Crop Response to Soil and Water Salinity

Dear Colleagues,

The expected impacts of climate change include soil and water salinization with negative effects on crop production and the environment. Moreover, the demand for food will only grow in the coming decades, spurring the cultivation of marginal areas affected by primary or secondary salinity. In this context, though much has already been done, and a lot of knowledge on the subject has been accumulated, it is urgent to continue to improve our knowledge on plant responses to soil water and salinity stress. 

Saline water modifies soil physical properties, e.g., soil structure and total porosity. These changes modify hydraulic conductivity, thus affecting water movement and soil water retention. Soils affected by salinity undergo a reduction in total porosity with a loss of larger pores and an increase in smaller pores. The modification of the soil physical properties plays a crucial role in soil management under irrigation and in general in hydrological soil behavior (drainage, leaching). Saline water tends to modify soil water retention in such a way that saline soils tend to retain more water than not saline soils. This implies different timing and amounts of irrigation for the two soils. A suitable irrigation schedule can be designed by taking into account expected soil water content, crop sensitivity, and available irrigation water to avoid the increase of osmotic potential, i.e., salinity stress. 

Under salinity stress, plants respond with a decrease in crop production as a consequence of adverse effects on germination, growth, and reproduction. In some species, a decrease in marketable yield is balanced to some extent by a better quality of fruits. Plants activate physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms under salinity stress to cope with salt stress. Some agronomic practices can mitigate salinity stress, such as through leaching, the use of salt-tolerant plants or genotypes, improved irrigation management, use of mulching to mitigate soil evaporation, and control of water osmotic effects. 

On the other hand, it is known that in saline environments, native plants may resist higher salinity and offer alternate uses or support the conservation of vegetation cover, which is particularly important in such fragile areas. Furthermore, the rhizosphere of these plants is adapted to tolerate higher levels of salinity, i.e., the microbiome might be applied as a tool to augment plant performance and growth in a stressful environment. The study of the interaction of roots with associated soil micro-organisms under salinity stress is a topic attracting increasing interest. 

In order to mitigate the impact of soil and water salinity on crop production and on the fragile environment, it is crucial to shift toward sustainable agriculture by combining the preservation of fragile ecosystems with the development of multipurpose crops, where high yield is not the primary aim. This goal can be achieved with the help of profound knowledge regarding soil–plant–micro-organism–atmosphere interactions and the use of eco-friendly agronomic practices.

This Special Issue will accept reviews and full and short research papers within a broad range of interdisciplinary research concerning the sustainability of saline lands and including irrigation management with a focus on using both fresh and poor-quality water. Potential use of alternative crops, e.g., halophytes and multifunctional crops, to better cope with saline environments and soil manipulation to mitigate the salinity impact on crop production are also topics of interest. Studies on soil-improving cropping systems in saline environments, where more aspects are considered, as well as interactions of multiple interventions on the soil–crop system are likewise topics of interest.

Dr. Anna Tedeschi
Dr. Xian Xue
Guest Editors

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