Effects of NPK Fertilization on Seedling Growth of Camellia oleifera and Nutrient Content of Plantation Soil

This study aimed to find ways to mitigate nutrient loss in soil, improve fertilizer utilization, and increase economic return at Camellia oleifera tea plantations. An experimentation with a total of 13, including 9 orthogonal designed and 4 deficiency controlled, treatments was conducted. The results showed that Treatment 7 (i.e., annual application of 180 g urea/plant, 75 g CaMgP/plant, and 60 g KCl/plant) rendered the best results in promoting seedling growth and accumulating chlorophyll in leaves and available K in soil; Treatment 9 (i.e., annual application of 180 g urea/plant, 225 g CaMgP/plant, and 40 g KCl/plant), performed the greatest in increasing alkali-hydro N and effective P in soil; and, Treatment 8 (i.e., annual application of 180 g urea/plant, 150 g CaMgP/plant, and 20 g KCl/plant), yielded the most in elevating content of organic matters in soil. The growth of the tea seedlings closely related to the nutrient content of the soil they grew in. It appeared that the recommended annual fertilization per plant for the cultivation would be 180 g urea, along with CaMgP in the range of 75 g to 225 g and KCl, 20 g to 40 g.