HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kubota, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kubota, J. Agricola Articles by Kubota, J.

Copper Status of United States Soils and Forage Plants

Plants with few exceptions are the primary sources of dietary Cu of grazing animals. Levels of Cu in plants are important to ruminant animals because the utilization of Cu is tied closely to that of Mo. Copper concentrations in forage plants grown on a wide range of U.S. soils were determined, and a summary is presented in this report. A geographic pattern of Cu concentration across the USA is illustrated in map form, using legumes as the test crop, and Cu levels of 6 mg kg^–1 or less, 6 to 10 mg kg^–1, and 10 to 12 + mg kg^–1. The Cu concentrations in grasses were low, so their Cu concentrations were summarized separately from those of the legumes. The Cu concentration in neither the legumes nor the grasses, however, strongly reflected the Cu status (total) of soils. Compared with the geographic distribution pattern of Mo in U.S. forage plants, the pattern of Cu was quite diffuse due mainly to the narrow range of Cu in plants. An understanding of plant sources of Cu is important because ruminant animals grazed in parts of the USA suffer from molybdenosis, a Mo induced Cu deficiency disease. Animals afflicted with molybosis require supplemental Cu in addition to Cu from plant sources.

Key Words: Legumes • Grasses • Mo • Cu • Se • Trace elements • Mo-toxicity • Animal nutrition

² Research soil scientist, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, and professor, Dep. of Agronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

Received for publication January 31, 1983.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. A. Pederson, G. E. Brink, and T. E. Fairbrother Nutrient Uptake in Plant Parts of Sixteen Forages Fertilized with Poultry Litter: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, and Zinc Agron. J., July 1, 2002; 94(4): 895 - 904. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]