[Objective] A field experiment was carried out to investigate the responds of maize yield and soil physical characters to different tillage managements in order to provide the scientific basis for agriculture production in the western part of Heilongjiang Province.[Methods] Five tillage strategies including rotary tillage

plowing

deep plowing

deep subsoiling and local conventional tillage were used.[Results] By plowing and deep subsoiling

soil water content and field water capacity increased in topsoil but decreased in plow bottom soil. Soil three phase structure distance (STPSD) and generalized soil structure index (GSSI) were preferable in plowing

deep plowing and deep subsoiling treatments

but poor in plow bottom soil. Both GSSI and STPSD were not affected by rotary tillage. Compared to local conventional tillage

plowing and deep subsoiling increased maize yield by 17.6% and 6.0%

respectively. Maize yield with plowing was 10.9% higher than that in deep subsoiling. The maize yield in deep plowing was 5.58 t/hm2

which was 8.1% lower than that in local conventional tillage.[Conclusion] Without soil breaking at plow bottom

plowing was the best tillage management in the aeolian sandy soil of Northeast China.