Vertisol is greatly different from lateritic red earth, which is an extensively distributed zonal soil in Fujian Province, not only in soil properties but in soil fertility and agricultural production characters such as nutrient status, soil adsorption, moisture capacity, tillage, cropping system, fertilization effect, irrigation measures and crop yield and quality. The productivity of the vertisol exceeded that of the lateritic red earth. The yields of rice, sweet potato, peanut, sorghum and sugarcane grown on the vertisol were obviously higher than those grown on the lateritic red earth, and some of the crops mentioned above grown on the vertisol also displayed a better quality, because the former soil possesses higher contents of nutrients, stronger nutrient and water retention ability, and more appropriate aeration status in the soil surface than the latter, which caused a series of good agricultural production characters of the vertisol in drought resistance, fertilizer saving, suitability for intercropping etc..