Nitrous oxide emissions from productive and degraded potato fields in the Fraser Valley delta of British Columbia

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Soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and potato yield were evaluated under 0, 90, and 120 kg N ha−1 fertilizer rates and two planting dates, at productive and degraded fields in the Fraser Valley delta. During the growing season, N2O emissions were comparable among N fertilizer rates. Following November rainfall, N2O emissions increased by three times with 120 kg N ha−1. In the degraded field, yield did not respond to the increasing N fertilizer rates. These findings suggest that lower N fertilizer rates, especially in fields with degraded soils, can lower N2O emissions from British Columbia potato production.