Based on the results from 18-year long-term location experiment in dryland experimental area of northern China, the effects of various kinds of straw return to field such as no straw returning (CK), straw mulching (SM), straw crushing (SC), cattle manure (CM) and different fertilization time i. e. spring and autumn on corn yield and water use efficiency were studied. The results showed that the experiment of combining autumn fertilizing with returning stalks to field could increase the yield and water use efficiency of spring maize significantly compared to the spring fertilizing, meanwhile, it decreased the accumulated water consumption and increased the soil water storage amount. The results showed that autumn fertilizing increased 9.71-15.58 t/hm 2 in yield, compared with spring fertilizing. The range of increased in yield was 8.33%-16.19%. The total corn yield and water use efficiency in the past 18-year decreased in the following order: CM > SM > SC > CK. In different rainfall years, the corn yield and water use efficiency were very different. In normal years, the corn yield was highest. In dry years, the water use efficiency of spring maize was highest and yield increasing effect from straw mulching combining with autumn fertilizing was striking.
