Microbe-Induced Abiotic Stress Alleviation in Plants

This Reprint brings together recent advances in understanding how plant-associated microorganisms shape plant responses to abiotic stress, moving beyond a plant-centric view toward a system-level perspective of plant-microbe-soil interactions. The collected studies highlight diverse functional roles of rhizosphere microbes, endophytes, and microbial consortia in mitigating stresses such as drought, salinity, and heavy metal contamination through mechanisms including nutrient mobilization, phytohormone regulation, redox balance, and modification of soil structure and metal bioavailability. Particular attention is given to the transition from single-strain approaches to community-based and microbiome-engineering strategies, as well as to the role of plant-driven microbiome recruitment under stress. By integrating insights from molecular biology, microbial ecology, and soil science, this Reprint outlines emerging directions toward predictive, climate-resilient agricultural systems in which microorganisms are treated not as auxiliary inputs but as integral components of plant adaptation and ecosystem stability.