Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(7):407-417 | DOI: 10.17221/501/2023-PSE

Copper contamination in agricultural soils: A review of the effects of climate, soil properties, and prolonged copper pesticide application in vineyards and orchardsReview

Alexander Neaman ORCID...1, Jorge-Tomás Schoffer2, Claudia Navarro-Villarroel3, Céline Pelosi4, Patricia Peñaloza5, Elvira Dovletyarova6, Jerusa Schneider7
1 Departamento de Recursos Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
2 Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
3 Instituto de Estadística, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
4 INRAE, Avignon Université, UMR EMMAH, Avignon, France
5 Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota, Chile
6 Department of Landscape Design and Sustainable Ecosystems, Peoples Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation
7 Department of Geology and Natural Resources, Institute of Geosciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

Copper contamination stemming from copper-based pesticides poses a grave concern in vineyards and orchards, causing toxicity to soil organisms. Here, we present a comprehensive review of global data encompassing copper levels in these soils, coupled with variables such as the age of agricultural establishments, climate, soil organic matter content, soil pH, and farming practices (organic vs. conventional). The results suggest that there are three pivotal determinants driving copper content in vineyard and orchard soils: climate, the age of agricultural establishments, and soil organic matter content. It was impossible to estimate soil pH’s effect on soil copper content because of its dependence on precipitation. Copper content in vineyard and orchard soils worldwide follows a direct correlation with precipitation while inversely correlating with aridity (i.e. potential evapotranspiration divided by precipitation). Furthermore, a clear linkage emerges between farm age and increased copper content in soils globally. Intriguingly, the increased soil organic matter content has shown inverse impacts on soil copper levels. These effects of soil properties on soil copper contents were discussed in terms of copper losses from soil via surface runoff. However, no discernible disparities in soil copper content between organic and conventional farming systems were found. This worldwide survey not only underscores the established influence of climate on European vineyards but also sheds novel light on the historical legacy of copper contamination in these landscapes.

Keywords: toxic effect; organic agriculture; conventional agriculture; soil organic carbon; soil remediation

Received: December 23, 2023; Revised: May 22, 2024; Accepted: May 23, 2024; Prepublished online: June 26, 2024; Published: June 27, 2024  Show citation

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Neaman A, Schoffer J, Navarro-Villarroel C, Pelosi C, Peñaloza P, Dovletyarova E, Schneider J. Copper contamination in agricultural soils: A review of the effects of climate, soil properties, and prolonged copper pesticide application in vineyards and orchards. Plant Soil Environ. 2024;70(7):407-417. doi: 10.17221/501/2023-PSE.
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