N Uptake and Distribution in Plant Canopies

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is often considered to be the most important limiting factor, after water deficiency, for biomass production in natural ecosystems. In arable and forage cropping, N fertilization practices can provide a sufficient N supply for plants to achieve the potential growth allowed by the amount of energy intercepted by the crop. However, to ensure that this potential yield is reached, the N inputs are often higher than the minimum required for maximum crop growth: this is particularly true because N fertilizers are relatively cheap compared to the expected economic benefits from a maximized crop yield.