To investigate residue management, tillage and appication of nitrogen fertilizer on maize grain yield and soil properties a 7-years (2005−2011) field study was carried out at the research station of Qaemshahr Barnch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran. Experimental treatments included: (1) wheat straw management: plus residue (+R) and minus residue (-R); (2) tillage system: zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT); and (3) Nitrogen rates: 0, 100, 200 (control) and 300 kg N ha^-1 (N1-N4). Following 7 years of continuous practices, ZT+RN4 and ZT+RN3 had the best soil quality and produced the highest maize grain yield with averages of 5250 and 5150 kg.ha⁻¹ in 2010 and 2011 , respectively). Removing the residues, i.e. treatments ZT + −R + N1 had average grain yileds of 2150 kg.ha⁻¹ in 2010 and 2011, that was the lowest yield and soil physical and chemical properties in comparison with the other practices. Organic C, total N, moisture content, aggregates stability, mechanical resistance, pH and EC were the soil characteristics which determined the differences in soil quality between conventional tillage and zero tillage treatments. Soil organic C, total N, aggregate stability and moisture content had the highest correlations with final maize grain yield (R = 0.87**). The findings of this experiment suggest that ZT+R together with 200 kg N.ha^-1 (N3) would improve some soil properties, maize grain yield and could also be benficial for the sustainability of higher crop production systems.