Variability Of Soil Nutrients Research Articles

Does the Reclamation Period Affect the Variation of Soil Nutrients Across Different Vegetation Types in a Reclaimed Opencast Coal Mine Dump? Validated Through Three Soil Sampling Replicates

Does the Reclamation Period Affect the Variation of Soil Nutrients Across Different Vegetation Types in a Reclaimed Opencast Coal Mine Dump? Validated Through Three Soil Sampling Replicates

Spatial Heterogeneity of Soil Nutrient in Principal Paddy and Cereal Production Landscapes of Fengtai County within the Huai River Basin, Eastern China

The problem of cultivated land soil quality in the Huaihe River Basin has become increasingly prominent. How to accurately and quantitatively evaluate the soil quality of regional cultivated land and realize its efficient use has become an urgent problem. In order to explore the spatial autocorrelation and variation in soil nutrients in cultivated land in the plain of Fengtai County in the Huaihe River Basin, a total of 306 soil samples and mature wheat samples were collected in the study area to analyze soil pH, total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK) and slow-release potassium (SK) content and wheat biomass, and combined with geostatistical methods and GIS technology. The Kriging interpolation method and Moram‘s I index method were systematically analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis were used to establish the minimum data set (MDS) of soil quality, which was used to calculate the soil quality index (SQI) and determine the key factors affecting soil quality. The results showed that the soil pH was in weak variation, and the other nutrient indexes were in medium variation. The spatial variability of soil-available potassium nutrients was affected by random factors such as human activities and structural factors such as soil parent materials. The spatial autocorrelation of organic matter, total nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and mitigation potassium was weak, which was mainly affected by random factors such as human activities. An unequivocal positive spatial nexus was discerned across all nutrients. Cumulatively, the nutrient dispersion across the investigated territory was somewhat diffuse, manifesting in a mosaic pattern with pronounced zonal nutrient allocation disparities in the meridional, median, and septentrional segments. An explicit latitudinal dichotomy delineating zones of nutrient opulence and paucity was also observed. These insights can pave the way for tailored fertilization strategies and judicious pedological stewardship in Fengtai County.

Modeling and Spatial Variability of Soil Nutrients - A Case from Soil Health Card Project, India

Ascertaining and mapping soil nutrient data is crucial for governments to maintain soil health on farmlands. As part of the soil health card project, a total of 329 geo-referenced soil samples were collected from Thaticherla village, Anantapur mandal, Andhra Pradesh, India. These samples were analyzed for various soil properties such as soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), available nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), available potassium (K), available sulphur (S), DTPA extractable micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu), and hot water-soluble boron (B) at a depth of 0 to 15 cm. The results showed high variability (>35%) in coefficients of variation in Cu, EC, Zn, and B. The findings indicated positive correlation between Zn and Mn; N and OC; and OC and Zn. The data underwent logarithmic and Box-Cox transformations to achieve normalization. The ordinary kriging method was employed to analyze the spatial variability. The findings revealed that exponential model was appropriate for B, Fe, Mn, Zn, and OC; Gaussian for K; J-Bessel for N; K-Bessel for Cu, P, and S; stable for EC and rational quadratic for pH, respectively. The analysis showed a strong to weak spatial dependency. In the study area, the spatial variability maps exhibited deficiencies of 97%, 96% and 40% for N, OC and Zn, respectively. Therefore, it is urgent to apply suitable manures and fertilizers in the study area to address these issues. The study area exhibited significant variation in spatial patterns, emphasizing the importance of implementing field-specific plans for soil health and environmental management.

Enhancing Soil Conditions and Maize Yield Efficiency through Rational Conservation Tillage in Aeolian Semi-Arid Regions: A TOPSIS Analysis

