Abstract:To systematically investigate the effects of different cultivation practices on soil fertility and maize yield in the semi-arid regions of Northeast China, a field experiment was conducted with the following treatments: no fertilization(T1), traditional fertilization practice(T2), optimized fertilization practice(T3), and deep tillage with straw returning + optimized fertilization practice(T4). The study examined the effects of different treatments on maize plant height, stem diameter, leaf area index(LAI), SPAD value, maize yield and soil nutrient content. The results showed that, compared to T2 treatment, T3 and T4 treatments significantly increased(P<0.05) maize plant height, stem diameter, LAI and SPAD value at all growth stages, with nitrogen(N), phosphorus (P) and potassium(K) application rates reduced by 15.4%, 28.6%, and 10.0%, respectively. Among them, T4 treatment achieved the highest values. Compared to T2 treatment, T3 and T4 treatments significantly increased maize yield by 5.7% and 8.8%(P<0.05), mainly by increasing kernel number per ear(3.2% and 7.4%) and 100-kernel weight(4.5% and 6.4%). Compared to the initial soil conditions, T4 treatment significantly increased soil organic matter and available K content, while there were no significant changes in hydrolytic N and available P content. In conclusion, the combination of straw returning and optimized fertilization can synergistically enhance maize yield and soil fertility in the semi-arid regions of Northeast China.