Abstract:
Water soluble copper concentrations in some topsoil samples collected between February and March 2000 from eleven cocoa growing towns in the central Region of Ghana were determined. In all a total of hundred and eighty soil samples were taken randomly at a depth of 0-20cm from preselected farms. copper fungicides were applied in ten of the farms and the eleventh farm which served as a control had no fungicide application. Some physical and chemical properties of the soils were determined. Analysis for copper was done using atomic absorption spectrometer after the extraction process. Water-soluble copper in the soils ranged from 0.05 to 0.40mg kg-1 with a mean concentration of 0.265 mg kg -1.The correlation was done to determine the factors responsible for the differences in the absorption levels of water-soluble copper. Water soluble copper correlated negatively and insignificantly (P>0.5) with cation exchange capacity, organic carbon, available phosphorus, nitrogen, moisture, and silt while an insignificant (P>0.05) positive correlation existed between copper level and pH of the soil. Also a significant (P<0.05) negative moderate correlation existed between water soluble copper concentration and soil clay content while a significant (P<0.05) positive correlation existed between copper concentration and sand content of the soil
