Genomic and modern biotechnological strategies for enhancing salt tolerance in crops

Abstract

Extreme climate change and rapid population growth present significant challenges to global food security. Among these challenges, salt stress is a critical abiotic factor adversely affecting agricultural productivity worldwide. Plants respond to salinity through mechanisms such as ion homeostasis, osmoregulation, activation of antioxidant defense systems, and phytohormone signaling, all of which serve to mitigate ion toxicity and osmotic stress. Despite ongoing efforts, advancements in the breeding and rigorous selection of salt-tolerant crops have been limited. Furthermore, the full potential of genetic diversity found in crop landraces and their wild relatives remains largely unexplored. Investigating novel genes from wild relatives of crops presents a promising opportunity to identify superior salt-tolerant haplotypes. Genomic and molecular approaches for precision breeding are well-positioned to expedite the development of salt-tolerant cultivars. Consequently, this review aims to investigate novel salt-tolerant genes and the application of modern biotechnological tools to enhance salinity tolerance in crops.