The purpose of this work is to analyze the research directions on the use of microorgan-isms for mitigating plant stress at salinity. The expansion of the salinized irrigated lands acre-ages, which make up about 11 % of the entire irrigated area in the world, makes it urgent to find new ways to maintain high yields of traditional crops with simultaneous maintaining soil fertility on the basis of an ecological approach. In recent years, the promising direction of re-search in this area is the use of beneficial microorganisms. The use of such useful microorgan-isms as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobacteria that promote plant growth (PGPR bacteria) under the conditions of soil salinity can positively influence the growth and development of plants, as well as improve soil fertility by optimizing the processes of nitrogen fixation, phytohormones production, nodules formation, nutritional elements consumption, si-derophores production and plants protection from pathogens. Besides, substances produced by microorganisms, stabilize the soil macroaggregates and are able to bind sodium cations, making them inaccessible for plants at salinity. In this regard, such research areas as the search for new useful microorganisms, their positive influence on formation of agronomically valua-ble soil structure and plant vital activity, the study of the interaction between various microor-ganisms, the creation of agents containing such useful microorganisms, as well as the devel-opment of activities that support active functioning of these beneficial microorganisms in soil.
Key words: arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, PGPR-bacteria, rhizobacteria, phyto-hormones, polysaccharide biofilms, salinity, salt tolerance.
