3.1 Europe

Austria

Maize and wheat are treated with copper; a special grassland fertilizer containing copper (0.15% Cu) is used on about 10% of the grassland.

Bulgaria

Copper responses have been reported on wheat, groundnuts and grass.

Czechoslovakia

Responses to copper have been reported on a large number of crops in Czechosvlovakia including wheat, barley, oats, maize, lucerne, grasses, hemp, flax, vegetables, apples and plums.

Denmark

Denmark has a long history of copper use, especially in correcting 'reclamation disease' on such crops as cereals, sugarbeet and legumes. At least 500,000 ha of agricultural land is copper deficient.

Finland

Many crops especially oats and barley are treated with copper in Finland where copper deficiency has also been identified in forests. Peat soils and sandy soils are particularly copper deficient.

France

Wheat, maize, barley, oats, pastures, red clover, white clover and vegetables are all known to be responsive to copper in France especially when growing on podzols on Les Landes de Gascogne, on rendzinas in areas underlain by chalk, and on luvisols on clay with flints, and on peats.

Pollen sterility has been identified as one of the major factors in reducing wheat yields.

German Democratic Republic

Copper-enriched superphosphate (1% Cu) has been widely used on such crops as wheat, barley, oats, maize, pastures, cucumber, onion and carrots.

German Federal Republic

Considerable use has been made of enriched fertilizers and of copper - rich industrial residues on grassland with a view to improving the copper status of livestock. Sub-clinical copper deficiency is recognized in cereals on sandy loams and peats especially after heavy nitrogen application. Copper deficiency is associated with peats and podzolic soils.

Greece

Copper deficiency has been reported on rendzinas and on peaty soils.

Hungary

Responses to copper have been found on maize, pastures and potatoes.

Ireland

Copper deficiency has been accentuated by nitrogen applications particularly on peat soils where wheat, oats, barley, white clover and grass are all known to respond to copper application. Copper deficiency also occurs on grey-brown podzolic soils and on regosols.

Italy

Rice has been found to respond to copper.

Netherlands

Copper deficiency has been recognised for many years as one of the problems not only after reclamation of peats but also on sandy soils; responses to copper have been reported on wheat, peas, beans, lupins, apple, plum, pear and sugarbeet. Subclinical copper deficiency on cereals is an acknowledged phenomenon and low grain weight is believed to be one of the manifestations .

Copper deficiency occurs on second rotation forests. Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Larix leptolepis, are more sensitive to copper deficiency than Picea sitchensis, Abies grandis and Tsuga heterophylla, which in turn are more sensitive than Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris.

Norway

Copper-enriched NPK and PK fertilizers are used, as in other parts of Scandinavia, on such crops as oats, barley, grass and lettuce. Copper deficiency occurs on coarse-textured podzolised soils and on peats.

Poland

Wheat, barley, oats and carrots are known to respond to copper in Poland, particularly on peat and on leached sandy soils.

Portugal

Large areas of copper-deficient soils have been found in the southern part of Portugal.

Roumania

The podzols, brown forest soils (cambisols) and rendzinas are reported to be liable to copper deficiency, whereas the chernozems are not. Responses have been reported on maize.

Spain

About half the pastures sampled in central and western regions have been found to be deficient in copper, indicating that livestock problems in Spain may well be more serious than is currently thought. Fruit crops are known to be responsive to copper also. Copper deficiency is associated with chestnut (kastanozems), alluvial soils and with reddish-brown soils (ferralsols).

Sweden

Copper-enriched NPK fertilizers are available for vegetables, soft fruit and potatoes all of which are known to be responsive. Copper deficiency occurs on peat soils, on brown forest soils, rendzinas and podzolised soils.

United Kingdom

Wheat, barley, oats, sugarbeet, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, peas and beans are known to respond to copper in the UK. Sub-clinical copper deficiencies have been substantiated on wheat, barley, oats and sugarbeet. Large areas (possibly over 50% in England and Wales and 80% in Scotland) of grassland contain inadequate levels of copper for livestock. Copper deficiency is found in several soils including podzolised, brown forest soils, acid brown earths (cambisols) as well as peats.

Yugoslavia

Tobacco and lucerne have been found responsive to copper applications.