Copper in Plants

Copper was identified as a plant nutrient in the 1930s (5,6). Prior to this realization, one of the first uses of copper in agriculture was in chemical weed control (7). Despite its essentiality, copper is toxic to plants at high concentrations (8). Uptake of copper by plants is affected by many factors including the soil pH, the prevailing chemical species, and the concentration of copper present in the soil. Once inside the plant, copper is sparingly immobile. Accumulation and expression of toxic symptoms are often observed with root tissues. Extensive use of copper-containing fungicides in localized areas and contamination of soils adjacent to mining operations has created problems of toxicity in some agricultural regions. Because of this problem, remediation of copper and identification of tolerant plant species are receiving increased attention. Concentrations of copper in some plant species under different cultural conditions are reported in Table 10.1.

TABLE 10.1

Copper Tissue Analysis Values of Various Plant and Crop Species

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