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In this study, the RZWQM2 (Root Zone Water Quality Model) was used to simulate the responses of N 2 O emissions to different Nitrogen application rates on an irrigated corn field from 2003 to 2006, in eastern Colorado, USA. Four different algorithms from the literature were coupled with RZWQM2 and compared for simulating N 2 O emissions during nitrification and denitrification processes. The RZWQM2 was first calibrated for corn yield, N uptake, soil water (0–10 cm) and soil Nitrate-N content (0–180 cm) and the simulated daily nitrification and denitrification rates were used to calculate N 2 O emission using the algorithms from DAYCENT, NOE (Nitrous Oxide Emissions),WNMM (Water and Nitrogen Management Model), and FASSET models. The best N 2 O emission was simulated when the fraction of N 2 O release from nitrification was modified by water filled pore space (WFPS) as in the NOE model and the fraction N 2 O release from denitrification was adopted from the DAYCENT model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]