The nitrogen (N) dilution curve is a useful tool for farmers to assess the effectiveness of fertilizer application. The N dilution curve describes the decrease in plant N as biomass increases. This concept has not yet been tested for its applicability and robustness under different cutting regimes in grasslands. We conducted a principal components analysis on biomass yield and N concentration data to discern relationships among experimental, climatic, and management factors. Next, two N dilution curve parameters were calibrated for different cutting frequencies. We compared N uptake using four different methods utilizing calibrated N dilution curves, a reference curve, and different cutting regimes representing different physiological ages of the crops at cutting. Our results show that excluding cutting frequency information overestimates values of N uptake. Calibration of the N dilution curve according to cutting frequency improves N uptake estimates relative to observed values. Therefore, N uptake is better estimated using both the N dilution curve and the cutting regime information.
CITATION STYLE
Reyes, J., Schellberg, J., Siebert, S., Elsaesser, M., Adam, J., & Ewert, F. (2015). Improved estimation of nitrogen uptake in grasslands using the nitrogen dilution curve. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 35(4), 1561–1570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-015-0321-2
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