This review explores beneficial plant-microbe interactions and stress tolerance in maize, highlighting the role of beneficial microbes in improving crop growth and resilience under various stresses. Maize, a major staple and industrial crop, faces significant challenges from abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heat, as well as biotic stresses from pests and diseases. Beneficial microbes, including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, play a crucial role in enhancing maize's ability to withstand these stresses. These microbes improve nutrient uptake, enhance plant immune responses, and help plants tolerate environmental stresses by regulating electron transport, downregulating catalase, and upregulating antioxidants. The review also discusses the application of these microbes in maize production and identifies key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to fully utilize their potential. The mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance in maize include osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense systems, and the regulation of plant hormones. For biotic stress, beneficial microbes can induce systemic resistance, enhancing plant defense against pathogens. The integration of stress-tolerant microbes into agricultural practices offers a promising strategy for improving maize yield and sustainability. Future research should focus on understanding the diversity and functions of beneficial microbes in the maize rhizosphere, as well as the long-term effects of microbial inoculation on soil health and crop productivity.This review explores beneficial plant-microbe interactions and stress tolerance in maize, highlighting the role of beneficial microbes in improving crop growth and resilience under various stresses. Maize, a major staple and industrial crop, faces significant challenges from abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heat, as well as biotic stresses from pests and diseases. Beneficial microbes, including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, play a crucial role in enhancing maize's ability to withstand these stresses. These microbes improve nutrient uptake, enhance plant immune responses, and help plants tolerate environmental stresses by regulating electron transport, downregulating catalase, and upregulating antioxidants. The review also discusses the application of these microbes in maize production and identifies key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to fully utilize their potential. The mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance in maize include osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense systems, and the regulation of plant hormones. For biotic stress, beneficial microbes can induce systemic resistance, enhancing plant defense against pathogens. The integration of stress-tolerant microbes into agricultural practices offers a promising strategy for improving maize yield and sustainability. Future research should focus on understanding the diversity and functions of beneficial microbes in the maize rhizosphere, as well as the long-term effects of microbial inoculation on soil health and crop productivity.