Salinity is a factor that negatively affects the physiology of most plants, even placing food security at risk when it affects plants grown for food. This review provides an overview of the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as a strategy for enhancing crop growth under salt stress, aiming to provide a sustainable solution for this environmental problem. Salinity causes morphophysiological and biochemical alterations in plants due to osmotic and ionic stress. Plants have different response mechanisms that allow them to survive and, in some cases, tolerate salinity. Various mitigation strategies have been evaluated, such as the use of plant hormones, fertilizers, nanofertilizers, silicon, antioxidants, tolerant genotypes, and inoculation with microorganisms, among others. Among the organisms used for inoculation, PGPB are of particular interest. PGPB, with the capacity to tolerate salinity conditions, can enhance germination, seedling vigor, root and shoot growth, and chlorophyll content in plants, in addition to other positive impacts. The mechanisms of action of PGPBs have been extensively studied and used to improve the quality of commercial crops and to produce bioinoculants. The study of these microorganisms is ongoing; more knowledge is needed on the mechanisms of action of the bacteria, the mechanisms of colonization, and the genes involved in the mechanisms of promotion and colonization. Additionally, it is necessary to expand knowledge of the most efficient ways to use these organisms in crops of commercial and environmental interest.
Hernández et al. (Wed,) studied this question.