Molecular Soil Biology 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 17-27 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 17 Review Perspective Open Access Innovative Strategies for Soil Health Restoration in Saline-Alkali Environments: Leveraging Engineered Synthetic Microbial Communities (SynComs) Yuanyuan Bu1,2 , Siyuan Gao1,2, Shenkui Liu3, Ruisheng Song3 1 Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China 2 College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China 3 State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China Corresponding emails: yuanyuanbu@nefu.edu.cn; slpy@zafu.edu.cn Molecular Soil Biology, 2024, Vol.15, No.1 doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0003 Received: 07 Dec., 2023 Accepted: 11 Jan., 2024 Published: 23 Jan., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Bu et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Bu Y.Y., Gao S.Y., Liu S.K., and Song R.S., 2024, Innovative strategies for soil health restoration in saline-alkali environments: leveraging engineered synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), Molecular Soil Biology, 15(1): 17-27 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0003) Abstract Degradation of soil health in saline-alkali environments poses significant challenges to agricultural productivity and ecosystem sustainability. Traditional soil remediation methods often struggle to address the complex issues of salinity and alkalinity effectively. This study explores innovative strategies for restoring soil health using engineered synthetic microbial communities (SynComs). SynComs are custom-designed microbial consortia that can enhance nutrient cycling, promote plant growth, and improve soil structure. By introducing these beneficial microbial consortia into saline-alkali soils, SynComs offer a promising solution to mitigate adverse impacts and restore soil fertility. This paper reviews current research on the application of SynComs in soil health restoration, identifies key microbial functions and interactions, and discusses the potential applications and benefits of this integrated approach. The findings highlight the transformative potential of SynComs in developing sustainable strategies for soil health restoration, thereby contributing to agricultural resilience and ecosystem sustainability Keywords Synthetic microbial communities; Saline-alkali environments; Soil health; Soil restoration; Agricultural resilience Soil health is a crucial component of sustainable agriculture and ecosystem functionality. It encompasses the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil, which collectively support plant growth, maintain environmental quality, and promote the health of plants and animals. Healthy soil is vital for nutrient cycling, water filtration, and providing habitats for various organisms, including beneficial microbes that enhance plant health and productivity (Shi et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2021). Maintaining soil health not only ensures food security but also mitigates climate change and protects biodiversity. Saline-alkali soils, characterized by high salt content and high pH, pose significant challenges to soil health, resulting in poor soil structure, reduced microbial activity, and nutrient imbalances. These issues hinder plant growth and decrease agricultural productivity. Salinization and alkalization are widespread global problems, affecting vast tracts of arable land and causing land degradation and economic losses (Qin et al., 2015; Liu et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2021). High salinity and alkalinity disrupt soil microbial communities, further exacerbating soil health problems (Wang et al., 2020b). Engineered synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) represent an innovative approach to soil restoration in saline-alkali environments. SynComs are specially designed microbial consortia aimed at enhancing nutrient availability, improving soil structure, and promoting plant growth under stress conditions. These consortia can include beneficial microbes resilient to high salinity and alkalinity, thus restoring soil health and productivity (Li et al., 2020). SynComs leverage advances in microbial ecology and biotechnology to create robust microbial networks that outperform native, less beneficial microbial populations, establishing a more favorable soil environment for plant growth (Qin et al., 2016; Sun et al., 2020). This review summarizes the existing knowledge on the impact of saline-alkali conditions on soil health and microbial communities, reviews the latest advancements in SynComs development and application for soil
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