Comparing Copper Requirements of Faba Bean, Chickpea, and Lentil with Spring Wheat

The copper (Cu) requirement of four crop species was measured in aglasshouse experiment using yield of dried shoots and Cu content (Cuconcentration multiplied by yield of dried shoots) of 62 day old plantsgrown in two different alkaline soils. The species compared were fababean (Vicia faba L. cv. Fiord), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Tyson),lentil (Lens culinaris Medik cv. Digger), and spring wheat (Triticumaestivum L. cv. Stretton). The comparative Cu requirement of the specieswas determined from yields of dried shoots when no Cu fertilizer wasapplied, the amount of applied Cu required to produce the samepercentage of the maximum (relative) yield of dried shoots, and the Cucontent of dried shoots. The concentration of Cu in youngest tissue and indried shoots was used to determine critical concentrations of Cu in tissue associated with 90% of the maximum yield. Faba bean used indigenoussoil Cu more effectively than wheat, followed by chickpea and then lentil.As measured using both shoot yield and Cu content in shoots, the Curequirement was lowest for faba bean, and increased in the order fababean