Influence of Soil and Variety on the Copper Content of Grains

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Abstract
Wheat, oats and barley, together with the corresponding soils from different parts of the state, were analyzed for copper. The wheat varied from 5.6 to 16.7 parts per million copper, with an average of 8.8. The barley varied from 6.2 to 11.9 parts per million, with an average of 7.8. The oats varied from 6.4 to 9.8 parts per million, with an average of 7.4. Corresponding soils carried from 3.9 to 50.9 parts per million, with an average of 17.1 parts per million. The copper content of the grain was invariably lower than that of the soil until the copper content of the soil was below 6 parts per million. No correlation was found between the copper content of the grain and the soil on which it was grown. Sixteen varieties of wheat grown on the same soil and under similar conditions varied in copper content from 5.6 to 16.7 parts per million, with an average of 9.7. It therefore appears probable that variety is the main factor in determining the copper content of Utah-grown wheats. It appears improbable from the limited data presented in this paper that copper is a limiting factor in plant or animal nutrition, insofar as Utah is concerned.