A global dataset to parametrize critical nitrogen dilution curves for major crop species

Abstract

Precise management of crop nitrogen nutrition is essential to maximize yields while limiting pollution risks. For several decades, the critical nitrogen (N) dilution curve - relating plant biomass (W) to N concentration (%N) - has become a key tool for diagnosing plant nutritional status. Increasing number of studies are being conducted to parameterize critical N dilution curves of a wide range of crop species in different environments and N-fertilized conditions. A global synthesis of the resulting data is lacking on this topic. Here, we conduct a systematic review of the experimental data collected worldwide to parametrize critical N dilution curves. The dataset consists of 36 papers containing a total of 4454 observations for 19 major crop species distributed in 16 countries. The key variables of this dataset are the W and %N collected at three or more sampling times, containing three or more fertilizer N rate levels. This dataset can guide the development of generic critical N dilution curves, helps scientists to identify factors influencing plant N status, and leads to the formulation of more robust N recommendations for a broad range of environmental conditions.