Saline and Sodic Soil Reclamation: Recent Advances and Agronomic Implications

Soil salinization and sodification represent critical environmental challenges threatening global agricultural productivity and food security. With approximately 1030 million hectares of land worldwide affected by excessive salt exposure, and projections indicating that nearly 50% of global arable land will be impacted by 2050, the development of effective reclamation strategies has become imperative. This comprehensive review examines recent advances in saline and sodic soil reclamation, focusing on innovative approaches including chemical amendments (gypsum, elemental sulphur), organic amendments (biochar, vermicompost, humic substances), biological interventions (microbial inoculation, phytoremediation with halophytes), and emerging technologies (nanotechnology). Integrated amendment strategies show strong synergistic effects, improving soil health by up to 134% in salt-affected soils. This review synthesizes soil–plant–microbe interactions underlying successful reclamation. It evaluates agronomic outcomes and highlights key research gaps for sustainable. Emphasis is placed on sustainable, cost-effective strategies that enhance soil quality while maintaining crop productivity in salt-affected agroecosystems.