To establish the relative tolerance of triticale, wheat and rye to zinc and copper deficiency at a range soil pH.

• A series of glasshouse experiments were conducted with a range of different soils planted to triticale, wheat or rye.
• In one experiment at pH 5 and pH 8.4, triticale was tolerant of flow copper at pH 5 like rye but sensitive to low copper at pH 8.4 like wheat.
• Copper concentration in shoots decreased as pH increased the effect was greatest in wheat and lowest in rye.
• In a similar experiment with zinc these relativities were maintained, that is rye was most tolerant of zinc deficiency and wheat least tolerant.
• In a third experiment in soils deficient in both copper and zinc, these relationships were maintained but adding zinc alone aggravated copper deficiency and decreased pollen viability and yield, while adding copper alone generally increased pollen viability and yield.