 Where
copper deficiency has been confirmed by soil analysis or field diagnosis,
whether in plants or animals, it can be corrected very simply either
by applying 50 kg (110 lb) copper sulphate per hectare (2.5 acres)
in the form of a fertilizer before sowing or by spraying the foliage
of the young cereal plants, when they are about 150 mm (6 in) high,
with 750 grams (26.25 oz) copper sulphate dissolved in from 400 to
2,000 litres water (104 to 520 gallons) per hectare (2.5 acres). The
soil application has generally given the better results and has the
advantage that it may have a residual effect for more than ten years.
The foliar application has to be given annually to each crop. An alternative
is to add a copper containing slag (normally about 1% to 2 % copper)
at a rate of a tonne to the hectare (or 880 lb/acre). |
