Abstract: In order to reveal the differences of kernel development and dry matter accumulation of six maize varieties under different nitrogen application, field experiment was conducted to investigate dry matter accumulation and yields under three N levels (N0, N1 and N2) in six maize varieties. The results indicated that these six maize varieties could be divided into three types according to nitrogen use efficiency: high-nitrogen-efficiency type (‘Tunyu99’ and ‘Bingdan390’), double-effective type (‘Jindan 65’ and ‘Xianyu335’), low-nitrogen-efficiency type (‘Luyu19’ and ‘Zhengdan 958’). The dry matter accumulation and grain production were significantly increased under N1 treatment. As the amount of nitrogen increases, high-nitrogen-efficiency and double-effective varieties increased in photosynthetic carbon-efficient varieties, provided grain with plenty of carbon source; high-nitrogen-efficiency varieties’ dry matter accumulation of vegetative increase was greater than the accumulation of grain dry matter increase, and the grain dry matter accumulation of double-effective varieties increased rapidly. At the same time, nitrogen could also facilitate the two types of maize kernel development at the top, to increase production. Under the effect of nitrogen, the low-nitrogen- efficiency varieties’ vegetative biomass had increased markedly, with no apparent change in grain; nitrogen would promote the transfer of vegetative biomass, while too high (N2) or too low (N0) nitrogen degrees would cause imperfect grain development in the top of the maize, affecting production.