In order to explore the variation characteristics of soil water storage and the potential yield improvement of dryland wheat by different tillage practices in south area of Shanxi Province. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of two consecutive years tillage models (no tillage + drilling sowing, no tillage + furrow sowing, subsoiling + drilling sowing, and deep tillage + drilling sowing) on soil water storage, yield and water use efficiency of dryland wheat with Jinmai 92 as experimental material. The results showed that under no-tillage condition, furrow sowing performs more soil water storage in 100-200 cm depths compared with drilling sowing. The increasing effect of furrow sowing on wheat yield showed weak and even slightly decreased in drought years of 2018-2019. Furthermore, furrow sowing decreased water use efficiency by 3.6% and 9.3% during the two years, respectively. Subsoiling and deep tillage in fallow period increased soil water storage of 0-200 cm before sowing and regreen stage, of which deep tillage performed excellent in water contention. Besides, the increasing effect was mainly concentrated in 0-100 cm depth. During the two experimental years, deep tillage increased yield greatly by 44.6% and 147.2%. There was significant positive correlations between yield and aboveground biomass and grain numbers per spike. Subsoiling and deep tillage increased water use efficiency by 12.7%, 46.74% and 53.70%, 94.91% during the two years, respectively, and the more obvious effect was obtained in the drier year of 2018-2019. Therefore, deep tillage and subsoiling for two consecutive years in fallow period can improve the water storage capacity and the yield, water use efficiency of dryland wheat. The effect of furrow sowing on wheat yield under no tillage condition varies with different years, which needs further discussion.