Optimizing water and nitrogen management for enhanced spring maize productivity and resource use efficiency under drip irrigation in arid and semi‐arid regions

Abstract BACKGROUND Maize production in arid and semi‐arid regions is constrained by water shortages, high evaporation and inefficient nitrogen application. Optimizing water–nitrogen management is essential for enhancing maize growth, yield and resource use efficiency under drip irrigation. However, most existing strategies prioritize yield over a comprehensive evaluation of resource efficiency. To address this, a two‐year field experiment was conducted using four irrigation levels (W1–W4: 150–295 mm in 2023; 130–250 mm in 2024) and five nitrogen applications (120–280 kg ha −1 ). A high‐input treatment served as a local control (385 mm irrigation + 360 kg ha −1 N in 2023; 345 mm + 360 kg ha −1 N in 2024). RESULTS The W3N240 treatment (240 mm irrigation and 240 kg ha −1 N) enhanced root and above‐ground growth, achieving the highest observed yields (14 673.2 kg ha −1 in 2023; 15 067.3 kg ha −1 in 2024), as well as high water productivity (WP: 3.50 and 3.62 kg m −3 ), irrigation water productivity (IWP: 6.10 and 7.65 kg m −3 ) and nitrogen partial productivity (PFPN: 61.1 and 62.8 kg kg −1 ). Response surface analysis indicated optimal ranges of water consumption (410–440 mm) and nitrogen application (180–250 kg ha −1 ), ensuring ≥95% of maximum yield while maintaining high efficiency (≥85% of WP and IWP, and ≥60% PFPN). CONCLUSION Optimizing water–nitrogen management significantly enhanced maize productivity and resource use efficiency under drip irrigation. The identified optimal ranges offer a practical reference for sustainable water–nitrogen management in arid and semi‐arid maize production systems. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.