Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms Useful for Soil Desalinization

Dear Colleagues,

Salinization of cultivable soils is one major issue that humankind will have soon to face. It has been estimated that around 20% of lands all around the world are cultivable, and over 30% of them, at present, are affected by salinization. Moreover, it has been calculated by economists and agronomists that each year, about 10% of arable soils increases its own salt content due, for instance, to irrigation with salted water and use of incorrect agricultural practices, such as abundant employ of mineral fertilizers. Consequently, it is conceivable that in next thirty years, more than 50% of them will be severely affected by a high salt content, causing a reduction of crop yields and also their palatability. Moreover, temperature increase, due to climate change, will worsen the problem even more. In this perspective, during the last decade, researchers have focused their studies on the microbiome of several organisms as well as that of plants. In fact, it has been recognized that a relevant role to maintain and improve plant health is played by microorganisms of the rhizosphere, a thin layer of soil of 1–2 mm surrounding the fine roots of the plants. The new-generation sequence (NGS) technique, able to sequence up to the whole genome of every kind of living being, has revealed an unknown world of microorganisms that inhabit the rhizosphere, and many of them carry even out the function of plant growth promoters (PGP microorganisms), reducing either biotic or abiotic stress such as that caused, for instance, by soil salinization. The tolerance to high salt concentrations of certain microorganism strains and their capability to improve the plant wellness have been demonstrated by some studies. The combination of these salt-tolerant PGP microorganisms with halo-tolerant crops (e.g., quinoa) could provide an income to farmers of these areas of the world which are usually very poor, but also a mitigation of this serious problem throughout a phytoremediation process.

For the above-mentioned reasons, we are proposing the collection of scientific manuscripts which can shed light on principles which regulate interactions among plants and microorganisms in the case of salty and arid cultivable soils.

Prof. Dr. Stefano Castiglione
Dr. Francesco Guarino
Dr. Mattia Terzaghi
Guest Editors

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