Abstract:In order to solve the problems with tobacco-planting yellow soil (acidification, loss of water and nutrient, low productivity) and flue-cured tobacco ( low nutrient uptake and yield) in Guizhou, a field fertilization experiment on flue-cured tobacco, Yun 87 in variety was conducted in 2016 in a tract of tobacco-planting yellow soil typical of Guizhou, to explore effect of different fertilization on chemical and biological properties of the soil, and nutrient accumulation, yield, volatile aroma components and chemical components of the flue-cured tobacco. The experiment was designed to have three fertilization treatments, (1) NF, (no fertilization)as CK, (2) CF (conventional fertilization, band placement of organic manure of vinasse + base fertilizer specialized for flue-cured tobacco + pit placement of side-dressing specialized for flue-cured tobacco), and (3) BF (band placement of biochar-based organic manure of vinasse + biochar-based compound fertilizer + pit placement of side-dressing specialized for flue-cured tobacco). Compared to CF, BF significantly increased soil pH, the contents of soil available phosphorus and available potassium, the amounts of soil bacteria, actinomyces and fungi, and also the activities of soil urease and catalase (CAT), among of which, CAT activity was increased significantly by 10.6%. In addition, BF improved the fertilizer agronomic efficiencies , the yield and the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of the flue-cured tobacco, and the total contents of volatile aroma components and carotenoid in the flue-cured tobacco leaves. All the findings demonstrate that the application of biochar-based fertilizer can help build up quality of the tobacco-planting yellow soil, promote nutrient accumulation of the flue-cured tobacco, regulate aroma components in the flue-cured tobacco. Therefore, the biochar–based fertilizer can be extrapolated in similar flue-cured tobacco planting areas in Guizhou and Southwest China.