Salt stress in wheat: A physiological and genetic perspective
Shams ur Rehman, Jinwei Yang, Jing Zhang, Lijun Zhang, Xiaohua Hao, Rui Song, Shisheng Chen, Guiping Wang, Lei Hua
Abstract
• Salt stress significantly hinders the growth, development and yield of wheat by interfering with important physiological processes such as germination, root and shoot growth and nutrient uptake. • Wheat plants have developed various strategies to resist salt stress, such as maintaining ion homeostasis, osmotic adjustment and activation of antioxidant defense mechanisms. These responses are based on a complex interplay of genes and proteins. • Traditional breeding, molecular breeding and genetic engineering offer promising opportunities to develop salt-tolerant wheat varieties. Techniques such as marker-assisted selection and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing can be used to precisely introduce useful genes. • To mitigate the negative effects of salt stress on wheat production, a comprehensive approach combining genetic improvements, agronomic practices and a deeper understanding of the underlying stress tolerance mechanisms is needed. Salt stress pose a significant abiotic challenge affecting wheat production globally, posing a threat to food security. Despite the inherent physiological and biochemical mechanisms in salinity-tolerant plants, progress in developing resilient, widely accessible wheat cultivars remains limited due to genetic complexity, environmental variability and resource constraints. The aim of this review is to present a thorough and original synthesis of the current state-of-knowledge on the physiological, biochemical and genetic factors behind wheat resistance to salt stress. Through an analysis of current developments in genetic engineering, molecular breeding, and conventional breeding, we identify promising approaches to improve wheat resistance to salt stress. Moving forward, the application of cutting-edge genomic techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 and genomic selection to precisely target and modify genes involved in salt tolerance are discussed. Finally, we highlight research gaps and suggest future directions for improving wheat resilience to salinity. Researchers, agronomists and policy makers seeking to enhance wheat production and sustainable farming under salt stress circumstances might benefit greatly from this review.