Copper for Cereals
COPPER
FOR CEREALS
·Even deficiencies too small to induce visible symptoms
can reduce yields by up to 20%.
·Copper uptake is highest in young plants. Levels in
cereal leaves are highest at the end of tillering and then decrease as the
plants grow.
·Copper deficient plants have fewer chloroplasts and
senesce more rapidly than plants with good levels.
·If copper levels are low both growth and grain yields
decrease with increasing nitrogen fertilisation as the plant is unable to
utilize the nitrogen.
·Copper deficient plants have thinner cell walls with
little lignification, making them more susceptible to lodging and to attack by
pests and diseases such as septoria.
·Copper deficient plants are less cold resistant than
those with adequate levels.
·Copper deficiency in cereals can lead to production of
vegetative growth late in the season at the expense of grain yield.
·Copper deficient cereals may have blind sites on the
ear and may be more susceptible to ergot.