Abstract: Abstract: Strip mulch of corn straw planting technique is a drought-resistant and moisture-preservation cultivation technique in the northwest rain-fed region of China. Previous studies mainly focused on the mechanism of increasing yield of this technology compared with plastic film mulching planting and conventional planting, while earthing up, a traditional cultivation method for potato in these retiongs, is not included. This study investigated the effects of earthing up patterns on soil moisture, yield and water use efficiency of potato under maize straw strip mulching in the northwest rain-fed Region of China. Four treatments included heap of earth-up (M1), furrow of earth-up (M2), trench planting and earth-up of filling furrow (M3) and no earthing up (CK). The field experiment was carried out in 2015 and 2016 at Tongwei Modern Dryland Circular Farming Experiment Station, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, China (35°11′N, 105°19′E, altitude 1 760 m). The year of 2015 was normal precipitation year and the year of 2016 was dry year compared with multiyear average. The No.7 of Longshu was planted. The plots with 3 replicates were designed by random arrangement method. Irrigation was not carried out during the experiments. The dry weight of straw, plant height, potato yield and its components were determined. The evapotranspiration was calculated based on water balance equation. The water use efficiency was the ratio of yield to evapotranspiration. In addition, soil moisture in different soil layers during the growing stages of potato was measured. The results showed that M1, M2 and M3 significantly reduced potato yields in normal precipitation year by 15.32%, 23.83% and 17.44% (P<0.05), respectively, compared with CK. Yield difference of among M1, M2 and CK was not significant in dry year, but M3 was significantly lower than CK by 7.85%. The difference of water use efficiency among M1, M2 and M3 was not significant in dry year, but CK significantly improved water use efficiency in normal precipitation year by 20.10%, 24.89% and 17.07% (P<0.05), respectively, compared with M1, M2 and M3. Based on the correlation analysis, the potato yield was highly correlated with yield and weight per potato, straw dry weight, biomass with the correlation coefficient of 0.83, 0.83 and 0.71, respectively. Thus, the yield of potato was mainly determined by weight per potato, straw dry weight, biomass. Compared to CK, M1、M2、M3 decreased weight per potato, biomass, straw yield and commodity potato rate, but increased height of plant and potato number per plant. In the whole growth period, the average soil moisture in 0-200 cm soil layers of the treatment of M2 was the lowest in the dry year however there was not different among treatments in normal precipitation year. Compared with CK, M3 significantly increased soil moisture content in 0-60 cm soil layer at seedling stage and decreased soil moisture content in 0-40 cm soil layer at tuber expansion stage. M2 significantly reduces the soil moisture content in 40-60 cm soil layer at tuber formation period. Maize straw strip mulching potato planting does not require earthing up under this experimental condition.