Zinc and Copper Dynamics in the Soil - Plant System in Intensive Strawberry Production

The term heavy metal, when related to its impact on the life of the plant, almost always implies negative connotations. However, some heavy metals like copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are essential to maintain the metabolism of plant, and without them the plant would not be able to successfully complete its life cycle. The aim of this study was to examine the dynamics of Zn and Cu in the soil - plant system in intensive strawberry plantation on pseudogley soil in Northwestern Bosnia, area of Gradacac. The content of Zn and Cu in the examined soil, leaves and fruits of strawberries was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Zn and Cu contents (means +/- SEM) were 82.06 +/- 14.07 and 8.45 +/- 2.35 in soil, 100.34 +/- 4.61 and 0.41 +/- 0.11 in leaves, 91.72 +/- 6.32 and 0.32 +/- 0.18 in fruits expressed as mg/kg dry matter (DW), respectively. Uptake, translocation and accumulation of Zn in the leaves and fruits of strawberries was at a satisfactory level in accordance with the plant’s needs for this element, which was not the case when the dynamics of Cu was studied. Some of the main reasons for that were: a low Cu content in the examined soil, low mobility of Cu in the plant, and antagonistic relationship between Zn and Cu in soil.