No-tillage farming in northern China helps soil retain more water and improves corn yields. Over three years, no-tillage increased water storage in the soil by up to 30.3% compared to traditional tilling. This method also boosts soil water-holding capacity and crop production by reducing soil density, increasing porosity, and forming stable soil aggregates. As a result, after three years of no-tillage, water use efficiency and corn yield increased by 13.3% and 16.4%, respectively. This shows that no-tillage is a beneficial practice for improving soil quality and crop productivity in semiarid regions.