SALINITY TOLERANCE IN WHEAT: RESPONSES, MECHANISMS AND ADAPTATION APPROACHES

Soil salinity is one of the most devastating environmental stresses, causing a significant reduction in cultivable land worldwide. Salinity restricts the growth, development, and yield of plants. In response to salinity, plants alter their morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular responses. Under salt stress, plants, including wheat, employ a variety of morpho-physiological, biochemical, and metabolic changes at the cellular, tissue, and whole-plant levels to survive. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of salinity tolerance in wheat, there are still challenges in bridging the gap between yields in favorable environments and under salt stress conditions. Salt tolerance is a polygenic trait controlled by multiple genes making it difficult to comprehend. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of different mechanisms of salinity tolerance, as well as the identification and isolation of novel genes using diverse wheat germplasm, is essential for developing robust salt-tolerant wheat varieties. Recently, advanced approaches have been reported for salinity mitigation in wheat to optimize production. This article summarizes the current understanding of salt stress response in wheat plants, different approaches to management (use of salinity tolerant lines/varieties, seed or seedling priming, application of exogenous protectants etc.), and strategies for developing climate-smart crops.