Infrared spectroscopy has been widely used in soil science, and the soil spectra are the comprehensive demonstrations of soil components and their interactions, which provide a new tool in soil research. This paper gave a review on the applications of infrared spectroscopy in soil science in recent years, including the application of transmission and reflectance spectroscopy, with a focus on the reflectance infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics applied in soil quantitative analysis. The infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy was also introduced as a new spectral technique which was based on the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by soil samples, it is very feasible to study soil system, which is complex and nontransparent. It can overcome the disadvantages of traditional transmission and reflection spectral techniques, and has great potential in application with its celerity, convenience, high sensitivity and accuracy.