Nutrient Use Efficiency Calculator

NUE from crop uptake, applied nutrients, and yield.

Fertilized yield (bu/acre)

Unfertilized yield (bu/acre)

N applied (lbs/acre)

Grain N content (%)

Stover N content (%)

Harvest index

Test weight (lbs/bu)

Tab to move between fields

Agronomic Efficiency (bu/lb N)

0.5

Recovery Efficiency (%)

58.8%

Partial Factor Productivity (bu/lb N)1.13

Physiological Efficiency (lbs grain/lb N uptake)47.6

Internal Utilization (lbs grain/lb N uptake)47.6

Agronomic Efficiency (lbs grain/lb N)28

PFP (lbs grain/lb N)63

N uptake, fertilized (lbs/acre)211.7

N uptake, unfertilized (lbs/acre)117.6

Yield response (bu/acre)80

Return on N investment (%)309.1%

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Fertilized Yield (bu/acre) and Unfertilized Yield (bu/acre) from field trial data or check strips.
Set N Applied (lbs/acre), Grain N Content (%), Stover N Content (%), Harvest Index, and Grain Test Weight.
Review Agronomic Efficiency (bu/lb N) — target 0.3–0.5 bu/lb N for corn.
Check Recovery Efficiency (%) — the percentage of applied N actually taken up by the crop (good: 50–70%).
Use Partial Factor Productivity and Physiological Efficiency to benchmark your management versus regional averages.

How the result changes with Fertilized yield (bu/acre)

Fertilized yield (bu/acre): Crop yield with fertilizer applied.
Unfertilized yield (bu/acre): Yield from unfertilized check strip or control.
N applied (lbs/acre): Total pounds of nitrogen applied per acre.
Grain N content (%): Nitrogen concentration in harvested grain (corn ~1.4%, wheat ~2.0%).
Stover N content (%): Nitrogen concentration in crop residue/stover.
Harvest index: Grain fraction of total aboveground biomass (corn ~0.50, wheat ~0.45).
Test weight (lbs/bu): Grain test weight (corn = 56, wheat = 60, soybeans = 60).

Agronomic Efficiency (bu/lb N): Bushels of yield increase per pound of N applied. Target: 0.3-0.5 bu/lb for corn.
Recovery Efficiency (%): Percentage of applied N recovered in the crop. Good: 50-70%.
Partial Factor Productivity (bu/lb N): Total yield per unit of N applied (not just the response).
Physiological Efficiency (lbs grain/lb N uptake): Grain produced per unit of N actually taken up by the crop.
Internal Utilization (lbs grain/lb N uptake): Total grain per unit of crop N uptake in the fertilized treatment.
Agronomic Efficiency (lbs grain/lb N): Pounds of grain increase per pound of N applied.
PFP (lbs grain/lb N): Total grain weight per pound of N applied.
N uptake, fertilized (lbs/acre): Estimated total crop N uptake with fertilizer.
N uptake, unfertilized (lbs/acre): Estimated total crop N uptake without fertilizer.
Yield response (bu/acre): Yield difference between fertilized and unfertilized.
Return on N investment (%): Estimated economic return (assumes $0.55/lb N, $4.50/bu grain).

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Fertilized yield (bu/acre) = 180, Unfertilized yield (bu/acre) = 100, N applied (lbs/acre) = 160, Grain N content (%) = 1.4 = 7 input(s) provided
Calculate Agronomic Efficiency
Agronomic Efficiency = yieldResponse / nApplied
0.5 = 0.5
Calculate Recovery Efficiency
58.8 = 58.8%
Calculate Partial Factor Productivity
Partial Factor Productivity = yieldFert / nApplied
1.13 = 1.13
Calculate Physiological Efficiency
47.6 = 47.6