Soil physics is an essential discipline of natural sciences,and it plays important roles in sustainable agriculture and environmental protection. In this review,we briefly exam ined the current status and trends of soil physics in terms of new theories,new technologies,and research focuses at different scales. We also brought up the significant challenges facing current soil physics researches. Finally we proposed five major topics for soil physics research in China in the next decade:The role of soil physics in sustainable agricultural development,soil structure formation and stability,mass transport and energy transfer in soil,spatial and temporal variation and scaling of soil physical properties and processes, and the coupling mechanisms of soil physical,chemical,and biological processes.