[Objective] Exploring the effects of cattle manure application on soil biological characteristics and growth of poplar plantation, to provide theoretical basis for the establishment of soil fertility system and reasonable fertilization of poplar plantation.[Methods] A field experiment with four treatments, i. e. CK (neither urea nor cattle manure was applied), CF (100% of nitrogen was provided by urea), CM (100% of nitrogen was provided by cattle manure), and CM+CF (50% and 50% of nitrogen was provided by cattle manure and urea, respectively) was conducted to determine effects of different treatments on physicochemical properties, microbial populations, microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, active organic carbon, carbon pool management index (CPMI) and growth of poplar plantation.[Results] In comparison to CF treatment, CM+CF treatment significantly increased the populations of bacteria, fungi and total microorganism, and the contents of microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen increase 42.20% and 43.75%, respectively. The contents of available nitrogen, available phosphate, available potassium and exchangeable Mg were significantly increased by CM+CF treatment, while the pH value was obviously decreased. Meanwhile, the maximum value of total organic carbon content was observed in CM treatment, whereas the contents of low-labile, moderate-labile and high-labile organic carbon, and CPMI were notably increased by CM+CF treatment, indicative of 52.76, 47.16 and 25.89 increases in CPMI over the values of CK, CF and CM, respectively. Additionally, the average volume growth rate in CM+CF treatment was 45.36%, which was significantly higher than those of other treatments. However, in CM treatment, fewer effects on soil and volume of poplar were observed in comparison with the one of CM+CF treatment.[Conclusion] Cattle manure co-applied with inorganic fertilizer was beneficial to improve soil biological characteristics and promote the growth of poplar plantation.