Objective This study aimed to analyze the changing trend of soil fertility in the primary production areas of Panax ginseng in Jilin Province, specifically in Ji'an and Fusong, over five distinct periods from 1963 to 2022, with a focus on 2003 ~ 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022.

Method Quantitative assessments of the soil's Integrated Fertility Index (IFI) and its spatial and temporal variations were conducted using the soil comprehensive evaluation method and Kriging interpolation.

Result The results revealed a consistent downward trend in soil pH over the past 60 years, decreasing from 5.55 in 1963 to 4.75 in 2022. Simultaneously, there was a significant reduction in organic matter content, from a peak of 73.0 g kg⁻¹ in 1963 to a low of 16.6 g kg⁻¹ in 2012. Following a peak of 409.0 mg kg⁻¹ in 2003 ~ 2008. The available nitrogen contents also exhibited a notable decline, reaching a minimum of 11.3 mg kg⁻¹ in 2012. The available phosphorus content followed a "U"-shaped pattern, decreasing from 23.0 mg kg⁻¹ in 1963 to a low of 9.49 mg kg⁻¹ in 2012, but then rebounding to a peak of 88.9 mg kg⁻¹ in 2018. The available potassium content exhibited a parabolic change, gradually increasing from 176.00 mg kg⁻¹ in 1963 to a peak of 389.0 mg kg⁻¹ in 2018, with a slight decrease observed in 2022. Principal component analysis revealed that the relative importance of pH and available phosphorus had increased, while the significance of organic matter and available potassium had decreased. Overall, the IFI fluctuated significantly, increasing from 0.78 to 0.81, then decreasing to 0.51, and then increasing to 0.86, remaining at 0.82 in 2022. Furthermore, soil fertility in Ji'an was generally higher than that in Fusong, particularly during the period from 2018 to 2022, when its IFI not only exceeded 0.8 but even reached level 1. The evaluation results showed that the main fertility contribution of the soil came from organic matter and available phosphorus.

Conclusion After 60 years of cultivation and management, the decrease in soil fertility for ginseng planting in main producing areas was primarily due to the reduction in organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, and available phosphorus. Notably, the higher fertility observed in Ji'an was attributed to the elevated levels of available phosphorus. Therefore, to ensure adequate soil fertility for ginseng, it is crucial to focus on supplementing soil organic matter and available phosphorus.