Abstract: The area of saline-alkali land is approximately 1×10⁸ hm² in China, of which about 0.37×10⁸ hm² can be utilized. Saline-alkali land is an important cultivated land reserve resource, with huge potential for development and utilization. Planting rice is an effective approach to utilize saline-alkali land. Rice root research is of great significance to explore the potential of saline-alkali paddy land to increase potential production. This paper briefly summarizes the current research status of saline-alkali stress in rice root system, and mainly focuses the effects of saline-alkali stress on root phenotype, stress physiology as well as its impact on yield formation. The prospects for future research are proposed. Overall analysis on stress morphology and physiological mechanism of saline-alkali stress in rice root system from multiple perspectives, clarification of the soil-root-yield interaction mechanism and construction of an ideal root system configuration based on excellent germplasm resources combined with breeding technology, will definitely provide a reference for tapping the potential of saline-alkali land rice to increase yield.