Copper Content in Agricultural Soils Related to Cropping Systems in Different Regions of Greece

Abstract

Copper (Cu) is naturally present in all soils with a normal range of 2 -60 mg kg 21 . The traditional use of Cu fungicides against mildew diseases has led to the accumulation of Cu in some vineyard and orchard soils. Consequently, there is a move to reduce the use of these compounds in agriculture, especially in organic cultivation. A comprehensive study has not been made of the Cu content of Greek agricultural soils, which are typically alkaline with high clay content and may, therefore, be vulnerable to Cu accumulation. Within the framework of various projects, surface soil samples were taken from 10 different regions of Greece for various representative crops, and especially, for fallow soil and abandoned land. The samples were analyzed for total (aqua regia digestion) and DTPA-extractable Cu content and for several physical and chemical properties. Mean values of total Cu for the different regions of the country ranged from 16 (Limnos and Thera) to 89 mg kg 21 (Nemea), with an overall mean of 38 + 26 mg kg 21 . Significantly lower Cu content (27 mg kg 21 ) was found for annual than for other crops. The mean values for fallow land, vines, and olives were close to the overall mean, but for citrus the mean value was slightly higher. The highest value of 70 mg kg 21 was found for orchards/nuts

Copper Accumulation in Vineyard Soils From Nemea, Greece

“…In general, differences in the Cu concentrations among vineyards from the same region could be ascribed to variation in soil properties, topography and Cu application history. In the present study and in line with findings by Vavoulidou et al (2005) and Deluisa et al (1996), no significant correlation was found between the analysed soil parameters and the Cu concentrations, probably due to the relatively narrow range of values of the soil properties. Only a weak positive correlation was found between the organic content and the Cu total concentrations (r=0.37, p=0.02) indicative though of Cu-humic complexes as a result of the long history of Cu application and the humification processes.…”

“…It was originally developed for the determination of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn deficiency in neutral and alkaline soils (Lindsay and Norvell, 1978), and is has been frequently adopted for assessing Cu availability in vineyard soils (examples given by Brun et al, 1998;Deluisa et al, 1996 andRomić et al, 2014). The average available Cu concentrations were almost identical for both the surface and deep soil samples (18.7 and 22.6 mg kg -1 , respectively) and were quite similar with the mean value of 15.4 mg kg -1 reported by Vavoulidou et al (2005) for vineyard soils from the same area. The availability ratios that were calculated by dividing the Cu amounts obtained by the DTPA extraction over the total soil content, were almost the same for both the surface soils and the soils collected at 50 cm depth (Fig.…”

“…In this area, Cu-based fungicides, such as copper sulfate (CuSO4), have been extensively applied to the vineyards, and as a result there is a high potential risk for soil contamination with Cu. An investigation regarding the Cu concentration levels in agricultural soils from different regions of Greece, including some vineyard soils located in Nemea, has previously been undertaken (Vavoulidou et al, 2005). Nevertheless, this study was based on a reduced set of samples without delineating the magnitude of Cu accumulation throughout this region and without investigating the potential Cu migration in deeper soil layers.…”

A spectroscopic approach to assess trace–heavy metal contents in contaminated floodplain soils via spectrally active soil components

“…5 (maximum 20) times and those of Pb 3 (maximum 18) times the precautionary values. Although Cu has an extraordinary high tendency to accumulate in OM (Hiller and Brümmer, 1997), a relation between soil C org and Cu seems to take place only at elevated Cu concentrations > 100-200 mg Cu per kg dry weight (Minnich and McBride, 1986;Vavoulidou et al, 2005;SauvØ, 2006;Fründ et al, 2007). Therefore, the spectral assessment of trace metals may be most feasible at contaminated floodplains aiding in the identification of hot-spot areas and contamination gradients.…”

Copper Bioavailability and Fractionation in Copper-Contaminated Sandy Soils in the Wet Subtropics (Southern Brazil)

“…Very high concentrations of copper in top vineyard soils have been reported for various world regions due to intensive applications of copper-based fungicide (Prasad et al 1984;Flores-Veles et al 1996;Pietrzak and McPhail 2004;Vavoulidou et al 2005). One of the major problems with copper-polluted soils is the bioavailability of Cu to living organisms.…”