To clarify the effects of straw returning on subsequent maize growth, this experiment established five treatments: no straw returning (CK), and straw returning amounts of 3 000, 6 000, 9 000, and 12 000 kg/hm² (dry matter weight, T1-T4), investigating their impacts on maize growth, yield, and quality. The results showed that: 1)Straw returning exerted varying degrees of inhibitory effects on plant height and stem diameter, but enhanced chlorophyll content in maize leaves; 2)Straw returning improved maize quality through increased starch content, vitamin C levels, and soluble protein content; 3)T2 treatment achieved the highest yield of 26 791.67 kg/hm, with T2 and T1 showing 0.32% and 2.72% yield increase respectively compared to CK, while T3 and T4 demonstrated 1.17% and 6.50% reductions. This indicated that partial and full straw returning can effectively enhance maize yield, whereas excessive returning may decrease productivity; 4)Comprehensive evaluation using subordinate function method integrating yield and quality parameters identified T2 as the optimal treatment. All straw returning treatments outperformed CK, demonstrating that straw returning benefits both maize yield and quality enhancement, with full seasonal straw returning being particularly advantageous. In conclusion, maize straw returning remains an effective approach for straw resource utilization.