Deficiencies of nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) significantly limit maize productivity in alkaline calcareous soils of arid and semi-arid regions, despite the well-established importance of balanced macro- and micronutrient management for optimal crop yields. To address this problem, we tested three N levels (100, 150, 200 kg ha-¹) in different combinations with three Zn levels (0, 10, 15 kg ha-¹), including a control (no fertilization), in a field trial on maize at the Swabi Agricultural Research Station, Pakistan. The growth and yield attributes, plant/soil nutrients, and soil properties were assessed under different N-Zn combinations. The optimal combination of N-Zn (N150+Zn15) significantly enhanced cob weight (+127%), 1000-grain weight (+11%), and grain yield (+168%), while elevating plant N (+273%) and Zn (+202%) concentrations, compared to control. The significant increases in soil N (1.76 g kg-¹), Zn (1.56 mg kg-¹), and organic matter (OM; 9.3 g kg-¹) under the same fertilization regime further confirm its efficacy in improving soil health. Additionally, redundancy analysis linked soil OM, Zn, and plant N to yield gains, while random forest regression (R² = 0.93) identified plant N (%IncMSE = 18.98) and soil N (%IncMSE = 14.57) as the top two grain yield productivity predictors. These results demonstrate that the combined application of N150+Zn15 is an optimal fertilization strategy for balancing yield and soil health in calcareous soils. Future research should focus on long-term field trials across diverse climates and soil types to validate these findings and develop site-specific fertilizer recommendations for sustainable maize production in similar agroecosystems.