Fertilisation datasets collected from field experiments (n = 21) in tea-producing areas from 2016 to 2018 were used to build a quantitative evaluation of the fertility of tropical soils (QUEFTS) model to estimate nutrient uptake of tea plants, and to investigate relationships between tea yield and nutrient accumulation. The production of 1000 kg spring tea (based on one bud with two young expanding leaves) required 12.2 kg nitrogen (N), 1.2 kg phosphorus (P), and 3.9 kg potassium (K), and the corresponding internal efficiencies (IEs) for N, P, and K were 82.0, 833.3, and 256.4 kg kg −1. to produce 1000 kg summer tea, 9.1 kg N, 0.8 kg P, and 3.1 kg K were required, and the corresponding IEs for N, P, and K were 109.9, 1250.0, and 322.6 kg kg −1. For autumn tea, 8.8 kg N, 1.0 kg P, and 3.2 kg K were required to produce 1000 kg tea, and the corresponding IEs for N, P, and K were 113.6, 1000.0, and 312.5 kg kg −1. Field validation experiments performed in 2019 suggested that the QUEFTS model can appropriately estimate nutrient uptake of tea plants at a certain yield and contribute to developing a fertiliser recommendation strategy for tea production. Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the most consumed manufactured drink worldwide, and the plant is widely grown in tropical and subtropical areas, especially in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. It is a perennial crop whose leaves are harvested, and which grows effectively in acidic soil with an optimum pH of 4.0-5.5 1. In 2013, global tea production reached over 5 million tons, and its consumption continues to increase, particularly in China and India 2. The use of nitrogen (N) fertiliser has been shown to improve tea yield and quality, especially for the synthesis of amino acids critical for producing high-quality green tea 3,4 , and the metabolism of minerals and metabolite products is influenced by phosphate (P) uptake 5. Potassium (K) plays vital roles in tea yield and the synthesis of amino acids and caffeine 6 , and application of K fertiliser can significantly increase water-extractable dry matter 7. Tea trees require a high N supply, with the current fertilisation rate ranging from 450 to 1200 kg N ha −1 year −1 8-10 , much more than that used in other artificial ecosystems. Recent research suggested that the excessive application of chemical fertiliser in tea gardens in China is a major problem. More than 30% of the tea garden area is over-sprayed, and more than 50% of the tea gardens have high P and K nutrient input, with an unreasonable proportion of nutrients 11. Concurrently, massive amounts of N not taken up by plants can be lost to adjacent systems, causing serious environmental problems in tea-planted areas 5,7,12,13. Moreover, an unbalanced soil nutrient status can limit plant growth and formation of biochemical ingredients in tea 14. Therefore, an optimum fertiliser recommendation for tea cultivation should focus on both ensuring high crop yield and reducing environmental risk, so as to maintain sustainable agriculture.