Are We Chasing a Wild Goose? Rethinking Breeding Targets for Salinity Stress Tolerance in Rice

Salinity stress has become an increasingly critical challenge for agricultural production, especially for rice, a staple crop that feeds over 50% of the world population but is extremely sensitive to salt stress. In this study, ten rice genotypes were treated with three salinity levels (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) to investigate the effects of salt stress on rice, and this data was then used to build regression models that describe plant growth responses as a function of stomatal conductance (Gs), chlorophyll content (SPAD), and shoot K⁺ and Na⁺ contents-parameters that can be used for high-throughput screening of rice plants for salinity stress tolerance. In silico modeling results showed that the best model for predicting shoot dry weight (SDW) was based on Gs, SPAD, and shoot K⁺ content, while shoot Na⁺ content had no significant influence on biomass accumulation. These findings challenge the traditional focus on Na⁺ exclusion from the shoot as a breeding target and suggest that enhancing K⁺ retention and optimizing stomatal development and operation may be a more effective strategy for improving rice growth under salinity. Overall, this study highlights the need to reconsider key genetic targets involved in the regulation of Gs, K⁺ homeostasis, and chlorophyll maintenance to better face the challenges caused by salinity in future climate scenarios.