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Salt Tolerance in Plants: Genetic Mechanisms, Germplasm Screening, Cultivation Measures...
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Salt Tolerance in Plants: Genetic Mechanisms, Germplasm Screening, Cultivation Measures and Rehabilitation of Saline-Alkali Lands

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 2434

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chengming Fan

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: crop architecture improvement; crop oil metabolism; interaction of plant and microbile
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Changjun Ding

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Guest Editor
Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Interests: drought and salt tolerance in poplar; heterosis; genetic mechanisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Changsong Zou

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Guest Editor
School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
Interests: crop genetics & development; plant biotechnology; genome evolution
Dr. Shuansuo Wang

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Guest Editor
Shanxi HouJi Laboratory, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030000, China
Interests: plant type improvement; interaction of water and nitrogen use efficiency; plant stress tolerance
Dr. Helin Tan

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Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Interests: oil metabolism and genetics; plant stress tolerance; saline soil improvement; biotechnology
Dr. Jinwu Deng

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Guest Editor
Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
Interests: crop breeding; drought and salt-alkali tolerance; plant development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that lead to significant economic losses worldwide. In order to meet the growing food demand due to population growth, the development and utilization of saline-alkali land resources is an effective way to ensure the area of arable land. Screening salt-alkali tolerant plant germplasm resources, exploring their genetic mechanisms and taking corresponding cultivation measures are the main ways to improve plant salt tolerance.

This topic highlights the genetic underpinnings of salt tolerance in plants, methods for identifying salt-tolerant species, and strategies for effectively managing saline-alkali lands to enhance agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. We welcome contributions covering the following topics:

  • Understanding Genetic Basis of Salt Tolerance: Exploring the genetic pathways and mechanisms that enable plants to tolerate high salt concentrations. Focus on key genes involved in osmotic regulation, ion transport, and stress responses.
  • Screening and Selection of Salt-Tolerant Plants: Methods and techniques for identifying and selecting plant species and varieties that exhibit salt tolerance. Discussing physiological screening, molecular markers, and bioinformatics tools used in screening processes.
  • Improvement Strategies for Saline-Alkali Lands: Sustainable approaches for rehabilitating saline-alkali lands, including soil improvement, water management, and agronomic practices tailored to saline conditions.

Dr. Chengming Fan
Dr. Changjun Ding
Prof. Dr. Changsong Zou
Dr. Shuansuo Wang
Dr. Helin Tan
Dr. Jinwu Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • salinity
  • molecular mechanisms
  • climate change
  • gene function analysis
  • salt tolerance
  • QTL mapping

