Hydrogel-encapsulated microalgae-bacteria consortia for resilient saline agriculture

Soil salinization has emerged as a critical abiotic stressor threatening global food security, with salt-affected areas now exceeding 1.381 billion hectares. Although microbial inoculants represent a sustainable remediation alternative, their field performance is consistently limited by poor survival rates and community collapse under saline stress. This review proposes a spatially and functionally structured bio-strategy based on hydrogel encapsulated microalgae-bacteria consortia (MBC) for the restoration of saline-alkali soils. We mechanistically analyze how rationally designed hydrogel scaffolds serve as modular microhabitats that provide not only physical protection but also niche differentiation and metabolic facilitation for the co-cultured organisms. By integrating the complementary functions of microalgae and bacteria within a protective matrix, this approach significantly enhances cross-kingdom synergies, crop salt tolerance, and soil structural stability. The hydrogel-MBC framework thus establishes a designable and scalable platform for enhancing ecological resilience in degraded agricultural ecosystems.