Adopting alternative field management practices such as mulching practices, subsurface irrigation and crop residue retention to inhibit unproductive water loss for increasing water use efficiency is one of the main objectives for innovating agricultural water management. Evaluating the most reliable mulching type and practice in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China is of great importance for agricultural water management. Therefore, different plastic and straw mulching practices should be tested in dryland maize production. This study compared the effects of different plastic film mulching and straw mulching in dryland maize production.