In order to explore the effect of cold plasma treatment on the drought resistance of maize seedlings, "Zheng dan 958" maize seeds were used as the experimental material, PEG-6000 solution with different concentrations (20% and 30%) was used to simulate drought stress. The maize seeds were treated with argon DBD(dielectric barrier discharge) discharge cold plasma at different voltages (5, 7 kV) and treatment times (30, 60 s), the physiological and biochemical indexes of the seedlings under drought stress were determined, and the mechanism of the experimental results was analyzed. The results show that under drought stress, cold plasma treatment with appropriate intensity can improve the growth characteristics, chlorophyll content and osmotic regulation product content of maize seedlings, reduce the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation, and improve drought resistance. Based on the membership function, the drought resistance of maize was comprehensively evaluated and analyzed, and it was found that the cold plasma treatment voltage of 7 kV and the treatment time of 60 s had the best effect on improving the drought resistance of maize seeds. Results provide some theoretical reference and technical guidance for the in-depth study of cold plasma treatment of maize seeds and maize planting in arid and semi-arid areas.