Abstract: In 2010-2011, a field experiment with high-yielding winter wheat cultivar Jimai 22 was conducted to study the effects of supplemental irrigation based on the measurement of moisture content in different soil layers on the water consumption characteristics and grain yield of winter wheat. Four soil layers (0-20 cm, W₁; 0-40 cm, W₂; 0-60 cm, W3; and 0-140 cm, W₄) were designed to make the supplemental irrigation at wintering stage (target soil relative moisture content=75%), jointing stage (target soil relative moisture content=70%), and anthesis stage (target soil relative moisture content=70%), taking no irrigation (W₀) during the whole growth season as the control. At the wintering, jointing, and anthesis stages, the required irrigation amount followed the order of W₃ > W₂ > W₁. Treatment W₄ required smaller irrigation amount at wintering and jointing stages, but significantly higher one at anthesis stage than the other treatments. The proportion of the irrigation amount relative to the total water consumption over the entire growth season followed the sequence of W₄, W₃ > W₂ > W₁. By contrast, the proportion of soil water consumption relative to the total water consumption followed the trend of W₁ > W₂ > W₃ > W₄. With the increase of the test soil depths, the soil water utilization ratio decreased. The water consumption in 80-140 cm and 160-200 cm soil layers was significantly higher in W₂ than in W₃ and W₄. The required total irrigation amount was in the order of W₃ > W₄ > W₂ > W₁, the grain yield was in the order of W₂, W₃, W₄ > W₁ > W0, and the water use efficiency followed the order of W₂, W₄ > W₀, W₁ > W₃. To consider the irrigation amount, grain yield, and water use efficiency comprehensively, treatment W₂ under our experimental condition could be the optimal treatment, i.e., the required amount of supplemental irrigation based on the measurement of the moisture content in 0-40 cm soil layer should be feasible for the local winter wheat production.