| Summary: | Feeding a growing population, which will reach 10 billion in 2050, is a major challenge. Another major challenge is to increase crops’ productivity in a sustainable way, as the increase in agricultural inputs may lead to greenhouse gas emissions, including N<sub>2</sub>O fertiliser. Several factors can influence N<sub>2</sub>O emissions such as irrigation, the soil management system, or the type of fertiliser used. The aim of this research is to study the impact of each above-mentioned factor on N<sub>2</sub>O emissions during three growing seasons in a maize field, considering three nitrogen fertilisers: urea (U), ammonium nitrate (AN), and a fertiliser with the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP); two irrigation strategies: on demand (100%) and deficit irrigation (75% of demand); and a comparison of two soil management systems: conventional tillage (T) systems and no-tillage (NT) system. The interactions among the three factors and their effects on emissions were analysed through a principal component analysis. Higher emissions were recorded in plots that received the highest irrigation dose. The most favourable management to reduce N<sub>2</sub>O emissions derived from agricultural activity for maize crops under a Mediterranean climate was the NT soil management, using a fertiliser with nitrification inhibitor and an irrigation dose of 75% of conventional irrigation.
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