Conservation tillage methods like no-tillage and subsoiling help save water and increase maize yields in dry, normal, and wet years. These methods improve soil water storage and crop production compared to plow tillage. No-tillage and subsoiling increase grain yields by up to 18.7% and 12.3% in dry years, and water use efficiency by up to 17.2% and 11.7%. With every 10mm increase in soil water storage, grain yield can go up by 76.6kg per hectare. This study shows that using these tillage methods can be beneficial for farming in semi-arid areas.