Copper Sulfate

Description

Copper, also known as: Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate 25% Cu, 12.5% S
Chemical Formula: CuSO₄i5H₂O

OMRI certified Copper sulfate.

Background
Copper is essential for many plant functions. Some of them are:

• It functions as a catalyst in photosynthesis and respiration.
• It is a constituent of several enzyme systems involved in building and converting amino acids to proteins.
• Copper is important in carbohydrate and protein metabolism.
• It is important to the formation of lignin in plant cell walls which contributes to the structural strength of the cells, and the plant.
• Copper also affects the flavor, the storageability, and the sugar content of fruits.

Copper (Cu) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development. This metal serves as a constituent element or enzyme cofactor that participates in many biochemical pathways and plays a key role in photosynthesis, respiration, ethylene sensing, and antioxidant systems. The physiological significance of Cu uptake and compartmentalization in plants has been underestimated, despite the importance of Cu in cellular metabolic processes. As a micronutrient, Cu has low cellular requirements in plants. However, its bioavailability may be significantly reduced in alkaline or organic matter-rich soils. Cu deficiency is a severe and widespread nutritional disorder that affects plants. In contrast, excessive levels of available Cu in soil can inhibit plant photosynthesis and induce cellular oxidative stress. This can affect plant productivity and potentially pose serious health risks to humans via bioaccumulation in the food chain. Plants have evolved mechanisms to strictly regulate Cu uptake, transport, and cellular homeostasis during long-term environmental adaptation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse functions of Cu chelators, chaperones, and transporters involved in Cu homeostasis and their regulatory mechanisms in plant responses to varying Cu availability conditions. Finally, we identified that future research needs to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms regulating Cu deficiency or stress in plants. This will pave the way for improving the Cu utilization efficiency and/or Cu tolerance of crops grown in alkaline or Cu-contaminated soils.

Learn more in the paper. Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Copper: From Deficiency to Excess: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11240974/

Learn how to test your soil to see if you are low in copper.

Get a soil recommendation that explains how much copper you need based on your soil test results. Learn more about our Soil Recommendations.