Molecular Pathogens, 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 276-284 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 276 Feature Review Open Access Response of Maize Root Rot Pathogenic Communities and Mechanisms of Disease Resistance under Soil Salinization Conditions Qian Li 1, Shiying Yu 2 1 Modern Agricultural Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China 2 Biotechnology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, China Corresponding author: shiying.yu@cuixi.org Molecular Pathogens, 2025, Vol.16, No.6 doi: 10.5376/mp.2025.16.0028 Received: 30 Sep., 2025 Accepted: 19 Nov., 2025 Published: 29 Nov., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Li and Yu, 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: Li Q., and Yu S.Y., 2025, Response of maize root rot pathogenic communities and mechanisms of disease resistance under soil salinization conditions, Molecular Pathogens, 16(6): 276-284 (doi: 10.5376/mp.2025.16.0028) Abstract Soil salinization has become one of the important abiotic stress factors restricting global corn production, and it significantly alters the ecological characteristics of soil-borne pathogenic bacteria, thereby exacerbating the occurrence of corn root rot. This study systematically analyzed the effects of saline-alkali environment on soil physicochemical properties, microbial diversity and survival strategies of pathogenic bacteria, clarified the structural changes and virulence characteristics evolution of the pathogenic bacteria community of maize root rot under different salinity gradients, and focused on the physiological regulation, immune pathway activation and rhizosphere microbial interaction mechanism of maize under the dual stress of salt and disease. A combined molecular and microbial regulatory model for corn resistance to root rot under the background of saline-alkali stress was constructed. Based on this, this study combined field cases from typical saline-alkali areas such as Northeast China, the coastal areas of Shandong Province and Xinjiang to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the composition of root rot pathogenic bacteria, the characteristics of rhizosphere microbial communities and the performance of different resistant varieties. It verified the connection between salinity changes and the transformation of dominant pathogenic bacteria populations, and revealed the adaptive characteristics of root rot resistant varieties in saline-alkali land. This study aims to promote the sustainable development of agriculture in saline-alkali land and provide a new theoretical perspective and practical path for enhancing the production stability of corn in harsh environments. Keywords Soil salinization; Corn root rot; Pathogen flora response; Disease resistance mechanism; Rhizosphere microorganisms 1 Introduction The issue of saline-alkali land is no longer a local problem for any single country or region. Now, it has become one of the challenges that global agriculture cannot avoid. Especially when water resource management is inadequate or the climate becomes extreme, the expansion of soil salinization is more like adding insult to injury. Corn, a major food crop widely cultivated around the world, is not "resilient" when facing salt stress - its entire growth process, from seed germination to plant maturity, may be affected, ultimately directly reflected in yield. Interestingly, against the backdrop of increasingly serious saline-alkali problems, how to screen out salt-tolerant corn varieties with stronger adaptability as soon as possible has also become an indispensable part of promoting sustainable agriculture (Fan et al., 2024; Ren et al., 2025). However, the problem is not limited to "salt". Another enemy that often troubles farmers is corn root rot. This disease is rather complicated because there is no single culprit behind it, but rather multiple pathogenic microorganisms are "conspiring", such as the common fungal species Fusarium graminearum. Once the infection is successful, the function of the root system will be damaged. Not only will the vitality of the plant decline, but the yield will also be reduced. Worse still, these pathogens can also produce toxins, potentially endangering the health of humans and animals (Williamson-Benavides and Dhingra, 2020; Wang et al., 2024; 2025). When it comes to this, it is necessary to mention the rhizosphere microorganisms. More and more studies have shown that the composition, structure, and even the complexity of the "circle of friends" of the microbial community around the plant root system are directly related to the severity of disease occurrence and the plant's own disease resistance. Beneficial microorganisms such as Bacillus and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been proven
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==