Abstract:The experiment was conducted at Xuanhua Station of Zhangjiakou Academy of Agricultural Science(115°3′N, 40°63′E), with the aims of investigating the effect of different plastic mulching patterns on photosynthesis, grain yield, and water use efficiency in hybrid millet “Zhang 3”. Four treatments were performed, including flat planting and no mulching, full mulching and flat planting, no mulching and furrow seeding, and ridge mulching and furrow seeding. Compared with no mulching, the yield was increased by 13.25% and 6.64%, leaf water potential by 0.16 MPa and 0.09 MPa, photosynthetic rate by 10.87% and 15.69%, transpiration rate by 8.5% and 15.95%, stomatal conductance by 0.0092 and 0.0284 mol·m^-2·s^-1, and water use efficiency of leaf by 13.80% and 1.80% for plastic mulching in normal and furrow planting patterns, respectively. The results indicated that plastic mulching could improve the plant water status, as well as increase the leaf water potential and chlorophyll content, thus maintaining higher leaves physiological activity, increasing the water use efficiency, and achieving a significant higher grain yield. The promoting effect on yield in full mulching and normal planting patterns was better than those in the other three patterns.