Abstract
This project investigated the soil-plant relationships of copper
(C u ), molybdenum (Mo) and sulphur (S) in hill pastures following
observations of increased incidence of Mo and S-induced negative Cu
balances in sheep grazing some hill sites after improvement. Although
it is a relatively simple procedure to dose the sheep with Cu to prevent
the development of negative Cu balances, associated with the risk of
swayback and reduced lamb growth rates, it would be advantageous
if sufficient were known about the soil-plant relationships of Cu , Mo
and S to modify hill improvement practices and choice of sites, so that
the problem does not arise.
