Rice Growth in the Shadow of Global Warming: Microbes Shed Light on Alleviating Its Heat Stress

The increasing severity of global climate change has led to more frequent extreme high-temperature events, significantly damaging rice yield and quality, thus posing a threat to global food security. Research indicates that plant-microbe interactions can enhance plant growth and overall health under adverse conditions. Therefore, this review aims to explore strategies to improve rice heat tolerance through thermophilic microorganism mediation. This paper systematically summarises the effects of heat stress on both the aboveground and underground parts of rice during its growth stages, identifies the molecular mechanisms by which rice responds to heat stress, and explores the potential roles of microorganisms. Additionally, we review existing studies on microorganisms that alleviate plant heat stress and their mechanisms of action. Through case studies, we explore how microorganisms enhance rice survival in high-temperature environments by regulating its growth and development, along with their potential applications in sustainable agriculture. In the future, environmentally friendly and efficient microbial inoculants and biofertilizers are expected to be developed based on microbe-mediated plant heat tolerance mechanisms, which will help mitigate the heat stress challenges crops face under global climate change.