Abstract: Soil salinization is the process of soil degradation, which is affected by climate change and anthropogenic activities. Consequently, the area affected by saline-alkali conditions continues to expand, and restrains agricultural productivity in these regions. Straw application can ameliorate soil salinity and alkali stress, and thus improve soil fertility and increase crop yield. However, the effective methods of straw application and the underlying mechanisms are still not unclear, which hinders our understanding of the amelioration to the saline-alkali soils. By reviewing previous studies of straw application in improving saline-alkali soil, thispaper systematically summarizes the influences of straw application on the physical structure, nutrient content, and microbial community structure in saline-alkali soil, reveals the internal mechanism of alleviation of soil saline alkali stress with straw application, which could provide a theoretical foundation for the systematic amelioration of saline-alkalinity soil with straw application.