This study aimed to investigate a reasonable application of nitrogen fertilizer in wheat-maize rotation system on yellow sloping soil to achieve an agricultural sustainability and environment-friendly nitrogenapplication.A field experiment was conducted to study on the environmental endurance and optimal input rate of nitrogen in a maize-wheat rotation systemwith different nitrogenamounts(0,146,195,244,293 and 390 kg/hm 2)in maize season andthose(0,90,120,150,180 and 240 kg/hm 2)in wheatseason.Results showed that the grain yield and total nitrogen accumulation in plantsincreased and then decreased when the nitrogen application rate was continuouslyincreased.Annual nitrogen use efficiencywas less than25%.Most of nitrogen that resided in soil were NO 3--N,which increased with increasing nitrogen application rate.Indeed,there was a positivecorrelation(R 2=0.7463)between the accumulated NO 3--N in 0～ 100 cm soil andannual nitrogenrate.Nitrogen in the surface soil wasindiscernibly,while that in 0～ 100 cm depth of soil was considerably-affected by nitrogen applicationrate.The annual yield was 3 784.8～ 3 888.2 kg/hm 2 and the annual accumulated NO3-N inthe 0～ 100 cm depth of yellow sloping soil was 217.5～ 228.9 kg/hm 2 when annual nitrogen application rate was increasedin the range of 225.6～ 264.6 kg/hm 2.Results suggested that increasing nitrogen fertilizer in the aforementioned range only resulted in the increase of accumulated NO3--N in 0～ 100 cm depth of soil at an average rate of 0.29kg/kg,andthus,which can be optimal nitrogen application rate to the wheat-maize rotation system for sustainable agricultural development in areaswith yellow slopingsoil.