Abstract: The DNDC model is one of the most successful biogeochemical models, which can be applied to a specific country or regional environment condition. Through continuous improvement and modification, scientists in China have developed a unique version of the model adapting to agricultural ecosystem of China, such as modifying the default parameters of soil water and nitrogen transport processes, introducing the soil conservation service curve and modifying universal soil loss equation to control and simulate the surface runoff, establishing the parameterized module of the film mulching management practice, and adding the manure management sub-model into the original version. These changes could not only increase the capability of the model to simulate the soil water and nitrogen migration, nitrogen leaching and surface runoff, but also expand the application range in different agricultural ecosystems within various management modes. The improved model had been tested against a large number of observations on soil organic carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen balance in typical agricultural ecosystems, and then applied on both site and regional scales in China. Furthermore, this paper discussed some problems of the DNDC model, such as inaccuracy of the simulation results, difficulties in the model parameter correction, and inadequate model module. Finally, the developing direction of the model was proposed, so as to enhance the applicability of the model, and more importantly, to serve agricultural policy making in China.