土壤学是解决人口—资源—环境—粮食矛盾的重要学科之一。在21世纪，从圈层角度研究土壤圈物质的组成、性质及能量循环及其对人类生存和环境的影响是土壤学发展的总趋势，其中全球土壤变化是土壤学研究的战略重点，数字化与信息化是土壤学发展的驱动力，土壤质量与环境是土壤学的重要内容，保护土壤资源、提高土壤肥力是土壤学的重要任务，研究资源节约型高效持续农业是土壤学的历史使命，加强土壤学基础理论研究是土壤学发展的基石。

Soil science is one of the key sciences to solve the problems about population, resources, environment and food. In the 21st century, the trends of soil science is to study the composition, properties, and cycling of material and energy, and their effects on human being survival and environment. Soil global changes are of strategic meaning in soil science research. Digitalization and information systems are the driving force for the development of soil sciences. Soil quality and environment is the key contents of soil science. Protecting soil resources and improving soil fertility are the important tasks in soil science research. Studying the resource-saving sustainable agriculture is the historical mission for soil science. Strengthening basic scientific research is the basis for the development of soil science.