The molecular network in bacteria responsible for the mitigation of salinity stress.

The World’s major abiotic stress is salinity stress, which affects over 833 million hectares of agricultural lands and risks food security by reducing crop yields and interfering with plant physiological systems. It has been predicted that salinity stress will affect about 50% of crops by 2050. Through a variety of molecular mechanisms, PGPR (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) have evolved as bioinoculants that enhance plant tolerance to salinity stress. Bacterial molecular mechanisms include the biosynthesis of suitable key osmolytes, ion transporters, modulation of hormones via ACC deaminase, and the HSP-mediated proteostasis (Heat shock proteins). These regulatory networks were identified in bacteria by advanced multi-omics technologies, in conjunction with CRISPR-based functional genomics. While CRISPR-edited PGPR and synthetic consortia require further validations, regulatory approval, including biosafety concerns and scalability limitations must also be considered. These techniques have evolved bacterial strain as PGPR that mitigates salinity stress, ultimately increasing crop yields and productivity. Use of these microbial resources as PGPR bioinoculants is a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture and improved crop productivity under escalating salinity driven by climate change.