An overview on salt-induced physiological changes, molecular mechanism of salinity tolerance and application strategies for its management in rice

Low yields of crops, especially rice, are caused by climate change and environmental stress concerns such as drought, temperature fluctuations, and salinity in arid and semi-arid locations around the globe. Rice is one of the essential crops for human consumption and one of the most commonly farmed cereals on the planet earth, but its growth is severely retarded by excessive salt, which influences rice development and production, leading to economic loss. Salt stress induces osmotic stress and ionic toxicity in rice by altering the environment, leading to water deprivation and accumulation of toxic ions, thereby triggering specific physiological and molecular responses in the rice plants. Many factors may affect rice production and cereal quality via its interaction with salinity. This review focuses on some influential factors (photosynthesis, osmosis, micro and macronutrients, microbial flora, rice growth, development, and genes) that may reduce rice production in saline soils. The review also describes the responsive mechanism of rice to salinity and the genetic susceptibility of rice. In light of the challenges posed by the growing global population and limited agricultural land, it is imperative to consider the influential factors discussed in this review, along with genetic susceptibility to improve rice production in terms of quantity and quality under saline soil conditions.