Conservation tillage technology possesses substantial potential to enhance agricultural production efficiency and tackle issues such as wind erosion and land degradation in semi-arid regions. The integration of no-tillage and straw mulching technologies in the conventional aeolian semi-arid agricultural zones of western Liaoning, China, has led to notable improvements in crop yield and soil quality. However, a comprehensive assessment of the mechanisms and kinetics involved in soil nutrient variations is yet to be conducted. During a two-year study period, we assessed four tillage systems in the aeolian semi-arid regions of Northern China: no-tillage with full straw mulching (NTFS), no-tillage with half straw mulching (NTHS), no-tillage without straw mulching (NT), and conventional tillage (CT). The investigation focused on examining nutrient conditions, enhancing photosynthetic activity, and increasing maize yield while improving water use efficiency (WUE). Our findings emphasize the beneficial impact of combining no-tillage and straw mulching on enhancing soil water retention, resulting in a notable rise in soil moisture levels during the crucial growth phases of maize. This approach also positively influenced soil nutrient levels, particularly in the 0–20 cm layer, fostering an environment conducive to maize cultivation. In terms of ecological benefits, no-tillage with straw mulching curtailed soil sediment transport and wind erosion, notably at 30–40 cm heights, aiding in the ecological protection of the region. The yield and WUE were substantially higher under NTFS and NTHS than under CT, with NTHS demonstrating the most significant gains in yield (14.5% to 16.6%) and WUE (18.3% to 21.7%) throughout the study period. A TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) analysis confirmed NTHS as the optimal treatment, achieving the highest scores for soil water, nutrient availability, wind erosion control, maize photosynthesis, yield, and WUE, thus emerging as the most effective conservation tillage strategy for sustainable agriculture in aeolian semi-arid regions.

Variability of soil enzyme activities and nutrients with forest gap renewal interacting with soil depths in degraded karst forests

Forest gaps serve as crucial starting points for forest self-renewal. Within these gaps, soil enzymes play an essential role in driving nutrient transformation and species renewal. However, how forest gap renewal regulates soil fertility through soil enzyme across various soil depths remains unclear. This investigation delved into the dynamics of soil enzymes and nutrients within karst forest gaps at four developmental age stages: Infancy (<10 years), Youth (10–20 years), Middlescence (20–30 years), and Elder (>30 years) across different soil depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm). The study determined the contents of CNP and the activities of soil enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase, catalase, protease, and alkaline phosphatase. Two-way ANOVA was employed to assess the variations in gap ages and soil depths, along with their interaction. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to reveal the correlations between soil enzyme activities and CNP fertility indicators. The results indicated that gap age significantly influenced the activities of alkaline phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase, and protease, as well as the contents of total and available nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon, alongside the ratios of N/P, C/N, and C/P. Catalase activity, however, did not vary significantly with gap age, although soil depth influenced these parameters, excluding total phosphorus and the C/N ratio. Notably, in the 0–10 cm soil layer, alkaline phosphatase activity, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and organic carbon contents significantly increased with gap age increase, followed by a significant decrease after the middlescence stage. In the 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm soil layers, Alkaline phosphatase and polyphenol oxidase activities, along with N/P and C/N ratios initially decreased and then increased with gap age increase. During the Infancy, Youth, and Middlescence stages, Polyphenol oxidase and protease activities, CNP contents, as well as N/P and C/P ratios generally decreased with soil depth increase or after an increase in the 10–20 cm soil layer. RDA highlighted the variational positive and negative correlations between soil enzyme activities and CNP fertility indicators across soil depths during forest gap renewal, with explanatory rates ranging from 88.05 % to 94.67 % across soil layers. Overall, this study suggests that forest gap renewal significantly influences soil enzymes, CNP content and stoichiometry, modifying soil CNP content through stoichiometric regulation across different soil depths, and ultimately sustaining soil fertility via soil enzymes.

Effects of Long-Term Rice–Crayfish Coculture Systems on Soil Nutrients, Carbon Pools, and Rice Yields in Northern Zhejiang Province, China

This research was to examine the impacts of long-term integrated rice–crayfish farming on soil nutrients, carbon pools, and rice yields in paddy fields. The aim was to establish a scientific basis for the sustainable development of RS in the northern region of Zhejiang. The results showed that the change from rice monoculture (CK) to rice–crayfish coculture systems (RS) led to a 24.99% increase in the 5-year average of soil ammonium nitrogen (AN), while the soil nitrate nitrogen (NN), available potassium (AK), and available phosphorus content (AP) decreased by 28.02%, 16.05%, and 28.76%, respectively. Moreover, the total organic carbon (TOC), easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) exhibited a reduction of 2.45%, 8.82%, 35.31%, and 65.84%, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between NN, EOC, and MBC in the RS mode. In terms of rice yield, the 5-year average of rice yield in RS decreased by 8.40% compared to CK. The mean yield of early-maturing rice varieties was reduced by 13.16%, while that of late-maturing rice varieties was reduced by 6.00%. These results shed light on the annual variation in soil nutrients, carbon pools, and rice yield in the RS mode, providing insights for the sustainable development of RS in northern Zhejiang.

