Abstract: Nicosulfuron is a herbicide of sulfonylurea group, which has been widely used in corn fields due to its high herbicidal activity for control of annual and perennial grasses, certain broadleaved and cyperaceous weeds. However, residues of nicosulfuron in soil can cause phytotoxicity to sensitive succeeding crops. Degradation of nicosulfuron by microorganisms would be an effective method for bioremediation of polluted soil. The usage and hazard of nicosulfuron, microorganism species that can degrade nicosulfuron as well as the degradation characteristics, degradation pathways, degradation enzyme and its encoding gene were reviewed. So far most of the researches have been focused on screening of the nicosulfuron-degrading microorganisms, degradation characteristics, degradation pathways, etc.. Study on the degradation enzyme and its encoding gene in nicosulfuron-degrading microorganisms were limited. It was suggested that the development trends of research would be mainly the cultivation of composite microbial system, environmental ecology of degrading microorganisms, degrading gene and formulation of degradation enzymes.