A field experimentwas carried outin the semi-humid buteasily dry region of EastGansu Province. Objectives of the study were to explore the effects of limited supplementary irrigation (LSI) and strip intercropping on the yield and water utilization efficiency (WUE) of winter wheatintercropped with corn and investigate the characteristics of spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture and its utilization in intercropped winter wheatand corn

single cropping winter wheat

and single cropping corn systems. Results show thatstrip intercropping can significantly increase the yield and WUE of winter wheatand corn

the weighted average of consumed water for intercropping is 5.7 %～7.3 % more than that for the single crops

but the yield is increased by 52.8 %～50.6 %. Compared with the non-irrigation treatments

LSI significantly increases the yields of intercropped or single cropping winter wheat

increases the WUE of the intercropped crops

slightly increase the WUE of single cropping crops

and increase the utilization efficiency of soil mois-ture in sowing. In intercropped winter wheatand corn system

the compensation for soil moisture is mainly take place after wheatharvesting

which is realized mainly through using the moisture stored in winter wheatstrips and deep soil layers. Strip intercropping is a typical high efficientcropping pattern in the semi-humid buteasy dry area and it can notonly enhance the utilization efficiency of currentseasonal precipitation butal-so retain certain amountof water for the nextcrop.