Abstract: In order to explore the effects of maize plant types on dry matter accumulation and yield of soybean, a field experiment was conducted in 2013, including three maizesoybean relay strip intercropping systems. The relay strip intercropping systems were designed as soybean (Gongxuan 1) intercropped with Denghai 605 (RI₁), Chuandan 418 (RI₂) or Yayu 13 (RI₃), and the monocultured soybean was used as control. The results demonstrated that the dry matter accumulation rates of intercropped soybean in RI₂ and RI₃ treatments were lower than in RI₁ treatment, and the leaf, stem and pod dry matter accumulation of intercropped soybean in RI₁ treatment was 17.6%, 16.5% and 13.7% higher than that in RI₂ treatment, and 34.6%, 33.1% and 28.4% higher than that in RI₃ treatment, respectively. The distribution proportion of leaf and stem of intercropped soybean was in the order of RI1 > RI2 > RI3. However, the trend of the distribution proportion of pod was opposite. Compared with RI₂ and RI3, the dry matter translocation amount, translocation proportion, contribution proportion of soybean vegetative organs to pod of soybean were improved in RI₁ treatment, and the pod per plant, seeds per plant, seeds per pod, yield per plant and yield of soybean in RI₁ were higher than RI₂ and RI₃ by 6.8%, 11.5%, 4.4%, 15.9%, 15.6% and 14.3%, 22.2%, 6.7%, 33.4%, 36.8%, respectively. The results showed that the yield was positively related with the accumulation rate of dry matter, dry matter translocation, dry matter translocation ratio and the contribution of dry matter accumulation, and these indices were highest in RI₁ treatment. The results indicated that the compact maize relay intercropped with soybean could effectively regulate the dry matter accumulation, translocation and distribution, and improve the yield of soybean.