Soil salinity is a global issue threatening land productivity, and estimates predict that 50% of all arable land will become impacted by salinity by 2050. Consequently, it is important to have a fundamental understanding of crop response to salinity to minimize economic loss and improve food security. While an immense amount of research has been performed assessing corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] response to salinity, there are few, if any, comprehensive reviews compiling previously published literature. This review provides a detailed description of our current knowledge on the impacts of salinity on corn and soybean growth and development. Both osmotic stress and specific ion toxicities with respect to corn and soybean are addressed. Additionally, potential areas of future research are recommended.Core Ideas Review of salinity's effects on corn and soybean growth and development. Impacts of osmotic stress and specific ion toxicities discussed. Potential areas of future research addressed.

Corn and soybean yield were assessed across natural gradients of soil salinity in sandy loam and silty clay loam soils in the Northern Great Plains. Corn and soybean seeded to sandy loam soil demonstrated significant yield declines, with salinity tolerance indices of 9.68 and 7.04, respectively. Corn and soybean seeded to silty clay loam soil demonstrated no significant yield declines. Results demonstrate that corn and soybean yields respond differently to salinity in different textures. Soil salinization is a global issue affecting 831 million ha of arable land and resulting in approximately US$27.3 billion in crop losses annually. The purpose of our research was to determine the effects of natural gradients in soil salinity on field‐grown corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in silty clay loam and sandy loam soils in southeastern North Dakota. Both corn and soybean yield were hand‐harvested at the ends of the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons and related to the electrical conductivity (ECe) of the root zone using the modified discount response function (MDRF). Neither corn nor soybean yields demonstrated significant declines when grown in finer‐textured soil. Contrarily, when corn and soybean were grown in sandy loam soils, significant declines occurred. Calculated values at which 50% yield reductions occurred (EC50) in sandy loam soil resulted in salinity tolerance indices (STI) of 9.68 for corn and 7.04 for soybean. The lack of yield declines for both crops in silty clay loam soil may indicate a reduced effect of salinity stress in finer textures. Additionally, the composition of ions in the soil solution may also play a role in crop response to salinity.

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Soil health assessments evaluate and monitor the effects of conservation management on soil properties. A popular measurement, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), is routinely included in these assessments. The standard POXC protocol calls for air‐dried soil samples, but commercial laboratories typically dry samples in a forced‐air oven before routine analysis. In order to evaluate if heat would change POXC measurements, we treated soil (52 silty clay loam and 51 sandy loam samples) with oven drying at 45 and 65 °C and compared their POXC values with those from air‐dried samples. We also examined relationships between POXC values and soil organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity across drying treatments. Drying soil did not substantially change POXC values for either soil texture and did not change the relationships between POXC and other measured soil properties. This work suggests that commercial laboratories could perform POXC analysis on soil samples dried using heat.

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