Source. Copper is found in small quantity in soils. The bivalent copper cation Cu2+ is available in plants in exchangeable forms. It is found in natural deposits of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2).
Regions. It is required by plants for all the parts.
Functions. It activates many enzymes and is a component of phenolases, ascorbic acid oxidase, tyrosinase. Copper is a constituent of plastocyanin, hence plays a role in photo-phosphorylation. It also maintains carbohydrate nitrogen balance.
Deficiency symptoms
(i) Leads to die back of shoots,
(ii) Carbon dioxide absorption is decreased in copper deficient trees,
(iii) Distortion and chlorosis of leaves followed by necrosis of leaves,
(iv) Deficiency of copper causes a disease ‘exanthema’ in which trees start yielding gums on bark.