Mechanization of no-till seeding has traditionally focused on straw cleaning for improved seeding quality. However, in drip irrigation environments, no-till seeding involves other procedures in addition to straw cleaning, making the entire process more complex. In this study, a straw cleaning technique for no-till maize seeding in arid drip irrigation regions was reported, divided into four main stages (straw side throwing, drip irrigation belt laying, straw return covering, and straw external throwing), which realizes the operation requirements of no-till maize seeding in arid drip irrigation regions. The straw-machine-soil interaction model was established using the discrete element method (DEM). The trajectory, movement dynamics, and force of straw under the action of a straw cleaning machine were explored to reveal the movement mechanism of straw under drip irrigation condition at varying machine forward speeds, angle and spacing of the returning coverers. The speed had an impact on straw movement and cleaning effect, with the speed increases, the impact of the cleaning devices on straws increases and the velocities of straws increase. When the angle was 30 degrees, the straw cleaning rate (SCR) and straw returning mass (SRM) was the highest, and the influence of the spacing on the straw velocities was minimal. The field test results showed that the average SCR were 81.3 %, 87.4 %, and 89.7 %, the straw cleaning width (SCW) were 510.8, 519.7, and 535.8 mm, the straw returning width (SRW) were 231.8, 199.4, and 185.3 mm, and the straw return coverage rates (SRR) were 91.9 %, 84.3 % and 72.4 % when the machine speed were 5, 7, and 9 km & sdot;h- 1, respectively. SRW and SRR decreased as the speed increased. SRW and SRR increased when the spacing of the straw returning coverer increased. This study provides a straw cleaning technique that will promote the effective application of no-till maize seeder for conservation agriculture in arid environments.