[Objective] Exploring the effect of different fertilization measures on soil biological characteristics in the farmland of Dezhou City, Shandong Province, in order to provide theoretical basis for the fertilization of farmland and reasonable plantation of crops.[Methods] A field experiment including 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 performed. The study was conducted to determine the effects of different treatments on soil nutrients, microbial population, microbial diversity index, active organic carbon and carbon pool management index in the farmland of Dezhou City.[Results] CM+CF treatment significantly increased available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and trace element contents, but decreased the pH value in the farmland soil. The microorganism population and contents of microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen were obviously increased by the use of CM+CF treatment. For bacteria quantity, it increased by 91.22%, 65.47% and 17.11%, respectively, as compared with the treatments of CK, CF and CM. Meanwhile, the microbial diversity index was also found having the highest value in the CM+CF treatment, it had the same variation tendency as total microbial population had. However, the microbial diversity indices and microbial population had different variation tendency between CF and CK treatments. Additionally, the inertly organic carbon content and carbon pool management index in CM+CF treatment were also significantly higher than those of other treatments, indicating carbon pool management index increases by 69.52, 67.84 and 38.61, respectively, as compared with the treatments of CK, CF and CM. However, less effect on farmland soil in CM treatment was observed in comparison with the one in CM+CF treatment.[Conclusion] Cattle manure co-applied with inorganic fertilizer could significantly improve soil biological characteristics in the farmland of Dezhou City, which was beneficial to increase soil fertility and enhance nutrient supplying capability.