NMIN target values for field vegetables

The use of N-min target values for predicting the nitrogen (N) fertilizer demands of vegetable crops is common practice in several European countries. However, N-min target values, which in the past were derived mainly from fertilizer experiments, have not been determined for all commercially important crops. To solve this problem, this paper presents an algorithm and an up-to-data data set for calculating N-min target values from: (1) the expected N uptake by the crop, (2) the necessary N in residue in the soil at harvest, and (3) the apparent net N mineralization.