• Copper is one of the 13 essential elements for plant growth, and is considered a micronutrient based on the concentration required for plant growth
• principle form of uptake: ionic form (Cu²⁺)
• amount required for healthy plant growth: 6 ppm, dry soil matter
• soil conditions related to copper deficiency:
  • peat & muck soil
  • calcareous sands
  • leached acid soil
  • soils from low-copper parent material
• acid soil that has excessive copper, along with manganese, zinc & nitrogen, is often deficient in iron
• copper moves through soil primarily via diffusion
• soil factors that affect copper uptake by plants:
  • available levels in soil
  • decomposition of organic matter
• plant factors that affect copper uptake by plant:
  • hybrid or variety of plant
  • stage of growth
  • interactions with other elements

Roles of Copper in Plant Functions

• enables electron transport in photosynthesis
• constituent of plastocyanin
• participates in protein and carbohydrate metabolism and in nitrogen (N₂) fixation
• is part of the O₂ formation process
• is involved in fatty acid desaturation and hydroxylation