Resources / Grain / Nitrogen use efficiency
Grain · Soil & nutrition · Efficiency

Nitrogen use efficiency

38 kg grain/kg N

Kilograms of grain produced for every kilogram of applied nitrogen — a direct read on how hard your single most expensive and most emissions-heavy input is working across the program.

Worked example · kg grain per kg N applied · 4 yrs
Top 20% ~45 32 35 36 38 2023 2024 2025 2026
kg grain per kg N applied · 4 yrs
The benchmark

Partial nitrogen productivity in dryland cereals commonly runs 25–50 kg of grain per kilogram of applied N; the efficient top tier sits at the upper end for the same season.

GRDC GrowNotes ↗
What it signals

Low efficiency means nitrogen is being lost to leaching, volatilisation or denitrification rather than ending up in grain — a cost to both the budget and the emissions figure. Rising efficiency usually tracks better timing and placement, not simply cutting rates.

Data required to calculate
Grain yieldkg/haNitrogen appliedkg N/haSoil mineral N at sowingkg N/ha

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Split nitrogen and apply in-crop to match supply to seasonal demand.

02

Use soil and tissue testing to credit mineralised N and avoid over-application.

03

Place and incorporate N to cut volatilisation losses from the surface.

Questions & answers

What is nitrogen use efficiency?

Kilograms of grain produced for every kilogram of applied nitrogen — a direct read on how hard your single most expensive and most emissions-heavy input is working across the program.

What data do you need to calculate nitrogen use efficiency?

You need: Grain yield (kg/ha), Nitrogen applied (kg N/ha), Soil mineral N at sowing (kg N/ha). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good nitrogen use efficiency benchmark?

Partial nitrogen productivity in dryland cereals commonly runs 25–50 kg of grain per kilogram of applied N; the efficient top tier sits at the upper end for the same season.

How do you improve nitrogen use efficiency?

Split nitrogen and apply in-crop to match supply to seasonal demand. Use soil and tissue testing to credit mineralised N and avoid over-application. Place and incorporate N to cut volatilisation losses from the surface.

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