Abstract: By setting 3 irrigation treatments, including drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and flood irrigation, and 3 sowing dates, the comparative analysis method was used to research water consumption of the same variety and find out the relationship between yield and water use efficiency under the condition of different irrigation methods and sowing dates. Taking 1 m soil samples before sowing, at sowing and at harvest, and using the drilling method every ten days, the water content of soil was determined with drying and weighing method. The results showed that, the distribution and changes of soil moisture which were the best for the growth of maize was under the drip irrigation, followed by the sprinkler irrigation. Under drip irrigation, the yield and the water use efficiency were the highest, the water consumption reached the minimum, followed by the third sowing date. The drip irrigation’s storage capacity was the strongest under the premise of guaranteeing the water demand and this irrigation method was also an efficient method in arid regions. The maize variety of late-sowing and late-mature had better and greater production and extension potentials, and also was a method to improve the water use efficiency from the point of water and heat matching. The average yield under drip irrigation was 1.69% higher than that under sprinkler irrigation and 6.53% higher than that under flood irrigation. The water consumption under drip irrigation was 2.9% less than that under sprinkler irrigation and 16.1% less than that under flood irrigation. The water use efficiency under drip irrigation was 4.7% higher than that under sprinkler irrigation and 26.9% higher than that under flood irrigation. The average yield of the third sowing date was 2.76% higher than that of the first sowing date and 2.81% less than that of the second sowing date. The water consumption of the third sowing date was 18.2% less than that of the first sowing date and 18.3% less than that of the second sowing date. The water use efficiency of the third sowing date was 25.6% higher than that of the first sowing date and 19% higher than that of the second sowing date.