The study looked at how adding corn straw and nitrogen fertilizer affects the growth and water use efficiency of maize in a dry area with poor soil. They found that using a certain amount of straw and nitrogen fertilizer can help maize grow better and use water more efficiently. In the early stages, the straw and fertilizer had some negative effects on maize growth, but in the later stages, they had positive effects. To get the best results, using 9,000 kg of straw per hectare with 420 kg of nitrogen fertilizer, or 6,000 kg of straw per hectare with 420 kg of nitrogen fertilizer, would be good choices.