A suitable cultivation mode directly affects the effect of water saving and yield of crops. In order to study the application of the grey correlation model in the research of water saving irrigation, based on water consumption, yield and its components (spike length, ear perimeter, grain number per spike, rows per ear, hundred grain weight, yield) of summer maize, this paper used the improved grey correlation evaluation model to optimize irrigation methods. The test was carried out in North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power located at 34°47′N and 113°46′E and altitude 110.4 m from June 2, 2012 to September 18, 2012. Two kinds of planting modes under furrow irrigation (conventional furrow irrigation and wide ridge and furrow irrigation) were set up, and each mode included 3 kinds of water control lower limit: soil moisture control lower limit of 60% FC (field water holding capacity), 70% FC and 80% FC. The results showed that in a single level comprehensive evaluation and under the same planting mode, the summer maize yield evaluation at 70% FC was highest, the evaluation value of wide ridge and furrow planting was 0.977. Under the same planting mode, the correlation degree of water consumption evaluation index decreased with the increase of the lower limit of the water control, and the water consumption of wide ridge planting with irrigation low limit of 60% FC was the least, which was 349.66 mm, and the evaluation values of water consumption was 1.000. Under the condition of wide ridge planting mode, the water use efficiency of the 3 kinds of water treatments was higher than that of the conventional planting, and water use efficiency of wide ridge planting of 70% FC was the highest and water use efficiency of conventional planting of 80% FC was the lowest, which was 1.97 and 1.41 kg/m3, respectively, and the evaluation value of water use efficiency was 1.000 and 0.333, respectively. With the same water control lower limit, the comprehensive evaluation of yield and water consumption and water use efficiency of wide ridge and furrow irrigation planting mode was better than that of conventional furrow irrigation planting mode, indicating that the wide ridge planting compared to conventional furrow irrigation has certain effect of water saving and yield increasing. In the comprehensive evaluation of first layers, the grey relational degree of wide ridge and furrow irrigation cultivation with irrigation low limit of 70% FC was the biggest (0.852), so the lower irrigation limit for 70% FC was best. The grey relational degree of wide ridge and furrow irrigation cultivation with irrigation low limit of 60% FC was second (0.788) only to 70% FC, and the evaluation results of the weighted grey relational comprehensive evaluation model were consistent with the field test results. Therefore, the selection of the irrigation and planting mode was suggested to be based on local water resources. For the relatively abundant water resources area, wide ridge and furrow irrigation with irrigation low limit of 70%FC was recommended and wide ridge and furrow irrigation cultivation with irrigation low limit of 60% FC was recommended to use for areas with relatively scarce water resources. The research can guide the application of the weighted grey correlation method in the research of water-saving irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]