Recent advances in the genetic dissection and breeding of salt-alkaline tolerance in wheat

Abstract Saline-alkaline soils severely constrain wheat production and have become a major threat to food security, especially in regions experiencing secondary salinization and climate change. As a glycophytic crop, wheat is highly sensitive to excessive salt and alkaline stresses, which disrupt ion balance, osmotic homeostasis, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, ultimately reducing plant growth, yield, and grain quality. Over the past decade, rapid advances in genome-wide association studies, quantitative trait locus mapping, and multi-omics technologies have greatly improved our understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of salt tolerance in wheat. Research on alkaline tolerance has received increasing attention and has provided initial insights into alkaline stress adaptation in wheat, although its genetic basis remains less well characterized than that of salt tolerance. Meanwhile, modern breeding approaches such as marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing provide promising tools for improving wheat salt-alkaline tolerance. Here, we summarize recent progress in the functional genes, molecular mechanisms, and breeding strategies associated with salt and alkaline tolerance in wheat, and further discuss current limitations and emerging research directions, including the integration of multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence-assisted phenotyping, and precision breeding. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of salt-alkaline stress adaptation and offers valuable insights into improving wheat productivity on saline-alkaline soils.