Trace Elements in Medicine (Moscow)
2017, 18(1): 3–7
ORIGINAL PAPER

COPPER IN THE AGROECOSYSTEM OF THE SOUTH OF CENTRAL SIBERIA

A.E. Pobilat¹, E.I. Voloshin²

1 Krasnoyarsky State Medical University, Partisan Zheleznyak St., 1, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia 2 Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University, Mira Ave., 90, Krasnoyarsk 660049, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2017-18-1-3-7 

ABSTRACT. The features of distribution of gross copper in the soils of Krasnoyarsk Region were investigated. Mineralogical composition and particle size distribution of soils as well as the concentration of the element in soil-forming rock have a great influence on the content of gross copper. The content of copper in different types of soils possesses high natural variability caused by the microdiversity of soil cover, geographical and geochemical conditions of regional soils formation. In the surveyed territory of 2.54 million hectares the content of copper in soils fluctuates from 2.6 to 68.2 mg/kg, with average content 18.2 mg/kg. Average content of copper in chernozyoms ordinary makes 19. 6 mg/kg, leached – 19.2, podzolized – 17.9 and carbonate – 15.1. The concentration of copper in gray forest and sod-podzolic soils fluctuates from 15. 0 to 16. 0 mg/kg and meadow-chernozyom in the range of 19.5 – 20.1 mg/kg. In the majority of soils the content of copper is lower or equal to Clark. The supply of mobile copper in soils depends on the gross contents, humus condition, pH, particle size distribution, fertilizers usage and specific features of plants. With-in different natural zones the concentration of mobile copper in soils fluctuates from 5.2 to 9.6 mg/kg or 32.5 – 47.5% of gross stocks. In sod-podsolic and gray forest soils of subtaiga zone average content of mobile copper is equal to 7.9 mg/kg, in chernozyoms and in dark-gray forest soils of forest-steppe zone within 6.7 – 7.6 mg/kg and meadow-chernozyom – 9.6 mg/kg. The content of mobile copper in soils of the region is generally high. The area of soils with low and average content of mobile copper in the surveyed territory makes 14.2%. Neutral and close to neutral pH of soils reduces bioavailability of copper to plants. Content of copper in plants is affected by weather conditions, agro-physical and agrochemical properties of the soils, supply of the mobile form of the element and biological features of the crops. Average content of copper in plants fluctuates from 2.2 to 9.2 mg/kg. Higher content of copper is observed in green material of clover, brome and natural motley grass. In grain yield, forage and vegetable crops the deficiency of copper is revealed. An improvement of trace element profile and quality of vegetable production requires rational use of copper and organic fertilizers.

KEYWORDS: copper, contents, distribution, supply, deficiency, copper fertilizers.