Enhancing Soil and Crop Resilience: Strategies Against Climate-Driven Salinization and Degradation

Mohamed Trigui^1*Houda Baati²Francesco Montemurro³Mariangela Diacono³Abdelbasset Lakhdar¹

• ¹Preparatory Institute for Engineering Studies of Sfax University of Sfax -Tunisia Research Laboratory "Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development" (LASED LR18ES32), Sfax, Tunisia
• ²Institut Préparatoire aux Etudes d'Ingénieur de Sfax (IPEIS), Sfax, Tunisia
• ³Council for Agricultural Research and Economics. Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment - CREA, Bari - Italy, bari, Italy

understanding of these pressing issues, the 10 accepted articles of this Research Topic are organized into four thematic areas: i) microbial inoculants and biofertilizers for enhancing plant resilience, ii) sustainable soil amendments and biochar for nutrient optimization and carbon management, iii) adaptive cropping systems and integrated agronomic practices for maintaining productivity under arid and saline conditions, and iv) climate-driven soil pathology and risk assessment to safeguard crop health.The first thematic focus is enhancing plant growth and resilience to biotic stresses like pathogens and pests, as well as abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, and extreme temperatures, which severely limit crop productivity and food security. Advances in plant science focus on strengthening innate defense mechanisms and improving stress tolerance through genetic, molecular, and microbiological approaches. Masmoudi et al. highlighted the potential of the halotolerant strain Bacillus spizizenii FMH45 as a sustainable biofertilizer to enhance cherry tomato growth under hydroponic cultivation using saline groundwater. The study demonstrated that FMH45 significantly enhanced plant physiological performance, including shoot elongation, increased leaf chlorophyll content and improved both flower number and fruit yield. The biofertilizer also promoted microbial colonization in plant tissues and effectively prevented salt infiltration, while enhancing antioxidant defenses mechanisms by reducing lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species. These findings underscore the FMH45 ability to mitigate salinity stress, reducing reliance on environmentally damaging desalinated water. Further, among available approaches, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are one of the most effective strategies for reducing plant stress. Hajji Hedfi et al. investigated the role of native rhizospheric bacterial strains in promoting grapevine growth and providing biocontrol against Botrytis cinerea, the causative agent of gray mold. Soil samples from several grapevine sites in Tunisia's Sidi Bouzid region yielded 107 bacterial isolates, 97 of which were non-pathogenic and tested for plant growth-promoting traits. Four isolates, Arthrobacter globiformis (H3Rh1), Priestia megaterium (ZRh5), Bacillus cabrialesii (GRh5), and Bacillus mojavensis (SRh2), exhibited strong antifungal activity in detached leaf assays. Such strains also exhibited multiple beneficial traits, including nitrogen fixation, phosphate and potassium solubilization, enzyme production (catalase, pectinase, cellulase, chitinase), indole-3-acetic acid synthesis, and siderophore production. These findings provide a foundation for developing microbial-based products for viticulture and underscore the importance of integrating plant growth-promoting microbes into comprehensive crop management systems. Likewise, Studies on beneficial bacteria and their enzymes that enhance nutrient uptake are vital for sustainable plant growth and reducing chemical fertilizer use. Phytase-producing rhizospheric bacteria (PGPR) play a crucial role by synthesizing enzymes that hydrolyze phytic acid, releasing bioavailable phosphorus and enhancing nutrient uptake. For instance, El Ifa et al. demonstrated that phytase-producing PGPR improve plant growth and mobilize soil-bound organic phosphorus. They provide a sustainable alternative to conventional phosphorus fertilizers, by improving soil fertility, and boosting cereal production in nutrient-deficient soils. This highlights the broader potential of microbial enzymes in promoting eco-friendly and resilient agricultural systems. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has also emerged as a key strategy to enhance plant nutrient uptake, such as phosphorus, and improve resilience to environmental stresses. AMF form symbiotic associations with plant roots, extending hyphal networks that facilitate water and nutrient absorption, thereby promoting growth and productivity. In this context, Liu et al. demonstrated that inoculating potato seedlings with AMF significantly increased mycorrhizal colonization, phosphorus accumulation, and phosphorus fertilizer use efficiency, resulting in enhanced plant growth and yield. These findings illustrate the broader potential of AMF to reduce reliance dependence on chemical phosphorus fertilizers and support sustainable crop production. Future research should explore field-level applications and cross-crop effectiveness in diverse agricultural systems.While beneficial microorganisms enhance nutrient uptake and stress tolerance, sustainable soil management is vital to optimize nutrients, improve soil quality and promote carbon sequestration for long-term productivity. Among these strategies, organic amendments, biochar, and integrated nutrient management have received increasing attention. Thus, considering the