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3850 KiB  
Article
Effects of Salinity Stress on Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and Its Wild Relatives: Morpho-Physiological Insights at the Seedling Stage
by Khawla Aloui, Outmane Bouhlal, Hasnae Choukri, Priyanka Gupta, Keltoum El Bouhmadi, Noureddine El Haddad, Khadija El Bargui, Fouad Maalouf and Shiv Kumar
Plants 2025, 14(11), 1666; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14111666 - 30 May 2025
Abstract
Salinity is a critical abiotic stress influencing plant growth. However, its effect on grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) remains insufficiently explored. The present study screened 24 germplasm accessions representing 11 Lathyrus species at the seedling stage at 0, 100, and 150 mM NaCl [...] Read more.
Salinity is a critical abiotic stress influencing plant growth. However, its effect on grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) remains insufficiently explored. The present study screened 24 germplasm accessions representing 11 Lathyrus species at the seedling stage at 0, 100, and 150 mM NaCl concentrations using a hydroponic system. Our findings indicated that salt stress had a significant effect on all assessed traits, including a reduction in relative leaf water content and SPAD index, a decline in the length and biomass of shoots and roots, and an elevation in their corresponding dry contents. The grasspea accessions displayed a wide range of responses to salt stress. This variation allowed the identification of nine tolerant accessions at both stress levels, belonging to cultivated and wild relative species, specifically LAT 495, IG 65117, L.OCH, IG 65273, IG 64931, IG 114526, IG 64892, IG 66065, and IG 65018. Four accessions, namely IG 110632, IG 114531, IG 65133, and IG 66026, demonstrated tolerance only at 100 mM NaCl concentration. Through identifying these promising accessions, our research offers crucial insights for the initial screening of tolerant genotypes in grasspea, setting the stage for further studies to decipher the intricate mechanisms of salinity tolerance in these accessions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt Tolerance in Plants: Genetic Mechanisms, Germplasm Screening, Cultivation Measures and Rehabilitation of Saline-Alkali Lands)
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26 pages, 7839 KiB  
Article
Water Use Enhancement and Root Function Compensatory Regulation of Biomass Accumulation in Quinoa Under Salt Stress by Photosynthetic Drive Advantage
by Hao Xu, Lingzheng Feng, Jia Hao, Yongkun Zhang and Runjie Li
Plants 2025, 14(11), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14111615 - 25 May 2025
Viewed by 208
Abstract
Water and salt stress significantly impact the accumulation of crop biomass (TB); however, the relative contributions of photosynthetic, physiological, and morphological factors remain poorly understood. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the effects of water and salt stress on crop growth physiology and [...] Read more.
Water and salt stress significantly impact the accumulation of crop biomass (TB); however, the relative contributions of photosynthetic, physiological, and morphological factors remain poorly understood. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the effects of water and salt stress on crop growth physiology and identify the primary factors influencing biomass accumulation. We examined four quinoa varieties (Qingli No.1, Qingli No.8, Gongza No.4, and Black quinoa) under four salinity levels (s0: 0 mmol/L, s1: 100 mmol/L, s2: 200 mmol/L, and s3: 300 mmol/L) and two moisture levels (w1: 30% field capacity (FC), w2: 80% FC). Using principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis, we constructed a random forest model (RF) and a partial least-squares path modeling (PLS-PM) framework to elucidate the effects of water and salt stress on quinoa growth physiology and clarify the adaptive mechanisms of quinoa under varying salinity conditions. The results indicate that (1) salinity has a more substantial regulatory effect on the accumulation of proline (Pro) and sodium ions (Na+) than water availability. Under conditions of adequate moisture (w2), the activity of antioxidant enzymes increased in response to mild salinity stress (s1). However, with escalating salinity levels, a significant decrease in enzyme activity was observed (p < 0.05). (2) PCA identified salinity as a key factor significantly influencing physiological changes in quinoa growth. The RF model indicated that, under severe salinity conditions (s3), intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) emerged as a critical driver affecting biomass (TB) accumulation. (3) The PLS-PM model quantified the relative contribution rates of various factors to total biomass (TB). It revealed that, as salinity increased, the path coefficients of photosynthetic factors also rose, but their relative contribution diminished due to a corresponding reduction in the contribution of morphological factors. These findings offer a theoretical foundation and decision-making support for the integrated management of water–salt conditions in saline–alkali agricultural fields, as well as for the cultivation of salt-tolerant crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt Tolerance in Plants: Genetic Mechanisms, Germplasm Screening, Cultivation Measures and Rehabilitation of Saline-Alkali Lands)
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21 pages, 489 KiB  
Article
Inheritance of Some Salt Tolerance-Related Traits in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at the Seedling Stage: A Study of Combining Ability
by Toka Hadji, Mouad Boulacel, Awatef Ghennai, Maroua Hadji, Fethi Farouk Kebaili, Chermen V. Khugaev, Olga D. Kucher, Aleksandra O. Utkina, Alena P. Konovalova and Nazih Y. Rebouh
Plants 2025, 14(6), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060911 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 550
Abstract
The worldwide rise in soil salinization is among the most critical consequences of climate change, posing a significant threat to food security. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a staple crop of paramount importance worldwide, encounters significant production limitations due to abiotic stressors, particularly [...] Read more.
The worldwide rise in soil salinization is among the most critical consequences of climate change, posing a significant threat to food security. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a staple crop of paramount importance worldwide, encounters significant production limitations due to abiotic stressors, particularly salinity. Consequently, the development and cultivation of salt-tolerant wheat genotypes have emerged as an essential strategy to sustain agricultural productivity and safeguard global food security. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of salinity (150 mM) on the performance and combining ability of 10 hybrid combinations (F2) and their parents that were obtained through a line × tester mating design at the seedling stage. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits were assessed under both control and salt-stress conditions. Among the assessed traits, SFW emerged as the strongest predictor of salt tolerance, demonstrating the highest correlation with MFVS and the greatest contribution in the regression model. The results highlighted distinct responses among the studied genotypes. Hybrid H5 demonstrated particular promise, surpassing the performance of the superior parent for Na+, K+, K+/Na+ and proline (Pro). Furthermore, tester T1 emerged as a good combiner for proline (Pro), total soluble sugars content (Sug), chlorophyll content (Chl) and root length (RL) under saline conditions. In contrast, under control conditions, line L1 and testers T2, T3, and T5 exhibited superior performance, demonstrating significant general combining ability (GCA) effects for four traits simultaneously. Hybrid H4 emerged as outstanding under salt stress, exhibiting favorable specific combining ability (SCA) effects for Na+, K+/Na+ ratio, root length (RL), relative water content (RWC), and total soluble sugars content (Sug). Under normal conditions, hybrids H7 and H10 exhibited significantly superior performance across three traits simultaneously. Non-additive genetic effects predominantly influenced the studied traits under both conditions. The parental and hybrid combinations show promise for incorporation into breeding programs designed to improve salt tolerance under the specific conditions studied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt Tolerance in Plants: Genetic Mechanisms, Germplasm Screening, Cultivation Measures and Rehabilitation of Saline-Alkali Lands)
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21 pages, 1055 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Moringa Leaf Extracts on Drought Tolerance and Productivity of Cucurbita pepo L. Under Saline Conditions
by Abdelsattar Abdelkhalik, Mohammed A. H. Gyushi, Saad M. Howladar, Abeer M. Kutby, Nouf A. Asiri, Areej A. Baeshen, Aziza M. Nahari, Hameed Alsamadany and Wael M. Semida
Plants 2025, 14(4), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040544 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 825
Abstract
This study investigated the combined effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (Nano-Zn) and moringa leaf extract (MLE) on squash plants grown under water stress conditions in saline soil during 2021–2022. The research compared full irrigation (100% ETc) with water deficit conditions (60% ETc). While [...] Read more.
This study investigated the combined effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (Nano-Zn) and moringa leaf extract (MLE) on squash plants grown under water stress conditions in saline soil during 2021–2022. The research compared full irrigation (100% ETc) with water deficit conditions (60% ETc). While water deficit negatively impacted plant growth, yield, and various physiological parameters, the sequential application of Nano-Zn (at 50 or 100 mg L−1) with MLE (3%) significantly mitigated these adverse effects. The combined treatment proved more effective than individual applications, enhancing growth parameters, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant systems. The treatment particularly improved stress tolerance by increasing protective compounds like soluble sugars and amino acids while reducing harmful H2O2 levels. The study concluded that sequential application of 100 mg L−1 Nano-Zn with MLE was optimal for enhancing squash performance under drought stress, with 50 mg L−1 Nano-Zn plus MLE as the second-best option. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt Tolerance in Plants: Genetic Mechanisms, Germplasm Screening, Cultivation Measures and Rehabilitation of Saline-Alkali Lands)
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