Data from: Estimating maize harvest index and nitrogen concentrations in grain and residue using globally available data

Estimates of crop nitrogen (N) uptake and offtake are critical in
estimating N balances, N use efficiencies and potential losses to the
environment. Calculation of crop N uptake and offtake requires estimates
of crop product yield (e.g. grain or beans) and crop residue yield (e.g.
straw or stover) and the N concentration of both components. Yields of
crop products are often reasonably well known, but those of crop residues
are not. While the harvest index (HI) can be used to interpolate the
quantity of crop residue from available data on crop product yields,
harvest indices are known to vary across locations, as do N concentrations
of residues and crop products. The increasing availability of crop data
and advanced statistical and machine learning methods present us with an
opportunity to move towards more locally relevant estimates of crop
harvest index and N concentrations using more readily available data. This
dataset includes maize field experiment data. It is a culmination of
summary statistic data collected from the literature as well as raw data
requested from various researchers and organisations from around the
world. These data will enable more locally relevant estimates of crop
nutrient offtake, nutrient balances and nutrient use efficiency at
national, regional or global levels, as part of strategies towards more
sustainable nutrient management.