Copper Accumulation and Availability in Sandy, Acid, Vineyard Soils

The use of copper (Cu)-based fungicides to control diseases in vineyards can cause excessive Cu accumulation in soils. Greater Cu availability is expected in acid sandy soils with low organic matter (OM), where the risk of toxicity to plants and environment contamination is high. This study aimed to study the evolution of Cu in acid, sandy soils planted with grapevines for a period of time between 2 and 32 years. Two studies were carried out in South Brazil: in the first study, soil samples, from 19 vineyards were collected and analyzed in the first 0.2 m depth-layer for the total and available Cu. In the second study, 3 soils were selected among the previous 19 according to the age of vineyard (5, 11, and 30 year-old), and their 0.60 m-depth profile was analyzed for 5 fractions of Cu (soluble, exchangeable, mineral, organic, and residual). All the soils were classified as Ultisols. The vineyards with more than 25 years under cultivation had a mean total Cu concentration of 90 mg kg−1 in the 0–0.10 m layer. Approximately 80% of it was potentially available to plants. The greatest total and available Cu were found in the soil surface layers (0.2 m depth), where up to 75% of the total Cu is adsorbed in clay minerals and only 20% is complexed in the OM.