Studies on copper deficiency and toxicity symptoms in some common crops of Gujarat (India)

Abstract

1. Symptoms of copper deficiency and toxicity were studied in guar, bottle gourd, eggplant and blue panic grass using sand culture technique.2. The visual deficiency symptoms are: curling of the young leaves along the margins, chlorosis of the leaflets, necrotic spots on the leaves and drying of very young leaves in guar; loss of turgidity and drooping of lower leaves followed by chlorosis and drying of leaves in bottle gourd; faint green colour of the leaves, chlorosis of the outer rim of the older leaves, white necrotic spots and leaf scorch in eggplant; yellowish green colour of leaves, brownish white spots and depressed growth in blue panic grass.3. The toxicity symptoms are: stunted growth, drying of the lower leaves and formation of few seedless pods in guar; chlorosis of the lower leaves and marked stunted growth in bottle gourd; dull green colour and chlorosis of the leaves in eggplant; stunted growth, leaf chlorosis and burning appearance of the plant in blue panic grass.4. There is an increase in copper uptake with increase in the rates of application of copper.5. There is a decrease in. the molybdenum content with increase in copper applications indicating the inverse copper-molybdenum relationship.