Background and aims <p>Burying crop straw into the soil as a capillary barrier represents an effective approach for amelioration of coastal saline soils. However, there are still insufficient studies thoroughly evaluating the effects of buried straw layer on saline soil quality, with a particular paucity of studies on the dynamic stability of rhizosphere microbial networks.</p> Methods <p>The relationship of rhizosphere microbial communities to plant productivity and quality was explored in coastal saline soil amended with straw (0&#xa0;cm, 5&#xa0;cm, 10&#xa0;cm thick). Dynamic disturbances of microbial co-occurrence networks were simulated to assess network stability and resilience.</p> Results <p>Straw application reduced the cumulative phreatic evaporation, resulting in lower soil salinity in the root zone. This was accompanied by distinct microbial community variations, with increased abundances of beneficial taxa (e.g., actinomycetes, plant growth-promoting microbes) and decreased abundances of potential pathogens. Partial least squares path modeling revealed that straw application enhanced soil nutrient cycling and supply by directly increasing microbial diversity and indirectly heightening network complexity, which culminated in improved plant productivity and quality. Notably, the plant productivity and quality index was elevated 5.5-fold under high straw application. Although high straw application considerably modified soil quality, low straw application boosted fungal network stability. The fungal network showed compromised dynamic stability and poor resilience under high straw application, especially when subjected to external disturbances.</p> Conclusion <p>This study uncovers the ecological effects of straw application in coastal saline soil, emphasizing the distinct responses of rhizosphere microbial networks to straw layer thickness.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>