Rainfall pattern and response of wheat to soil dressings of copper sulphate

1981

Research organisaton

Trial details

Researcher(s) E Best
N Grundon
Year(s) 1981
Contributor South Australian Research and Development Institute
Trial location(s) Toowoomba, QLD
Rainfall pattern and response of wheat to soil dressings of copper sulphate locations
Aims

To explorie variable responses to copper on wheat neutral to alkaline clay soils in Queensland.

Key messages
  • In glasshouse trials, which grew normally and produced grain when soil dressings of copper sulphate replied to surface soil from the field sites.
  • There is therefore no inherent characteristics of the soils which makes fertiliser copper unavailable for plant uptake.
  • The pattern of rainfall at each field site was compared with the rate of development of the wheat. When symptoms of coffered deficiency appeared in negligible grain yields occurred despite fertiliser application no effective rain fell in the 20 days before the plants reach the boot stage of growth.
  • When soil dressings improved grain yield effective rainfall occurred within 14 days prior to booting.
  • It is postulated that wheat cannot absorb sufficient copper for normal growth and development from a dry fertiliser zone.
  • When the zone is dry just before booting wheat suffers an acute deficiency of copper during a critical phase of pollen formation resulting in infertile pollen.
Lead research organisation N/A
Host research organisation N/A
Related program More Profit from Crop Nutrition
Acknowledgments N/A
Other trial partners Not specified

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Fertiliser: Application Method
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Unknown

Toowoomba 1981

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Other trial notes

Grundon N, Best E (1981) Rainfall pattern and response of wheat to soil dressings of copper sulphate. In 'Copper in soils and plants.' (Eds J Loneragan, A Robson, R Graham.) pp. 359. (Academic Press: Sydney)

Trial report and links


No trial reports or attachments found


Trial last modified: 14-06-2019 17:31pm AEST