Abstract: This paper introduces status of practical and theoretical study of the field mulching techniques at home and abroad.The models of the soil water and heat transfer are classified into two kinds:isothermal and non-isothermal.The representative models of these models and their features are analysed and described.The effects of surface mulch on the water,vapor and heat regime at the soil surface and the influence of different mulch material and different ways of mulching on soil water and heat transfer,and the two dimensional coupled soil water and heat models of numerical simulation are detailed.On the basis of summarising the results studied,some problems which need to be further researched are recommended.