Abstract: 【Objective】 Characteristics and affecting factors of soil respiration are basis of soil carbon balance. The preliminary research found that burying straw layer under 35-40 cm below the surface along with plastic mulching at the surface made a obvious effect of controlling salinity. At the same time, this treatment could affect soil micro-microbial activity and then affect soil CO2 emission. However, the relevant research in this area is still lacking, especially based on field trial, which could affect the evaluation of the combined effect of this treatment. Therefore, this study is to reveal how different tillage treatments affect saline soil respiration. 【Method】 Taking typical saline farmland with buried straw layer for three years in Hetao Irrigation District as the study object, this trial was to study the effect of different tillage measures, including conventional tillage(CK), conventional tillage plus plastic mulching(PM), plastic mulching plus straw layer burial(PM+SL)and deep burial of straw layer(SL), on dynamic changes of saline soil respiration and its impact factors and the relationship among them. 【Results】 1)Soil respiration rates in all tillage treatments showed a decreasing trend in the sunflower growth period, the PM+SL had the highest one in the whole growth period and the PM was the second, while the respiration rate of SL was similar to that of CK except with a higher rate at the bud stage. Meanwhile, at 10: 00 and 15: 00 of the flowering and mature stage, the respiration values were: PM+SL PM SL CK. The average soil temperature in 0-40 cm had a same trend, and the differences among all tillage methods only appeared at the harvest period. Soil moisture content in 0-40 cm under PM+SL was the lowest in all treatments, but it had significant advantage in controlling salinity and increasing organic matter. 2)Soil respiration rate had a significant positive correlation(P0.01)with soil temperature, but it had no correlations with soil moisture, soil salt content and soil organic matter. The fitting equation showed the saline soil respiration was influenced by the combined effect of soil temperature, moisture and salinity. 【Conclusion】The respiration rate of saline soil in arid regions was affected by the combined effects of soil temperature, moisture and salinity, PM + SL could be used for salinity controlling and heat preservation and enhancing sunflower root growth and metabolic activity of microorganisms in this region.