Molecular Pathogens, 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 276-284 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 282 In the longer term, for corn cultivation in saline-alkali land to "turn things around", it may still have to rely on multiple paths simultaneously. In addition to cultivating varieties that are inherently more salt-resistant and disease-resistant, the regulatory strategies surrounding the microbiome must also keep pace. For instance, precisely selecting and breeding corn genotypes suitable for microbial interaction, combined with pro-growth bacteria such as PGPR and AMF, as well as operational techniques like seed coating and foliar spraying, may make it easier for plants to stabilize themselves in adverse conditions. Combining these measures with broader soil management practices can not only stabilize corn yields but also steer the soil system in a healthier direction. This might be a worthwhile investment route for addressing global food pressure and ecological sustainability issues. Acknowledgements Thank you to all members of Hainan Biotechnology Research Institute for their help and support during this research. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors confirm that the study was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships and could be interpreted as a potential conflict of interest. References Cao Y., Ma J., Han S., Hou M., Wei X., Zhang X., Zhang Z., Sun S., Ku L., Tang J., Dong Z., Zhu Z., Wang X., Zhou X., Zhang L., Li X., Long Y., Wan X., and Duan C., 2023, Single‐cell RNA sequencing profiles reveal cell type‐specific transcriptional regulation networks conditioning fungal invasion in maize roots, Plant Biotechnology Journal, 21: 1839-1859. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14097 Fan L., Zhang P., Cao F., Liu X., Ji M., and Xie M., 2024, Effects of AMF on maize yield and soil microbial community in sandy and saline soils, Plants, 13(15): 2056. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152056 Fatima A., Hussain S., Hussain S., Ali B., Ashraf U., Zulfiqar U., Aslam Z., Al-Robai S., Alzahrani F., Hano C., and El-Esawi M., 2021, Differential morphophysiological biochemical and molecular responses of maize hybrids to salinity and alkalinity stresses, Agronomy, 11(6): 1150. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061150 Guo M., Wu Y., Huang H., Li S., Zhao L., Cao J., and Wang C., 2025, Revealing the critical role of rare bacterial communities in shaping antibiotic resistance genes in saline soils through metagenomic analysis, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 491: 137848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137848 Haj-Amor Z., Araya T., Kim D., Bouri S., Lee J., Ghiloufi W., Yang Y., Kang H., Jhariya M., Banerjee A., and Lal R., 2022, Soil salinity and its associated effects on soil microorganisms greenhouse gas emissions crop yield biodiversity and desertification: a review, The Science of the Total Environment, 843: 156946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156946 He M., Li D., Peng S., Wang Y., Ding Q., Wang Y., and Zhang J., 2025, Reduced soil ecosystem multifunctionality is associated with altered complexity of the bacterial-fungal interkingdom network under salinization pressure, Environmental Research, 269: 120863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.120863 Hou Y., Zeng W., Hou M., Wang Z., Luo Y., Lei G., Zhou B., and Huang J., 2021, Responses of the soil microbial community to salinity stress in maize fields, Biology, 10(11): 1114. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10111114 Hu Y., Li C., Zhou R., Song Y., LüZ., Wang Q., Dong X., Liu S., Feng C., Zhou Y., Zeng X., Zhang L., Wang Z., and Di H., 2023, The transcription factor ZmNAC89 gene is involved in salt tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.), International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(20): 15099. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242015099 Lanubile A., Maschietto V., Borrelli V., Stagnati L., Logrieco A., and Marocco A., 2017, Molecular Basis of resistance to fusarium ear rot in maize, Frontiers in Plant Science, 8: 1774. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.01774 Li M.H., 2025, ATAC-seq reveals chromatin accessibility changes during maize seed development, Maize Genomics and Genetics, 16(4): 182-201. https://doi.org/10.5376/mgg.2025.16.0017 Li X., Wang A., Wan W., Luo X., Zheng L., He G., Huang D., Chen W., and Huang Q., 2021, High salinity inhibits soil bacterial community mediating nitrogen cycling, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 87(21): e01366-21. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01366-21
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