Objectives We investigated the dynamics of water utilization and yield caused by various fertilizer rates under different rainfall patterns, to provide a scientific basis for precision fertilization in winter wheat on the Loess Plateau.

Methods A field experiment was conducted from 2017 to 2020 in Wenxi Experimental Demonstration Base of Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi Province, the planting system was summer fallow-winter wheat. The three experimental years were typically normal, dry, and wet years, respectively. N application levels at 0, 120, 150, 180, or 210 kg/hm² were set up (expressed as N0, N120, N150, N180 and N210, respectively). The N absorption, nitrogen and water utilization, yield, and yield components were investigated. The variation in these indices caused by two adjacent N rates was calculated in each year.

Results N180 significantly increased water consumption of wheat, regardless of precipitation distribution, and the largest variation of water utilization occurred from N 150 kg/hm² to 180 kg/hm² in wet and dry years, and from N 120 kg/hm² to 150 kg/hm²during the normal year. The highest wheat N accumulation from sowing to jointing stage, and the pre-anthesis export of N from leaf and spike + glume were recorded in N180 in wet year, and in N150 in the normal and dry years. The largest variation of export of pre-anthesis accumulated N and the accumulated N at maturity occurred from N 120 kg/hm² to 150 kg/hm², regardless of precipitation patterns. N180 exhibited the highest yield in wet year, which was 8.4%–35.6% higher than the other N rates; N150 elicited the highest yield in normal and dry years and was 8.9%–33.7% and 13.4%–48.9% higher than the other N rates, respectively. The largest variation of yield occurred from N 120 kg/hm² to 150 kg/hm², regardless of precipitation. However, the yield continued to increase significantly from N 120 kg/hm² to 150 kg/hm² in wet year, and the fertilizer efficiency peaked at 14.9 kg/kg at N150–N180 in wet year. While the yield increment from N 120 kg/hm² to 150 kg/hm² became negative in normal and dry year, N180 produced the highest water consumption, N absorption and utilization, and N recovery efficiency in the wet year, and N150 did in normal and dry years. Yield and water use efficiency of wheat were significantly correlated with the export of pre-anthesis accumulated N.

Conclusions In Conclusion, considering the effect of N application level and rainfall gradient, N180 increases water and N utilization, and N recovery efficiency in the wet year, and N150 in normal and dry years, which are the optimum N fertilization level for dryland winter wheat on the Loess Plateau.