Abstract: Soil acidification is a natural and slow process in natural conditions. However, intensive cultivations and anthropogenic activities accelerate this process and causing serious adverse impacts on soil-microbial-crop consortium in farmland. In our review, firstly, the main reasons for soil acidification were summarized, such as atmospheric acid deposition, the application of fertilizers, soil managements, crop types and the removal of crop residues. Secondly, the effects of soil acidification on soil fertility, soil base cations, soil pH buffering capacity were illustrated and the responses of soil bacterial communities, functional microbial communities (e.g. ammonia-oxidizing archaea and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria) and soil-born diseases to soil acidification were summarized. Then the possible consequences of soil acidity on crop yield loss and the increasing aluminum toxicity in crop roots were analyzed. Finally, the sustainable strategies for acidic soil use from the perspective of using exogenous amendments were discussed and proposed suggestions for the improvement and remediation of acidified soils, and the future research avenue in soil acidification was put forward.