Exploring management strategies to improve maize yield and nitrogen use efficiency in northeast China using the DNDC and DSSAT models

•Both DNDC and DSSAT simulated maize yield, above-ground biomass and N uptake well.•DNDC showed lower bias than DSSAT in SOC and mineral N under N-fertilized treatments.•Modelled optimum fertilizer nitrogen rate was at 180–210 kg N ha−1 with two splits.•Suggested planting date was from late April to early May and density was 7 seeds m−2.