In order to study the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus runoff loss from dry land and crop economic benefit on different intercropping modes of maize monoculture, maize intercropping sesame, maize intercropping peanut, maize intercropping soybean and maize interplanting sweet potato. The experiment was carried out under the condition of natural rainfall in 2015 and 2016. The results showed that the maize and other crops intercropping had good interception effect on runoff loss from dry land, also particulate nitrogen and phosphorus were the main runoff forms, which account for 77.21%–81.68% and 63.68%–69.10% respectively. Among the four intercropping models, the maize intercropped with soybean and maize intercropped with sweet potato had a better effect. Comparing with the maize monoculture, the annual average runoff loss of total nitrogen and particulate nitrogen on maize intercropped with soybean reduced by 40.67% and 39.15% respectively, also the annual average runoff loss of the total phosphorus and the particulate phosphorus decreased by 38.94% and 39.84% respectively. Comparing with the maize monoculture, the total nitrogen and particulate nitrogen reduced by 38.07% and 38.27% respectively on maize intercropped with sweet potato, also the total phosphorus and the particulate phosphorus reduced by 31.75% and 28.09% respectively. The economic benefit of maize / sweet potato intercropping was the highest, which increased by 98.07% than maize monoculture.