The objective of this study was to assess the effects of tillage and straw returning on soil nutrient and its pools, and soil Cd concentration, and to identify the strategies for rational tillage and remediation of Cd contaminated paddy fields. The experiment was established with notillage with straw retention (NTS), rotary tillage with straw incorporation (RTS), conventional plow tillage with straw incorporation (CTS), conventional plow tillage with straw removed (CT) from 2005 to 2013. The results indicated that tillage and rice straw retention had a great impact on soil properties at 0-10 cm soil depth. The soil aeration, and concentrations of soil nutrient and soil Cd increased under CTS, CT, and RTS. Due to the shallow plow layers, soil nutrient pools and the Cd concentration in rice shoot decreased in long-term tilled soil. Under long-term no-tillage, the soil bulk, soil nutrient pools and Cd concentration in rice shoot increased, but concentrations of soil nutrients decreased. In addition, rice straw returning significantly increased the soil nutrient concentrations, cation exchange capacity, depth of plow layer, and soil nutrient pools. However, the Cd in the rice straw was also returned to the soil by rice straw returning, which would not benefit the remediation of soil Cd. Therefore, it is necessary to improve tillage and straw retention practices due to the disadvantages of longterm continuous single tillage method and rice straw returning practices. Some recommended managements (e.g., rotational tillage or subsoiling, reducing straw returning amount, and rotational straw returning) could be good options in enhancing soil fertility and remedying soil pollution.