To investigate the effect of water and nitrogen on environmental adaptation and yield formation in different cultivars, a field experiment was carried out using eight maize cultivars under six different water and nitrogen treatment combinations. The Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) model was used to analyze the yield stability and productivity, and the differential responses in dry matter accumulation and allocation among these cultivars under varying water-nitrogen conditions were discussed. The results indicate that , Among the tested cultivars, Junyu 535, Qiangsheng 388, Meiyu 22, and Shengyu 367 are cultivars with higher yield stability, while Xiangeng 303, Qinlong 14, Ximeng M1711, and Jinbei 516 exhibit lower yield stability. Cultivars with higher stability showed significantly higher 100-seed weight and dry matter accumulation and allocation coefficients in ears during silking stage and grains during maturity stage. However, compared to cultivars with higher stability, cultivars with lower stability exhibited increases of 21.64% and 49.22% in 100-seed weight under irrigation and nitrogen application, respectively. The increases in dry matter accumulation in ears during silking stage and grains during maturity stage were 14.92% and 24.79% as well as 46.96% and 27.55% higher, respectively, under supplementary irrigation and nitrogen application. The increases in dry matter allocation coefficients in ears and grains during silking stage were 58.40% and 34.68% as well as 57.93% and 61.19% higher, respectively, compared to cultivars with higher stability. Consequently, the increases in yield were 5.91% and 97.02% higher under supplementary irrigation and nitrogen application, respectively. This resulted in the yield of cultivars with lower stability being 9.60% lower than that of cultivars with higher stability under W0N0 treatment (P<0.05), but 0.50% higher under W1N2 treatment (P>0.05).This indicates that these cultivars with lower stability are more sensitive to changes in nitrogen or irrigation levels, and a more precise water and nitrogen management should be applied in those cultivars, in order to achieve high yield production. |