Investigating long term use of copper based products in agriculture soils and how it impacts soil organisms

Copper fungicides and bactericides are commonly used in agricultural food production such as fruit orchards, vineyards, and vegetable crops. Even though copper is safe to handle, there are concerns regarding the buildup of copper in the soil. The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of long-term use of copper-based products and how that can potentially affect the health of living organisms and, ultimately, the environment in eastern Nebraska. Soil from the upper 10 cm was collected in four separate areas of the farm, including old and new apple orchards and old and new grape orchards. The sixteen soil samples were analyzed for the following soil chemical characteristics: pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soluble salts, organic matter, nitrate-nitrogen, phosphorus, boron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, zinc, iron, manganese and copper concentrations. In addition, soil health was assessed by measuring active carbon, soil protein, and soil respiration using the Solvita CO2 Burst soil test. I expect that a presence of an excess of copper buildup in the soil will impact the soil organisms and be evident in the soil health assessment results