Salinity stress effect on staple food crops and novel mitigation strategies

Grains, pulses and oil seeds are vital food crops, around the world and serve as essential sources of healthy nutrients for human well-being. However, their quality and production face significant challenges due to salinity stress posing a formidable threat to conventional agriculture by impeding its growth and development. The economic impact of saline soil on irrigated land is estimated to be $27.3 billion annually, underscoring the severity of the issue. Salinity stress induces profound changes in physiological, molecular, and biochemical processes. While adaptive mechanisms at various levels have been identified, a comprehensive understanding of salinity tolerance in food crops remains elusive. Human activities such as deforestation and poor irrigation management, are major contributors to soil salinity. The socio-economic repercussions include diminished crop yield reduced profit margins, unemployment and declining land value due to soil infertility. Remarkably, a review focusing on salinity tolerance responses and mechanisms in key food crops (barley, oats, rye, pulses and oilseeds) is not present. This review aims to fill this gap by offering a comprehensive overview of plants responses to salinity stress across different levels, unravelling the intricacies of tolerance mechanism. Furthermore, the review delves into biotechnological approaches and strategies employed thus far to enhance salinity tolerance in major food crops.