No-tillage with stover mulching (NTS) is a conservation agriculture practice, which can enhance soil structure, improve soil fertility, and sustain agroecosystem functions. However, the differential effects of no-tillage and stover mulching on maize yield and root-soil interactions remain unclear. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of 65 peer-reviewed papers to systematically evaluate the impacts of no-tillage (NT) \[NT vs conventional tillage (CT)\] and no-tillage with stover mulching (NTS vs NT or CT) on maize yield, soil properties, and root traits. NT significantly reduced maize yield by 7.4% compared to CT, while NTS increased yield by 6.1% relative to NT, achieving the same yield as CT. NT significantly increased soil bulk density (BD, 3.6%) and penetration resistance (PR, 17.7%) compared to CT, while NTS significantly alleviated these adverse effects with reducing PR by 12.4% compared to NT, and increased soil moisture content (SMC) by 10.3% and 7.0% over NT and CT, respectively. NT significantly decreased root length density, root biomass density, and root surface area density by 10.0%, 10.6%, and 20.6% compared to CT, whereas NTS significantly enhanced root biomass by 12.0% and 15.6% over NT and CT, respectively. NTS could maintain maize yield through optimizing BD, PR, and SMC, and promoting root length density. These findings indicate that stover mulching counteracts the negative effects of NT by improving topsoil physical properties and optimizing root morphological traits, thereby enhancing nutrient uptake efficiency. This study provides critical insights for optimizing conservation practices in maize production systems.