Abstract
The relationship between the content and composition of saccharides and the dose and time of application of copper sulphate was studied in different organs and stages of development of oats (Avena sativa L. var. 'Udycz żółty'). The plant material was obtained from pot experiments run on low peat, deficient in copper. Under these conditions, oat plants contained less soluble sugars, hemicelluloses and cellulose than plants receiving a sufficient amount of this element. The differences in the composition of the individual saccharide fractions depended on the dose of copper and time of its application, as well as on the organ and stage of development of the oat plant. In grain of oats grown in copper deficient peat, increased amounts of pentoses (arabinose and xylose) were found concomitantly with a lowered glucose content. Attempts to explain the changes in the sugar metabolism under conditions of copper deficiency and the role of this micronutrient in seed formation are presented.
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