Available nitrogen and enzyme activity in rhizosphere soil dominate the changes in fine-root nutrient foraging strategies during plantation development

The variation in fine-root traits in response to soil resources (i.e., fine-root nutrient foraging strategy) is critical for plants to adapt to environmental changes and even win in intra- or interspecific resource competition. However, the patterns and driving mechanisms that change in fine-root traits and nutrient foraging strategies during the development of plantations remain unclear. We analyzed the relationships among fine-root traits, rhizosphere soil nutrient variables, and enzyme activities at four stages of Pinus massoniana plantations: 18 years (young), 30 years (middle-aged), 43 years (mature), and 63 years (overmature). We found that specific root area (SRA) and specific root length (SRL), which represent the speed of nutrient acquisition, decreased with stand development. Root tissue density (RTD) and specific root tip number (SRT), which represent the cost of nutrient foraging, decreased with stand development after peaking in the mature and middle-aged forests, respectively. Compared with young stands, fine-root organic carbon and total phosphorus contents decreased by 23 % in the overmature forest, but total nitrogen increased by nearly 50 %. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that those fine-root traits significantly varied from young to overmature stands on PC1, and such a shift was consistent with changes in the growth period from fast (in the young forest) to slow (in the overmature forest) for P. massoniana. We suggest that those changes in fine-root traits along the PC1 represents a change in the fine-root foraging strategy of P. massoniana. This strategy (i.e., PC1) was negatively correlated with rhizosphere soil total nutrients (i.e., soil organic carbon and total nitrogen) and carbon (C)-nitrogen (N)-phosphorus (P) stoichiometry but positively correlated with available carbon, nitrogen, and C and N cycling-related enzyme activities. Specifically, the variation in rhizosphere soil NH4+ had the highest amount of explication (72 %) for the variation in the root nutrient foraging strategy. These results demonstrate that the intensity of the fine-root response to soil resources is related to the structure of rhizosphere soil available nutrients (especially soil available nitrogen) as well as carbon and nitrogen conversion enzyme activities during plantation development. Such relationships can reshape fine-root traits and change the fine-root nutrient foraging strategies during the development of plantations.

The influence mechanism of soil pore structure on spatial variability of soil water and nutrients in the mining-induced subsidence area of China northwest

The influence mechanism of soil pore structure on spatial variability of soil water and nutrients in the mining-induced subsidence area of China northwest

The dynamics between soil erosion, nutrient variability, land use, topography, and implications for food security in Southern Ethiopia

The dynamics between soil erosion, nutrient variability, land use, topography, and implications for food security in Southern Ethiopia

Soil‐Sampling Grid Size Considerations for Site‐Specific Nutrient Management in the Southeastern U.S.

AbstractOne of the most important aspects of site‐specific nutrient management is precision soil sampling such as grid‐ and zone‐based strategies to determine varying soil nutrient levels within a field. And for grid soil sampling, one of the most important considerations is the size of the grids as it affects both the sampling resolution and costs. Questions and concerns from growers about the effectiveness of different grid sizes in accurately depicting soil nutrient variability have become common recently, warranting an investigation into how grid size affects application accuracy and economics of site‐specific nutrient management in the southeastern U.S. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Nutrient Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.

A comparative analysis of soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure among four shelterbelt species in the northeast China plain.

The focal point of this study lies in the implementation of a controlled experiment conducted under field conditions. In this experiment, we deliberately selected four shelterbelts within the same field, characterized by identical planting density, and planting year. This deliberate selection effectively mitigated the potential impact of extraneous factors on the three microbiomes, thereby enhancing the reliability and validity of our findings.

