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Abstract
Labile carbon is an essential driver of nitrous oxide (N2O) production during denitrification in upland soil systems. The objective of this study was to assess the capacity of labile carbon as a predictor of N2O fluxes, using water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) as a proxy. Plots were sampled in 2021 and 2022 on a maize field with treatments we predicted would alter WEOC: three rates of herbicide application and three management practices (conventional no-till, cover cropping with rye, or intercropping with soybean). WEOC was not significantly different between the treatments in either year. WEOC levels during N2O peaks were statistically like the WEOC of the samples in the 3 weeks before and after a peak. Our work suggests that WEOC is not a viable indicator of N2O emissions withing the scope of this study.