SALINITY STRESS IN CULTIVATED PLANTS: TOXIC IMPACTS, TOLERANCE MECHANISMS AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES

Salinity stress is an ever-present threat to crop productivity and its extent is continuously increasing due to climate change and anthropogenic activities.The accumulation of excessive concentration of salts disturbs photosynthesis, and hormonal balance and causes nutrient imbalance, ionic toxicity, and osmotic stress which in turn reduce the final yield and quality.Further, excessive concentrations of salts also induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that damages the cellular membranes, proteins, lipids, and photosynthetic apparatus and cause a reduction in the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments.Therefore, it is mandatory to develop the appropriate measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of salinity tolerance in plants.The development of salt-tolerant crops, exogenous application of hormones and osmoprotectants, nutrient application, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), biochar and nano-particles can help to mitigate the adverse impacts of salinity on plants.In the present review, the effects of salt stress on plants, the mechanism of salt tolerance in plants and different strategies that can be used to mitigate adverse effects of salinity are discussed.This review will provide new insights into existing knowledge to ensure better crop production in salt-affected soils.