To investigate the effects of four irrigation methods(Shallow Buried Drip Irrigation SBDI, Surface Drip Irrigation SDI, Water Belt Ditch Irrigation WBDI, and Traditional Border Irrigation TBI) on the root distribution and yield of summer maize, and to provide theoretical basis for precise and efficient irrigation management of summer maize in the Hebei Plain. A field comparative experiment was conducted from 2021 to 2022 to determine the morphological structure parameters, dry matter accumulation and transport, yield, and composition of summer maize roots. The results showed that summer maize under the SBDI treatment exhibited the optimal root morphological structure parameters during the grain-filling stage: root length density in the 0-40 cm soil layer was 13.8%, 11.5%, and 4.8% higher than that of TBI, WBDI, and SDI treatments, respectively. Irrigation methods had significant effects on dry matter accumulation, dry matter translocation, and the contribution rate of dry matter translocation to grains, with the order of SBDI > SDI > WBDI > TBI for all indicators. Specifically, compared with SDI, WBDI, and TBI treatments, SBDI increased the dry matter translocation rate by 16.9%, 8.8%, and 4.3%, respectively, and increased the contribution rate of dry matter translocation to grains by 10.4%, 4.9%, and 1.8%, respectively. Among the four irrigation methods, SBDI achieved the best yield performance, with an average grain yield of 8 396.25 kg/ha over two years, which was 13.51%, 8.55%, and 2.99% higher than that of TBI, WBDI, and SDI treatments, respectively. Compared with TBI and WBDI treatments, SBDI saved nearly 40% of irrigation water, reduced water consumption by 12.4% and 11.6%, and increased water use efficiency by 29.8% and 23.1%, respectively. In contrast, compared with the SDI treatment under the same irrigation level, SBDI reduced water consumption by 1.4% and increased water use efficiency by 4.2%. In conclusion, shallow-buried drip irrigation(SBDI) can reduce ineffective water consumption, promote root growth of summer maize, and enhance dry matter accumulation and translocation capacity, thereby achieving water conservation and yield increase. Therefore, SBDI is recommended as a suitable irrigation method for popularization in high-yield and efficient cultivation of summer maize in the Hebei Plain.