Laboratory soil columns, 0.3 m diameter 0.7 m long, were used to study nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) leachingin sandy loam soil cropped to grain corn (Zea mays L.). Three tillage practices, no till (NT), reduced tillage (RT), andconventional tillage (CT), with residue (R) and without residue (NR), were studied. In Experiment I, 30 min, 23.6 mmsimulated rainfalls were applied at 0, 4, 60, 140 and 180 h. Before the 4 h simulated rainfall, granular calciumammonium nitrate fertilizer was applied to the soil surface at a rate of 180 kg-N/ha. In Experiment II, using the samecolumns ten months later, 30 min, 32.3 mm of simulated rainfall were applied at 6, 170, 312 and 412 h, after an initialsoaking of the soil (0 h). Fertilizer was applied after 125 h, at the same rate as in Experiment I, but in 1 L (14.4 mm) ofsolution. NO3-N leaching and moisture content were measured at 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 m depths. Drainage water flowonly occurred in Experiment II.<br><br>In Experiment I, higher nitrate-nitrogen concentrations ([NO3-N]), occurred initially at 0.1 and 0.2 m depths in RTand CT, but less leached to lower soil depths. In the end, more NO3-N leached to 0.6 m depth in the NT treatment. InExperiment II, NO3-N leached to deeper layers (below 0.4 m) in RD and CT treatments. Conventional tillage exhibitedthe lowest drainage rates. Tillage and residue effects were statistically significant at the early stages of Experiment I(at 4 h and earlier), and at the later stages in Experiment II, at the 0.1 m depth (P < 0.05). Maximum soil NO3-Nconcentration occurred at 0.4 m depth in all treatments.