Open Access

REVIEW

Halotolerant PGPR at the Soil–Plant–Microbiome Interface: Microbial Strategies to Enhance Crop Adaptation to Salinity

Hualiang Zhang¹, Honglong Zhao², Tianru Qu², Hao Jiang², Shuqin Gao^2,*, Yucheng Zhang², Congcong Zheng^2,*

1 College of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Taizhou Vocational College of Science & Technology, Taizhou, China
2 Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

* Corresponding Authors: Shuqin Gao. Email: ; Congcong Zheng. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(3), 3 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.076579

Received 23 November 2025; Accepted 05 February 2026; Issue published 31 March 2026

Abstract

Global climate change has intensified drought and soil salinization, posing serious threats to crop productivity and ecosystem stability. Traditional physical and chemical reclamation methods are often expensive, energy-intensive, and unsustainable. In contrast, halotolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (HT-PGPR) have emerged as a promising, eco-friendly strategy to address extreme climate change-induced land salinization. HT-PGPR enhance plant tolerance by regulating osmotic balance, ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense, and phytohormone signaling. Current evidence for these effects is largely based on greenhouse pot and microcosm studies, while their validation in field experiments remain limited. In addition, HT-PGPR can improve nutrient availability through nitrogen fixation, phosphorus and potassium solubilization, and siderophore production. This review synthesizes recent advances in the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying HT-PGPR-mediated stress alleviation, evaluates their performance in well-controlled greenhouse experiments and field applications, and outlines key criteria for strain selection. However, the translation of controlled-environment benefits into consistent field performance remains challenging, due to factors including inoculated microbial survival under fluctuating edaphic conditions, competitive interactions with native soil microbiota, and spatiotemporal variability in climate. Furthermore, we explore emerging innovative approaches such as AI-assisted design of synthetic microbial community for the remediation of saline-alkaline soils. Integrating HT-PGPR into sustainable management practices holds substantial potential for improving crop adaptation and productivity in saline environments under a changing climate.

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Keywords

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