Water and salt stress can affect maize growth, but combining mild stress can actually improve water use efficiency. By studying two maize genotypes under these stresses, researchers found that osmotic adjustment played a key role in how the plants responded. Mild stress decreased stomatal conductance and increased osmotic adjustment, leading to better water use efficiency. This approach also stabilized grain yield and improved grain water use efficiency. Overall, this study shows that managing water and salt stress through specific strategies can benefit maize growth and yield.