[Objective] The effects of cyanobacteria-bacteria biological crusts on moisture and nutrient conservation and maize seedling growth were studied to provide a theoretical basis for soil treatment and improvement strategies. [Methods] Two species of bacteria (Sphingomonas sp. D3-1 and Massilia armeniaca sp. ZMN-3) and two species of cyanobacteria (Cladophora aegagrophila D3-a and Nostoc sphaeroides D3-25) isolated from the Wengniute Desert of Inner Mongolia Region, were used to prepare biological crusts. The relationships between the cyanobacteria-bacteria biological crusts and soil moisture and nutrient conservation, soil microbial quantity and soil enzyme activity were explored, and the effect of biological crusts on maize seedling growth was studied. [Results] Compared with the control, the soil surface cyanobacteria-bacteria crust significantly declined the rate of soil moisture loss, and reduced the average leaching efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by 76.9%, 64.4% and 47.8%, respectively, while increased the number of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in soil by 8.3 times, 1.8 times and 3.1 times, respectively, and decreased the number of bacillus by 12.4%. Besides, in the corn plants, the cyanobacteria-bacteria crust increased the aboveground fresh/dry weight, root fresh/dry weight, and above/lower length of corn seedlings by 45%/57.8%, 54.6%/32.8% and 19.7%/14.5%, respectively, and the chlorophyll content increased by 5.7%. [Conclusion] The mixed soil biological crust formed by cyanobacteria and extracellular polysaccharide producing bacteria significantly improved the soil microbial and fertilizer conservation effect, which could provide a reference for developing a new way of soil management.