The Chinese milk vetch - maize （CM） was used as the control （CK） and five maize based planting patterns including potato-maize || soybean （PMS），“three flowers（Chinese milk vetch× rapeseed × radish in fertilizer field）”mixed sowing-maize || peanut （TMP），broad bean-maize || sweet potato （BMS），rapeseed-maize || soybean （RMS） were set up in red soil dryland to study the effects of planting patterns on the organic carbon pool components，carbon pool management indices and quality in soil.The changes of the organic carbon and carbon pool management index in soil after harvest in the first and second seasons were analyzed.The results showed that the active organic carbon of PMS，TMP，BMS and RMS increased by 53.67%，67.89%，11.01% and 57.80% compared with the control.The activity and activity index of carbon pool of PMS，TMP and RMS were significantly （P<0.05） increased by 52.63%- 89.47% and 53.49% - 93.80%，respectively.The carbon pool management index in soil of PMS，TMP and RMS was significantly （P<0.05） higher than that of the control by 59.24%，60.71% and 80.91%.There was a significant positive correlation between the carbon pool management index and the content of active organic carbon in soil （P<0.01）.The yield of maize intercropping was higher than that of monoculture.The economic yield under different planting patterns was higher than that of the control.The result of comprehensive analyses showed that the different planting patterns with maize as the main body in red soil dryland are conducive to improve the content of active organic carbon，the efficiency of carbon，the carbon pool management index in soil and the yield of maize.The economic yield under the PMS pattern was the highest.TMP pattern was most favorable to improve the carbon pool management index in soil，followed by the RMS pattern.