Defoliation affects seed yield but not N uptake and growth rate in two oilseed rape cultivars differing in post-flowering N uptake

The results demonstrate that leaves are important for yield formation in oilseed rape. The hypothesis, that assimilate supply from the leaves enhances N uptake during reproductive growth could not be confirmed by this experiment. Instead, the importance of the leaves for yield may be due to assimilate remobilization from the leaves during reproductive growth.