Abstract:
To investigate the fertility status and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of tobacco-growing soils in Ganzhou, a total of 412 representative tobacco-growing soil samples were collected from Ganzhou in 2015 and 2024. Soil pH, organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium contents were measured. Soil fertility was quantitatively assessed using a comprehensive soil fertility index. The results showed that: (1) Compared to 2015, the average increase of available phosphorus and available potassium in 2024 was 51.54% and 29.24%. The proportion of extremely low pH levels decreased by 24.0 percentage points, indicating improvement of soil acidification issues. Organic matter and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen were predominantly concentrated at moderate levels. Available phosphorus content showed significant improvement, with 51.6% of soil samples reaching high or very high levels (≥80 mg/kg). The proportion of soil with medium or higher available potassium (≥150 mg/kg) increased by 22.6 percentage points. (2) The spatial distribution patterns of pH, organic matter, and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen in industrial counties (cities, districts) remained consistent between the two years, with stable distribution of high and low value patches. In 2024, available phosphorus distribution showed high dispersion, while available potassium exhibited a decreasing trend from north to south. (3) After nine years of soil fertility restructuring, the citywide comprehensive soil fertility index rose from 0.54 to 0.65. All industrial counties (districts/cities) achieved fertility indices above medium level ( > 0.50). In conclusion, we should make soil conservation efforts in Ganzhou tobacco-growing regions to prevent soil acidification. Fertilization strategies should be optimized through regional adjustments based on the current fertility status of each industrial county (district/city), appropriately reducing nitrogen fertilizer and supplementing with potassium fertilizer for southern areas.