[Objective] The research progress of moistube irrigation technology was reviewed to investigate the future research direction and provide available bases for the formulation of water-saving irrigation system and parameters. In addition, this review would play a key role in popularizing moistube irrigation technology.[Methods] The paper summarized the development history and application status of moistube irrigation technology, soil water movement under moistube irrigation, effects of moistube irrigation on crops growth, etc. and the drawbacks of moistube irrigation technology were analyzed.[Results] Moistube irrigation is an underground irrigation technology, having the advantages of uninterrupted adequate water supply for plant absorption and field irrigation were synchronicity. Moistube irrigation water was matched with plant water consumption. Meanwhile, moistube irrigation can come into being no-stress irrigation. In addition, moistube irrigation plays an important role in improving crop quality and yield. The moistube irrigation technology has become a leading international bionic type continuous irrigation system, and will have broad prospect of popularization in arid and semi-arid region.[Conclusion] This paper reviewed the development history and application status of moistube irrigation, the research progress of moistube irrigation technology mechanism, migration rules of soil water and the effects of moistube irrigation on crop growth, and put forward the key research fields needed to be further study, including the effects of moistube irrigation on soil nutrient migration; the effects of moistube irrigation on crop growth with different planting patterns; the effects of moistube irrigation on greenhouse gas emissions of farmland ecosystem.