Fig. 1

Overview of salinity effects on roots of woody plants. Salinity generates a regulation and compartmentalization of ions, production of compatible solutes, specific proteins and metabolites at the rizhosphere level. The plant-microbial interactions promote some physiological and molecular responses by microbial elicitors, such as reactive oxygen species scavengers (i.e., catalases, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase), hormone-related compounds (i.e., abscisic acid, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, cytokinins, zeatin, gibberellic acid). On the other hand, roots exude mainly carbohydrates, amino acids, and other organic acids that are used by microbial communities for its development. In the plant, a group of transcription factors play regulatory roles of these salinity responses, activating metabolic and molecular networks for the salt tolerance. Therefore, understanding metabolic pathways and molecular networks are key players to establish strategies to improve the salt-tolerance in plant species. AMF, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; PGPR, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria