Agronomic Practices to Enhance Plant Resilience Against Salt Stress
摘要
Soil salinity is a major form of land degradation, characterized by the excessive accumulation of soluble salts such as sodium chloride in the root zone, which adversely affects plant growth and productivity. Globally, salt-affected soils are expanding, now estimated to impact over 1128 million hectares, with South Asia and India bearing a significant share. In India alone, approximately 6.73 million hectares are impacted, threatening agricultural productivity and food security. Salinity interferes with plant physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes, causing oxidative stress, nutrient imbalance, and reduced crop yields—often limited to just 20–50% of their potential. With the projected global population increase to 9.7 billion by 2050, there is an urgent need for resilient agricultural strategies that maintain crop yields under salinity stress while preserving environmental resources. This chapter reviews agronomic solutions for salinity management, including the use of soil amendments, good-quality irrigation water, drainage systems, mulching and surface management, cover crops and cultivation of salt-tolerant crops and crop varieties. These integrated approaches offer sustainable solutions to reclaim salt-affected soils, improve plant resilience, and ensure long-term food and nutritional security in the face of climate change.