A new approach to measure spatial variability of soil parameters and field technique to test-value specific fertilizer recommendations

&lt;p&gt;Information on the distribution of soil properties is important to know the status of nutrients in the soils based on which fertilizer nutrients are recommended. Given the variability of nutrients in the soils, making a site-specific fertilizer recommendation seems to be a compelling work. To determine the spatial variability of soil nutrients and to make judicious and precise fertilizer recommendations, new measures are designed with this study. These measures are tested against the soil samples (n = 43) for total nitrogen (N), organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O) in the study area. The descriptive statistical analysis indicated an average of low nitrogen and organic matter, while phosphorus was found to be very high and the level of potassium was high. The spread of nutrients across the data sets, however, included low, medium, high, and very high levels of ratings. The Deviation Square Index was developed and applied for the variability measurement and found that the largest variation was with phosphorus distribution, followed by potassium, nitrogen, and organic matter. The coefficient of variation (CV%) analysis also exhibited similar trends in nutrient distributions. Nitrogen was the main determinant explaining the variations in rice yield, while phosphorus and potash were negatively related to the yield. An index of fertilizer nutrient recommendation called Test-Value Specific Dose (TVSD) was developed and used to calculate the nutrient recommendation for each sampled location. This new method gave easy and more accurate doses of fertilizer over the blanket recommendation to fit the variations across the soil samples.&lt;/p&gt;

Understanding the impact of within-field Olsen P variation on common wheat production in Olsen P deficient soils

This study investigates the influence of Olsen phosphorus (Ps) within-field variability on common wheat production in Ps-deficient soil. It covers a comprehensive investigation conducted over two growing seasons in Tuscany, Italy, aiming to evaluate the impact of within-field Ps variation on common wheat production and crop responses to different agronomic treatments. Field experiments were undertaken, employing 24 treatments, including 4 wheat varieties, 2 seeding densities, and 3 nitrogen fertilization levels. Soil samples were collected to determine within field variability of main soil properties. At harvesting, aboveground biomass was collected to determine grain yield, straw, and total protein content. Firstly, an ANOVA was performed to account for the effect of the agronomical treatments on crop parameters, namely the Agronomical Input Model (AIM). Then, soil total nitrogen (Ns) and Ps, were added as covariates in a new model, namely the Agronomical and Soil Input Model (ASIM). Results showed a significant spatial variability of Ps within the fields, ranging between 13.7 and 17.4 mg kg-1. Despite this minimal variation in Ps, we observed a linear increase in GY of about 1430 kg ha-1 for each increase of 1 mg kg-1 in Ps. Further studies should be conducted to account for non-linear responses at both lower and higher Ps levels. The ASIM model outperformed AIM, indicating a notable increase in predictive accuracy for both grain yield and protein concentration due to its incorporation of soil parameters. The variance explained by ASIM in predicting the grain yield and protein concentration in grain increased by about 11.0 % and 17.3 %, respectively, with respect to AIM. The study emphasizes the necessity of managing within-field Ps variability through targeted fertilization strategies to enhance wheat production in Ps-deficient soils. By addressing soil nutrient variability, this research aims to contribute to more precise and efficient common wheat production systems.

Variations of Soil Organic Matter and Nutrients in Diverse Hilly Soils of Bandarban, Bangladesh

Functioning and positive interactions in an ecosystem depend on physical and chemical features of soil, along with nutrient status. These soil nutrients are vital for the growth and development of plants, playing a crucial role in various essential functions. The current study investigates the dynamic changes in soil nutrient patterns across different land use scenarios and soil depths at Bandarban Sadar Upazila, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. The research focuses on how soil nutrient levels are distributed in two soil depths (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm) among three different land use practices, such as forest land, agricultural land and barren land. About 90 soil samples from the study area were collected using a stratified random sampling design. The analysis reveals significant variations in soil pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) levels among these land use types and soil depths. The findings revealed that agricultural land typically exhibited higher levels of soil S content and pH, in contrast to forested areas where OM, TN, P, and K levels were comparatively more abundant. Again, barren land showed a relatively higher pH and S content than agricultural land and forest land. Additionally, the topsoil (0-15 cm) generally showed higher nutrient content than the deeper soil layer (15-30 cm). The investigation uncovered significant positive correlations of OM with soil nutrients such as TN, P, K &amp; S, indicating mutual influences on their availability. Overall, the research outcomes emphasize the importance of sustainable land management practices to maintain soil fertility and optimize soil productivity in this ecologically significant region.

Spatial differentiation of soil nutrients and their ecological chemometrics based on geographic detector in National Agricultural Park of Tangchang, Southwest China.

