Description
The Copper Sulfate is a micronutrient necessary for the health of plants and animals. Copper deficiency in the soil is a problem for food production, as it leads to a decrease in yields and crop quality. Nitrogen fertilizers can worsen copper deficiency in soils. Rice and wheat, the two most important staple foods in the world, are very sensitive to copper deficiency; the same goes for other important foods including citrus fruits, oats, spinach, etc.
The most effective strategy to counter copper deficiency is to provide copper in the form of Copper Sulfate. Copper is involved in various enzymatic systems where it cannot be replaced by any other metal ion. It is necessary in carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism, involved in cell wall formation, electron transport, and oxidation reactions. Copper also influences the chemical composition and formation of cell walls, the synthesis of lignin which, in turn, affects lignification and the physical strength of shoots and stems that need to defend against parasitic attacks.
How to prepare homemade Bordeaux Mixture
Copper Sulfate can be used to prepare homemade Bordeaux Mixture. Preparing Bordeaux Mixture with Copper Sulfate and Lime allows you to modulate the ideal formulation according to your needs. The classic dose of Bordeaux Mixture includes:
- 100 liters of water.
- 2 kg of Copper Sulfate.
- 1.3 kg of Lime SKL.
By varying the dose of Lime, it is possible to obtain Acidic, Neutral, and Alkaline Bordeaux Mixture.
Dosage
How to fertilize
| Crop | Dosage | Application |
| Fruit crops and Vine | 200 - 500 g/hl | Dissolved in 500 - 1000 lt of water |
| Olive | 200 - 500 g/hl | Dissolved in 500 - 1000 lt of water |
| Strawberry and vegetable crops (including Fennel) | 200 - 500 g/hl | Dissolved in 500 - 1000 lt of water |
| Field crops | 200 - 500 g/hl | Dissolved in 500 - 1000 lt of water |
In combination with Calce SKL for the preparation of Bordeaux mixture:
| Crop | Dosage | Intervention period |
| Vine | 0.5 - 1% | before flowering |
| 1 - 1.5% | after flowering | |
| Olive | 1 - 1.5% | at vegetative recovery |
| 1% | at fruit set | |
| Apple, Pear | 1 - 1.5% | at leaf fall |
| 0.5 - 1% | from bud swelling to emerging flower clusters | |
| 0.3% | from fruit set to early leaf fall | |
| Cherry, Peach, Plum, Almond | 1.5 - 2% | from leaf fall to bud swelling |
| Ornamental plants | 1 - 1.5% | |
| Deficiency: 20 days | ||
