Application of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture is a major source of anthropogenic N 2 O emission. Choice of nitrogenous fertilizer with a low emission potential can reduce global nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions. We studied effects of urea (U), ammonium nitrate (AN), sulfur-coated urea (SU), and compost (C) application on the concentration of N 2 O in soil air of mesic Typic Hapludalfs and corn ( Zea mays L.) growth in a greenhouse experiment conducted at The Ohio State University. In the urea-treated soil, N 2 O concentration (2.35 μl l −1 ) increased significantly (p = 0.05) over that in the unfertilized soil (0.21 μl l −1 ). The increase in N 2 O concentration for AN, SU, and C treatments over the unfertilized soil was 748%, 681%, and 48%, respectively. Soil treated with mineral fertilizers produced significantly (p = 0.05) higher N 2 O concentration in comparison with that in the unfertilized and compost-treated soils. The highest shoot biomass of 52.8 g pot −1 was recorded in SU-treated soil and the lowest of 33.4 g pot −1 in unfertilized soil. Soil treated with SU produced the highest root biomass (59.0 g pot −1 ) followed by that for AN (54.7 g pot −1 ), U (53.7 g pot −1 ), and C (36.7 g pot −1 ), and the lowest root biomass was recorded in the unfertilized soil (33.2 g pot −1 ). The highest and the lowest root volume were recorded in soil treated with SU (357 cm 3 ) and unfertilized soil (177 cm 3 ), respectively. The slow-release fertilizers 95 96 G. S. Dheri et al. (i.e., sulfur-coated urea) lowered concentration of N 2 O in the soil air.