In order to analyze the spatial variability of soil nutrients and their ecological chemometrics in Tangchang Town, National Agricultural Park, 20 influencing factors were selected: soil pH, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ni, Se, elevation, slope, aspect, land use type, distance from industrial land, distance from commercial land, distance from railway, distance from residential area, distance from highway and distance from river. The effects of various influencing factors on the spatial variability of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), total potassium (K) and ecological stoichiometry were analyzed by means of geographic detector. The results showed that average contents of soil TOC, N, P and K in the study area are 10.24 g kg-1, 1.33 g kg-1, 1.14 g kg-1 and 23.60 g kg-1, respectively, and there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and their eco-stoichiometry in the study area, and TOC, N, P, K, C/N, C/P, C/K, N/P, N/K and P/K has a significant correlation with each other and most correlation coefficients are above 0.5 or below -0.5. Factor detection showed that soil properties, distance from railway and distance from residential area had the most significant explanatory power to the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients and eco-stoichiometry. Interaction detection showed that the interaction between soil properties with other factors was the most important factor affecting the spatial differentiation of soil nutrients and their ecological chemometrics, and elevation, distance from railway and distance from residential area were also important factors. Risk detection showed that the differences of soil nutrients and their ecological stoichiometry were most significant in the subregions of soil properties (pH, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ni and Se).

Effects of planting year of alfalfa on rhizosphere bacterial structure and function

In many areas across the world, alfalfa is still cultivated in the same place over many years, leading to gradually deplete the soil nutrients and increase plant disease and consequent decreases in the yield and quality. Agricultural management practices have been proved to affect largely soil microbial community structure and functions in many reports, but it remains unclear how planting year effects extend to the rhizosphere under a long-term cultivation practices of alfalfa. Exploring such impacts is of great importance to understand and develop plant-microorganism interactions for agricultural sustainability. A long-term field experiment was set up at Linze research station of Lanzhou University in Gansu province, where alfalfa was continuously planted for four years (Y4) and six years (Y6). Rhizosphere soils from two different planting years were collected to examine differences in the bacterial diversity, composition and co-occurrence patterns using 16S rRNA gene sequencing technologies as well as in functional profiles involved in nitrogen cycling predicted by FAPROTAX. We found that soil nutrients including soil organic carbon (SOC), AP (available phosphorus) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) differed significantly between planting years. Bacterial taxonomic diversity, composition and the relative abundance of functional groups involved in nitrogen cycling were significantly affected by planting years, sampling time and their interactions. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that keystone taxa in both planting years were affiliated to Proteobacteria and bacteria taxa had less complexity and more negative correlations in Y6 than in Y4. NO3−-N was a major factor affecting bacterial community diversity and composition across planting years. Together, our findings suggest that planting years of alfalfa can lead to large variations in soil nutrients and rhizosphere microbial community patterns. These results implies that in agricultural management practices, planting year effects can even extend to microorganisms in association with plant roots, which may affect crop growth given close linkages between rhizosphere processes and plant nutrition availability.

Investigation on Zoning Management of Saline Soil in Cotton Fields in Alar Reclamation Area, Xinjiang

Aiming at assessing the problems of the high land salinity, high spatial variability of soil nutrients, sloppy management, and low efficiency in the Xinjiang region, research on the precise delineation method of field management zones is being conducted to facilitate differentiated fertilizer management for farmers and increase the level of saline soil improvement. Taking the plots in the experimental area as the research object, traditional statistics, principal component analysis, and fuzzy c-mean classification were applied to divide the management zoning in the study area, and the suitability and effectiveness of the management zoning were evaluated. The study area was at a mild salinization level; the soil organic matter and total nitrogen content were at a low level; total phosphorus was at a medium level; and total potassium and pH reached a high level. pH had a coefficient of variation &lt;0.1, which was weak, and the other soil attributes were of medium variability intensity. The spatial distribution of the soil attributes was highly variable. The results of the principal component analysis showed that the six soil attributes grouped into statistical factors could be divided into three principal components. The results of the fuzzy c-means classification showed that the study area could be divided into four management zones, and there were significant differences in the soil salinity, organic matter, soil nutrients, and other attributes in the different management zones. The different soil attributes could be utilized to determine the management zoning of farmland in the study area with the help of fuzzy c-mean classification.

