Abstract:Background Soil salinization severely restricts the growth and yield of crops. It is particularly urgent to develop safe and effective measures to reduce soil salinity and improve saline-alkali soil.Objective Plant growth-promoting bacterial strains screened from saline-alkali soil can be used to prepare microbial ameliorants according to their functions, which can improve the soil environment, promote plant growth, and enhance plant stress resistance.Methods Eight strains of plant growth-promoting bacteria were screened from saline-alkali soil. They were evaluated regarding the phosphorus-solubilizing ability, potassium-solubilizing ability, salt tolerance, and effects on the germination of maize seeds and the growth of maize seedlings.Results Strains STF1, STF4, STE6, STG1, STF3, and STF7 belonged to the genus Bacillus; strain STF2 belonged to the genus Priestia; and strain STE10 belonged to the genus Cupriavidus. All the eight strains had phosphorus-solubilizing, potassium-solubilizing, and plant growth-promoting abilities and salt tolerance, and they promoted the germination of maize seeds. Among them, Bacillus STF3 and STG1 had the strongest salt tolerance, and Priestia STF2 had the strongest phosphorus-solubilizing and potassium-solubilizing abilities. The application of bacterial liquids of these strains promoted the germination of maize seeds, and strain STF3 showcased the most significant plant growth-promoting effect. Moreover, the application of microbial agents increased the total fresh weight of maize seedlings, effectively promoting their growth and development. The root surface area and average root diameter of the seedlings treated with strain STF2 significantly increased compared with those of the control. Furthermore, the microbial agents improved the content of nutrients in the soil.Conclusion All the strains screened in this study have plant growth-promoting functions, and microbial agents can be prepared based on their functions to promote plant growth.