

Backbone Program:

• Basilic Thunder
• Calcium
• Kalibrate
• Atlas
• Micronutrient package

Melons

Key Focus:

• Fruit sizing

• Sugar movement

• Vine health

• Water efficiency

• Heat stress tolerance

Backbone Program:

• Kalibrate
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Atlas
• Zinc

Overall California Vegetable & Row Crop

Strategy

The strongest vegetable programs this season will focus on:

• Maintaining plant energy
• Maximizing nutrient efficiency
• Supporting strong root systems
• Improving fruit quality and shelf life
• Managing salinity and heat stress
• Maintaining balanced vegetative growth

Axiom Ag continues helping California vegetable growers improve:

• Fruit quality
• Yield consistency
• Brix
• Shelf life
• Plant health
• Soil structure
• Water efficiency
• Overall crop performance

through our lactate-bound Axiom Ion nutrition platform for both conventional and organic production systems.