A chemical modification by oxidation experiment was designed to improve the water （resistance） of starch adhesive. The theory and technology of the process, and optimum level of （concentration） determined by orthogonal experimentation, are described in this paper. The starch （adhesive） was modified with 100 g. of maize starch, 30 mL sodium hypochlorite, 4 g. polyvinyl alcohol, 24 g. acrylamide, and 10% toluylene diisocyanate based on the weight of the polymeric starch adhesive. The test results showed that its wet bond strength for plywood was able to meet the （requirements） for type-Ⅱ plywood in the National Standard GB 9846.4-88. Moreover, the cost of modified starch adhesive was comparable to common UF resin adhesive. This study provided an （approach） to manufacturing plywood without formaldehyde （emission.）