second thematic area, three studies included in this Research Topic highlighted the potential of biochar, organic fertilizers and amendments, to enhance nutrient use efficiency, boost crop yields, and reduce dependence on chemical inputs. In particular, the study by Wang et al. investigated co-applying organic fertilizer and zeolite (ZOF) to enhance maize yield and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in sandy loam soils of the North China Plain. Over a three-year period, the experiment compared five fertilizer treatments and found that combining organic fertilizer with zeolite increased maize yield by up to 23.6% compared to synthetic fertilizer. This result suggests better soil nutrient availability, microbial biomass and enzyme activity. Zeolite-organic fertilizer significantly reduces nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and overall GHG intensity, likely due to lower soil ammonium and nitrate levels that enhanced nitrogen cycling. This study provides evidence that integrated organic-mineral amendments can maintain high productivity while offering significant environmental benefits. Another study, by He et al., addressed the critical challenge of low phosphorus availability in acidic soils, which limits crop productivity and contributes to eutrophication. This research focused on two contrasting soil types from South China, a high-phosphorus paddy soil and a lowphosphorus lateritic red soil. Results showed that biochar increased calcium-bound phosphorus by up to 30%, enhanced available phosphorus by 20% in lateritic soils, and improved alkaline phosphatase activity by 18%, while reducing water-soluble phosphorus by 25%, indicating better retention and reduced leaching. These findings indicate the role of biochar in regulating phosphorus dynamics and providing a sustainable option for agriculture in similar soils.Likewise, the work of Qi et al. highlighted the potential of biochar and related soil amendments to optimize nutrient management and improve environmental outcomes in nutrient-limited soils. By applying varying rates of biochar to two typical acidic soils of South China, the authors observed significant enhancements in phosphorus availability, phosphatase enzyme activity, and microbial phosphorus content, particularly in phosphorus-deficient red soil.Building on the strategies explored in the two first themes, the third thematic area highlights the role of adaptive cropping systems and integrated agronomic practices in enhancing crop productivity under challenging environmental conditions. The study by Sultonov et al. showed that combining moderate NPK soil fertilization with targeted foliar nutrition significantly increased winter wheat grain yield by 21.2% in irrigated arid lands, while optimizing grain quality and reducing excessive chemical inputs. This approach demonstrates the synergistic potential of integrating soil and foliar nutrient management to sustain crop productivity in nutrient-limited and arid environments. In addition to nutrient management strategies, conservation tillage practices play a pivotal role in enhancing soil health and crop productivity in arid environments. The study of Nurbekov et al. evaluated the effects of conservation tillage on winter wheat followed by soybean under a conventionally irrigated arid system. Four land management practices were tested including conventional tillage, reduced tillage, and no-tillage. This study makes a meaningful contribution by demonstrating the synergistic benefits of no-tillage and legume-based rotation in maintaining soil fertility and productivity in resource-limited arid ecosystems. It underscores the potential of conservation tillage as a cornerstone of climate-smart agriculture. However, future work should integrate biological and socio-economic factors to strengthen the general understanding of system sustainability.Crop resilience depends not only on managing abiotic stresses but also on controlling biotic threats such as plant pathogens. For sustainable agriculture, it is essential to understand the transmission mechanisms and pathways of infectious and parasitic pathogens to inform effective disease management strategies. Dorokov et al. advanced this goal by developing a quantitative methodology to assess biological risks from potato diseases based on pathogen transmission and contagion pathways. Using a point-rating system and modern optical detection techniques, the framework enables accurate diagnostics, real-time monitoring, and timely disease forecasting. This integrated approach enhances sustainable potato production, reduces chemical use and strengthens overall crop resilience in adaptive agronomic systems.Overall, this Research Topic highlights different strategies to enhance soil and crop resilience under climate-driven salinization, degradation, and nutrient limitations. Beneficial microbes, soil amendments, and biochar improve nutrient availability, soil fertility, and stress tolerance, while adaptive cropping systems, including integrated fertilization, conservation tillage, and pathogen monitoring, can maintain productivity under harsh conditions. Key challenges remain in scaling these approaches across diverse agroecosystems. Future research should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, engaging agronomists, soil scientists, and economists, while developing AI-based tools for prediction and risk assessment. Such integrated efforts will enhance crop resilience and support sustainable, climate-adaptive agricultural systems.