The development of the DNDC plant growth sub-model and the application of DNDC in agriculture: A review

Plant growth plays an important role in regulating soil C and N as well as water regimes and can therefore influence soil biochemical or geochemical processes. A sub-model was built in DNDC (DeNitrification-DeComposition) to simulate crop growth; since its development, it has often been modified and adapted to suit specific purposes, crops and circumstances. Here, we review the chronological history of various versions of the DNDC plant growth sub-models and present the results of a literature search regarding the application of the DNDC model to various crops in agriculture. We found that food, oil and sugar crops were the primary research focus and accounted for 67.5%, 12.5% and 6.3% of all DNDC crop-based studies, respectively. We also summarize the research achievements published in recent years, and conclude that the DNDC plant growth sub-model could be successfully used to assist in predicting trace gas emissions and soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics after modifying some of the parameters obtained from relevant literature to suit local cultivars. The objective of this study is to provide DNDC users with an understanding of the model mechanisms related to field and horticultural crops, with suggestions for modelling different crops and outlining further model applications and modifications.