[Objective] The improvement effect of different tillage modes on the newcultivated land with raw soil as construction material was explored in order to provide scientific basis for high-yield and efficient utilization of this kind of land.[Methods] During the period from June to September in 2017, a location monitoring experiment was conducted in maize fields under three tillage modes of no-tillage, subsoiling and plowing, respectively. And the effects of tillage modes on soil compactness, nutrient content and crop yield were analyzed.[Results] The compactness of 0-20 cm soil layer was the lowest under the no-tillage mode, which was 37.49 and 38.48 kPa/cm² lower than that of subsoiling and plowing, respectively. And the compactness of 0-20 cm soil layer in each mode presented a stratified state. The soil compactness was the lowest at maize seedling stage and the highest at bell stage. The contents of organic matter, total nitrogen and available phosphorus in the 0-40 cm soil layer were the highest in the subsoiling mode, which were 1.20, 1.22, 1.36 times of no-tillage mode, and 1.18, 1.08, 1.34 times of plowing mode, respectively. The content of available potassium in subsoiling and plowing was similar, which was 1.09 times of that in no-tillage. From the seedling stage to the filling stage, the content of organic matter and total nitrogen increased, while the content of available phosphorus and available potassium decreased. The maize yield under subsoiling mode was the highest, which were 1.30 and 1.19 times of that under no-tillage and plowing, respectively.[Conclusion] The soil compactness of subsoiling mode is moderate, which can effectively increase the soil nutrient content and crop yield. It is the most ideal tillage and improvement method for the new cultivated land.