[Objective] Aiming at the problems of equal emphasis on spring drought and spring cold in the southern mountainous areas of Ningxia, and shallow effective soil surface. [Method] From 2014 to 2016 three different no-till mulching modes were set up after autumn crops were harvested for three consecutive years: No-tillage straw mulching (NJ), no-tillage mulching film (ND), no-tillage no mulching (NB), and no-tillage no mulching as control (CK). The effects of no-tillage with mulching mode on soil moisture retention, precipitation utilization characteristics and potato yield under different precipitation years in arid region of south Ningxia were analyzed. [Result] The soil water storage and water storage efficiency in fallow period were the highest under ND treatment, which increased by 7.60% and 140.35% compared with CK, respectively. NJ treatment was the highest in normal year and dry year, which was increased significantly by 11.18% and 65.43% and 28.42% and 122.72% compared with CK, respectively. NJ treatment had the highest soil water storage in normal and dry years, which was increased by 10.51%, 12.89% and 20.04%, respectively, compared with CK treatment. ND treatment significantly increased soil water storage by 11.42% compared with CK at seedling stage in the relatively dry year. The decrease of soil water storage in ND treatment was 22.26% and 36.57% higher than CK treatment in early growth stage (sow-budding stage) and middle growth stage (budding stage - expanding stage) of relatively dry years, respectively. NJ treatment significantly increased by 1.21 times, 7.14 times and 13.91%, respectively, compared with CK treatment, in the late growth period (expanding to harvest period) and middle and late growth period (emerging bud to harvest period) of the relative drought years and drought years, respectively. Potato yield was the highest in NJ treatment, which was significantly increased by 51.80% compared with CK treatment. In normal year and dry year, ND treatment significantly increased by 6.35% and 71.36% compared with CK treatment, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the decrease of soil water storage from tuber formation to tuber expansion played an important role in potato yield, yield composition and water use efficiency. The annual precipitation use efficiency, precipitation use efficiency and water use efficiency in growth period were better under NJ treatment than CK, which were significantly increased by 51.79%, 51.80% and 50.52%, respectively. ND treatment significantly increased by 35.14%, 36.14% and 21.61% compared with CK treatment in normal year and dry year, respectively. [Conclusion] no-tillage combined with mulching can effectively improve soil water storage and soil moisture retention during fallow period and growth period, and significantly improve potato yield and water use efficiency. The no-tillage and straw mulching mode can realize continuous potato yield and water use efficiency.