Abstract
Copper-containing fertilizers, fungicides and bactericides are extensively used in greenhouses in Turkey. Informations on effects of these applications to plants are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of Cu application to a calcareous soil and to leaves on the yield and growth of tomato plants. Cu was first applied to soil as CuSO4.5H2O in three different levels (0, 1000, and 2000 mg Cu kg-1) and then to leaves in three different frequencies (no application, biweekly and weekly) using two cupric fungicides (Cu oxychloride, and Cu salts of fatty and rosin acids) in pot experiments carried out in a computer-controlled greenhouse. Total yield, fruit number, dry root weight and plant height decreased with increasing Cu application to soil. Increasing levels of Cu applied to soil and leaves resulted in decreasing final fruit number, dry root weight and plant height in 4th, 5th and 6th weeks. Combined applications of Cu to soil and leaves could be more deleterious to plants than when Cu is applied only to soil or leaves.
Highlights
Copper contents of the majority of plant species varies between 20 and 30 mg kg-1 dry weight
The greatest total yield, fruit number, and dry root weight were obtained when no copper was applied to soil (Cu1); performance traits decreased from treatment Cu1 to Cu3 (Table 1)
Increasing the level of Cu application to soil resulted in decreased plant height
Summary
Copper contents of the majority of plant species varies between 20 and 30 mg kg-1 dry weight. Copper is an essential element for various metabolic processes. Because it is required only in trace amounts, Cu becomes toxic at high concentrations (Delas, 1963; Alva & Chen, 1995). In non-tolerant plants, inhibition of root elongation and damage of root cell membranes are the immediate responses to high Cu levels (Wainwright & Woolhouse, 1977). Zheng et al (2004) reported that excessive copper reduced plant root length, root dry weight, total dry weight, root to shoot ratio, leaf area and specific leaf area in three ornamental crops
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