A field experiment was conducted to study effect of application rate (N 0, 100, 200 and 270 kg hm^-2) of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) and urea on N₂O emission from the wheat cropping system. Seven treatments, i.e. CK, U100, U200, U270, C100, C200 and C270, were designed and implemented separately during the wheat growing period. Results indicate that application of either urea and CRF, increased total N₂O emission during the wheat growing period exponentially from 32% to 164% with increasing N-fertilizer application rate ( p<0.05). The increasing tendency was duller in Treatments CRF than in Treatments Urea. Compared with Treatments urea, Treatments CRF inhibited significantly N₂O emission during the wheat growing period ( p<0.05), and the effect was enhanced with increasing application rate. Compared with that in Treatment CK, grain yield increased in a parabolic pattern from 24% to 43% in Treatments Urea and from 30% to 45% in Treatments CRF with increasing application rate ( p <0.05). Obviously the effect of Treatment CRF was slightly higher than that of Treatment Urea ( p >0.05). Specific N₂O emission increased exponentially from 31% to 114% in Treatment Urea with increasing application rate ( p <0.05), and from 2% to 50% in Treatment CRF, showing while in parabolic pattern ( p <0.05). CRF inhibited significantly specific N₂O emission ( p <0.05), and the effect increased with increasing application rate. Significant positive correlations were observed between N₂O flux and soil water content ( p <0.05) in all the treatments, while no significant linear correlation was found between N₂O flux and soil NH₄ ⁺-N and NO₃ ^--N concentrations, or soil temperature ( p >0.05).