Effect of exogenously applied nitric oxide (NO) and thiourea (TU) in combination was examined in maize plants under saline stress. Seedlings of two maize cultivars (DK 5783 and Apex 836) were grown in pots containing soil salinized with 0 or 100 mM NaCl dissolved in irrigation water. Two levels of NO + TU (3 + 400 or 6 + 500 mg/L) were applied as presowing seed treatment or through leaves of 10-day old maize seedlings. Saline stress significantly suppressed plant fresh biomass, leaf water potential and chlorophyll content, but increased electrolyte leakage in both cultivars. However, these reductions were higher in Apex 836 than those in Dk 5783. Both treatments of combined NO and TU as seed soaking or foliar application were effective in mitigating the adverse effects of saline stress on shoot growth. Seed treatments of both levels of combined NO and TU were more effective in terms of improvement in fresh weights of DK 5783 than foliar treatments. Leaf Na+ contents increased whereas those of N and P decreased in maize plants under saline regime. Application of Both modes of treatment of combined NO and TU increased the contents of N and P, but decreased that NO and TU through both modes increased Na+ in salt stressed maize plants. The results of the present study indicate that application of NO and TU compounds in combination alleviated the detrimental effects of salinity and increased resistance to salinity in the maize plants by improving plant growth