Tree species identity affects nutrient accumulation and stoichiometric in soil aggregates in mixed plantations of subtropical China

The conversion of monocultural to mixed plantations is an increasing and widespread practice worldwide to improve forest productivity and soil fertility. Although tree species identity can affect soil ecological processes, there is still limited research on how it affects soil aggregate stability and nutrient variability. Here, we investigated the variation of 0–100 cm aggregate stability index (percent of aggregate destruction, PAD; fractal dimension, D; geometric mean diameter, GMD; mean weight diameter, MWD), associated carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and stoichiometry in mixed plantations from coniferous trees (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) and a variety of individual broadleaved trees (Camellia oleifera Abel, Manglietia chingii Dandy, Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. et Zucc., Michelia maudiae Dunn, and Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl.). We discovered that compared to coniferous plantations, most mixed plantations significantly improved the mechanical and water stability of topsoil aggregates. Deep-rooted tree species (e.g., Michelia maudiae Dunn) favored the development of subsoil macro-aggregates to improve aggregate water stability (e.g., PAD = 46.10, MWD = 1.23, GMD = 0.49, D = 2.81). Mixed planting led to the enrichment of soil C, N, and P in microaggregate, which increased by at least 37.14, 20.24, and 61.11 %, respectively. The reduced C:P and N:P in soil aggregates indicate that soil P limitation may be alleviated. Furthermore, tree species and soil depth indirectly affected aggregate stability to regulate the accumulation of C, N, and P. Overall, we emphasize the necessity of selecting tree species combinations with complementary ecological niches in mixed plantations to improve soil stability and support forest productivity.

Sistemas de información geográficos y vehículos aéreos no tripulados para la evaluación de suelos y pastos

The objective of this review is to present soil and pasture evaluation studies using georeferenced aerial photographs captured by sensors on board drones and analyzed using the Geographic Information System (GIS) to develop strategies for use in the management of pastures and farm potential. The use of intensive grazing systems requires advanced knowledge for efficient management, and smart and precision agriculture represents a strategy to reduce costs. Using GIS and drones, an immediate comprehensive diagnosis is obtained, such as quantification of the degradation of a pasture or farm, distribution of botanical composition, and variability of soil and pasture nutrients to generate fertilization plans by specific area (precision agriculture).

Impacts of long-term organic manure inputs on cultivated soils with various degradation degrees

With an increasing concern of soil health and sustainable development, organic manure application has been readdressed in recent years. In Northeast China, the agricultural industry is highly developed and organic manure resources are abundant, but soil degradation is serious due to extensive expansion of cultivation. Currently, limited information is available on how soils with various degradation degrees respond to long-term manure fertilization. Given that, a comparative study was conducted based on soil functional assessment of croplands with over 35 years of manure fertilization (maize straw compost, SA; cattle manure, CA) and various degradation degrees (none, light, moderate, and heavy). Soils in these croplands were loess-derived Mollisols and concentrated on a gentle to flat slope. Except for the difference in manure fertilization (SA and CA), similar field managements were adopted for these croplands during the past 35 years. Results showed that the impacts of erosion degradation and manure fertilization on soil physical structure lasted across the whole profile (0 ∼ 120 cm), while their impacts on soil nutrient properties were concentrated in shallow layers (<50 cm). Meanwhile, erosion degradation dominated 17.9% of the variance of soil physical structure, and soil profile depth contributed to 15.9% of soil nutrient variation. According to field validation regarding soil erosion modulus and crop yield, principal component analysis (PCA) with a nonlinear scoring method showed a good performance on the integrated soil functional index (ISI) assessment in this study area. The ISI of these croplands was found to be minimally characterized by BD, SOC, TN, AK, sand content, and CEC (R2 >0.64, p < 0.001). In addition, manure fertilization could significantly improve the ISI and maize yield for degraded soils, but had a slight impact on these two indicators for non-degraded soils. In terms of contribution to ISI improvement, SA (1.79% ∼ 283.73%) generally outperformed CA (4.53% ∼ 212.83%), while the latter was more effective in altering soil structure in deep layers (>70 cm). Generally, the ISI and maize yield were more susceptible to erosion degradation than manure fertilization. The obtained results provide useful information for a better cropland management in Northeast China.