A mechanistic model for nitrogen-limited plant growth

Nitrogen is often regarded as a limiting factor to plant growth in various ecosystems. Understanding how nitrogen drives plant growth has numerous theoretical and practical applications in agriculture and ecology. In 2004, Göran I. Ågren proposed a mechanistic model of plant growth from a biochemical perspective. However, neglecting respiration and assuming stable and balanced growth made the model unrealistic for plants growing in natural conditions. The aim of the present paper is to extend Ågren's model to overcome these limitations.

We improved Ågren's model by incorporating the respiratory process and replacing the stable and balanced growth assumption with a three-parameter power function to describe the relationship between nitrogen concentration (Nc) and biomass. The new model was evaluated based on published data from three studies on corn (Zea mays) growth.

Remarkably, the mechanistic growth model derived in this study is mathematically equivalent to the classical Richards model, which is the most widely used empirical growth model. The model agrees well with empirical plant growth data.

Our model provides a mechanistic interpretation of how nitrogen drives plant growth. It is very robust in predicting growth curves and the relationship between Nc and relative growth rate.