Dickinson REC Update for January 17, 2023

January 17,, 2023

Dickinson Research Extension Center Updates

Copper Impacts on Hard Red Spring Wheat

Chris Augustin

Director/Soil Scientist

Dickinson Research Extension Center

701-456-1100

Copper is a micronutrient that is necessary for cell wall strength that may reduce disease susceptibility. Copper is soil tested through the diethylene triamine pentaazectic acid (DTPA) extraction method. Soil scientists study the relationship of crop yield and/or quality paired with soil tests to establish a critical level. A critical level is the level at which a nutrient is limiting to a particular crop and that crop would likely respond positively to that specific fertilizer.

Many have suggested the DTPA critical level for copper should be 1 ppm. However, studies are conflicting as to what the critical level is with this soil test (Karamanos et al., 2003; Kruger et al., 1985; Penny and Solberg, 1988). Franzen et al., (2008) conducted a fertility research project that had 17 hard red spring wheat and 3 durum wheat sites across North Dakota. Fusarium head blight decrease and yield increases was observed in three of those twenty test sites.

Copper yield and/or quality responses seem to be more so correlated to soil texture and soil organic matter rather than the DTPA soil test. Fertilizer investments would be maximized through site specific applications. Soils that have less than 3% organic matter and are coarser than a loam texture are most likely to benefit from an application of copper. The copper fertilizer recommendation is to apply copper sulfate at a rate of 5 pounds of copper per acre. Copper has a low solubility and should last many years (Franzen, 2022).

For more information on hard red spring wheat fertility, consult the NDSU Publication, Fertilizing hard red spring wheat and durum online at: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/publications/fertilizing-hard-red-spring-wheat-and-durum

Franzen, D.W. 2022. Fertilizing hard red spring wheat and durum SF712. North Dakota State University Extension, Fargo, ND.

Franzen, D.W., M. McMullen and D.S. Mossett. 2008. Spring wheat and durum yield and disease responses to copper fertilization of mineral soils. Agronomy Journal 100:371-375.

Karamanos, R.E., T.B. Goh, and J.T. Harapiak. 2003. Determining wheat responses to copper in prairie soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 83:213–221.

Kruger, G.A., R.E. Karamanos, and J.P. Singh. 1985. The copper fertility of Saskatchewan soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 65:89–99.

Penney, D.C., and E.D. Solberg. 1988. The copper fertility of Alberta soils. p.172–179. In J.L. Havlin (ed.) 1988 Great Plains Soil Fertility Workshop Proc., Denver, CO. 8–9 Mar. 1988. Kansas State Univ.,

Manhattan, KS.

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