Microbial approaches for stress tolerance in plants

Climate change has intensified several abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, posing serious threats to global agriculture and food security. Conventional methods of reducing these stressors are frequently expensive, time-consuming, and unsustainable for the environment. In this context, plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) including rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, endophytes, and actinomycetes have emerged as eco-friendly and effective alternatives. These microbes enhance plant stress tolerance through diverse mechanisms such as ACC deaminase activity, phytohormone production, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant enzyme stimulation, and modulation of stress-responsive genes. Under drought and salinity stress, PGPM improve water retention, ion balance, and root architecture, while under temperature and heavy metal stress, they stabilize proteins, detoxify metals, and protect cellular functions. The application of microbial consortia and bioinoculants has shown promise in improving plant resilience under multiple stress conditions. Furthermore, advanced multi-omics technologies—including genomics, transcriptomic, proteomics, and metabolomics—offer deeper insights into plant-microbe interactions, enabling the development of next-generation bioinoculants. Despite demonstrated benefits, challenges such as field variability, strain compatibility, and formulation stability remain. Addressing these gaps through integrated field research, omics-based strain selection, and innovative formulation strategies will pave the way for climate-smart, sustainable agriculture.