Copper Deficiency in Cereals Copper Deficiency in Cereals Copper deficiency in cereal grains is becoming more common in the northern plains region. For the past several years, researchers in Alberta and Saskatchewan have been documenting copper deficiencies in wheat and barley.
Copper plays an important role in chlorophyll production and protein synthesis.
Having sufficient copper in the plant at pollination has been found to be critical. During pollination, plants with low copper levels tend to have florets that remain partially open. This creates an opportunity for disease organisms, such as ergot, to infect the plant and cause yield loss. Low copper levels may also affect other functions in the plant to cause yield loss. Crops sensitive to copper from most to least sensitive are winter wheat, spring wheat, barley, oats, triticale and rye.