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With support from Defra the YEN database was analysed to investigate Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) metrics and how the variation in these metrics are influenced by parameters such as soil, crop performance and crop management.

Through understanding the variation in NUE the objective of this work was to contribute to the understanding of reducing nutrient (specifically nitrogen) inputs to reduce the environmental impact of crop production and improve crop profitability through enhanced crop nutrient efficiency. Twelve NUE metrics were defined (see table below) with three being chosen as the most informative depending on the question being asked:

1. To indicate efficiency of crop N use to produce yield:

kg grain yield/kg N available (kg/kg)

2. To indicate efficiency of fertiliser to improve crop quality (protein content):

N removed in harvested grain (%)

3. To indicate potential risk of losing applied N to the surrounding environment:

N balance for crop N offtake (kg N/ha), which calculates the net amount of applied N fertiliser left in the field after harvest

 

No.

NUE metric

Calculation

Units

1

kg grain yield/kg N available

kg grain yield / (soil N + N fertiliser) 

kg/kg

2

kg grain yield/kg N fertiliser applied

kg grain yield / kg N fertiliser applied

kg/kg

3

Grain N offtake

DM yield x grain N%

kg N/ha

4

Total crop N uptake

Grain N offtake + straw N (DM straw x straw N%)​

kg N/ha

5

N harvest index (NHI)

Grain N offtake / Total crop N uptake​

%

6

N uptake efficiency (NUpE)

Total Crop N Uptake / (soil N + N fertiliser) 

%

7

N utilisation efficiency (grain; NUtE)

Grain yield (kg/ha) / Total crop N uptake​

kg DM/kg N

8

N removed in harvested grain

Grain N offtake / (soil N + N fertiliser) 

%

9

Apparent N fertiliser recovery

(Total crop N uptake – soil N) / N fertiliser applied​

%

10

Simple fertiliser recovery

Total Crop N uptake / N fertiliser applied​

%

11

N balance for Grain N offtake

N fertiliser applied – Grain N offtake

kg N/ha

11a

N balance for Crop N offtake

N fertiliser applied - Crop N offtake

kg N/ha

 

 

This analysis included cereal, oilseed, pea and bean crops, totalling over 4,600 crop entries between the harvest years 2013-2021. The final report was published by Defra and can be found below.

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The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency is a widely used term increasingly discussed across industry and between farmers. However it can mean different things to different people, and is best defined with care.

YEN Nutrition brings together those wanting to achieve more precise crop nutrition.  High fertiliser prices now make this vital.  Assuming that 'crops know best' engagement in YEN Nutrition starts by benchmarking grain nutrients to show those that were limiting (or excessive) for each crop.