Balancing agronomic outcomes and greenhouse gas-nitrous oxide emissions using enhanced efficiency fertilizers in canola production.

Non-Peer ReviewedDue to a low Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), canola production requires a high N input to optimize crop yields. The large amount of soil N surplus impacts the fertilizer investment for farmers and poses risks to the environment, especially in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O). Therefore, optimizing crop yields without compromising the integrity of the environment is a significant challenge in canola production, and much attention has been directed toward the better fertilizer management. The 4R framework provides guidelines for moving toward sustainable agriculture, which suggests that fertilizer should be applied at the right source, right rate, right time, and right placement. The potentials of enhanced efficiency N fertilizer (EENFs) to reduce N2O emissions in dryland canola production will be the primary focus of this study. Three components of the 4R strategy, which are the right source, rate, and timing will be implemented. The crop performances such as N uptake, NUE, yield, and N2O emissions will be quantified and compared between the fall vs. spring application of EENFs and conventional urea. The yield-scaled N2O emissions factors for the fertilizer type, application rate, and timing will be calculated to determine the best balance of agronomic and greenhouse gas N2O emissions