The nutrients of four selected paddy soils in different regions of Hubei Province were evaluated by the soil chemical-property analytical method and the biomass pot experimental method, respectively. The first method indicated that N, P and K were the major limiting factors in the soil developed from granite parent material with early-rapeseed/late-rice rotation in Qichun county (1^# soil), from Q₃ parent material with rapeseed/rice rotation in Jimen (2^# soil), from Q₃ parent material with wheat/rice rotation in Xiangfan city (3^# soil), and from alluvial deposit parent material with rapeseed/rice rotation in Honghu city (4# soil). The order of N deficiency degree among the 4 soils was 3^# > 4^# > 1^# > 2^#, the order of P deficiency degree was 1^# > 2^# > 3^# > 4^#, the order of K deficiency degree was 1^# > 3^# > 4^# > 2^#, respectively. The second method using sorghum as indicating crop showed that N, P, K and Zn were the major limiting factors in 1# soil, N and P were the major limiting factors in 2#, 3# and 4# soil. The sorghum pot experiment also showed K application could increase the biomass weight which indicated K deficiency might be a limited factor except N and P for soil 2#, 3# and 4#. The pot experiment result showed that the order of N deficiency degree among the 4 soils was 3^# > 2^# > 4^# > 1^#, the order of P deficiency degree was 3^# > 1^# > 2^# > 4^#. Both methods disclosed the same limited factors for the four paddy soils, but showed some differences in the nutrient deficiency degree and the order of nutrient deficiency degree among the four paddy soils.