A two-year field experiment (2012–2013) was conducted to investigate the effects of two tillage methods and five maize straw mulching patterns on the yield, water consumption,and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring maize (Zea mays L.) in the northern Huang–Huai–Hai valley of China. Compared to rotary tillage, subsoil tillage resulted in decreases in water consumption by 6.3–7.8% and i…