Key variables for simulating leaf area and N status: Biomass based relations versus phenology driven approaches

摘要

Phenological development can be seen as the biological clock of crops and crop model developers used this timeline for describing various processes associated with leaf area dynamics. The critical shoot nitrogen concentration (cN(crit), a reference to quantify crop nitrogen status), leaf-stem partitioning and specific leaf area (SLA) are often simulated as a function of developmental stages or thermal time driven functions. However, the impact of environmental variability might be better incorporated by considering process formulations related to bio-mass.