BackgroundOne significant challenge to food security is the expansion of salt-affected soils. Current soil recovery methods are technically or economically unfeasible in extensive arid regions. Phytoremediation, the use of plants to rehabilitate contaminated environments, is a promising, low-cost alternative. This study aimed at enhancing the growth and biomass accumulation of the halophyte Atriplex nummularia through inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria.MethodsAn integrated approach to select endophytic bacteria was used, combining culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. Over 700 bacterial strains were isolated and screened for plant growth-promoting traits such as phosphate solubilization, indolic acid production, nitrogen fixation and stress alleviation. Then, root and leaf bacterial consortia were formulated to enhance plant growth and phytoremediation efficiency. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to assess the impact of these consortia on A. nummularia seedlings in saline soil conditions for 120 days. The design included four treatments: control (no inoculation), root inoculation, leaf inoculation, and combined root and leaf inoculation.ResultsResults showed that bacterial inoculation significantly improved plant growth and biomass yield. Leaf-inoculated plants showed enhanced sodium removal from the soil, indicating improved soil conditions. Endophytic bacteriome analysis revealed that inoculation slightly altered the bacterial community composition in both roots and leaves. These changes were most pronounced in the combined inoculation treatment, suggesting a cooperative interaction between root and foliar bacteria, affecting the plant bacteriome.ConclusionThis study highlights the potential of using plant growth-promoting bacteria to enhance the phytoremediation capabilities of A. nummularia, offering an improved strategy for the sustainable management of saline soils.