Salt-tolerant alternative crops as sources of quality food to mitigate the negative impact of salinity on agricultural production

Abstract

An increase of abiotic stress tolerance and nutritive value of foods is currently a priority because of climate change and rising world population. Among abiotic stresses, salt stress is one of the main problems in agriculture. Mounting urbanization and industrialization, and increasing global food demand, are pressing farmers to make use of marginal lands affected by salinity and low-quality saline water. In that situation, one of the most promising approaches is searching for new sources of genetic variation like salt-tolerant alternative crops or underexploited crops. They are generally less efficient than cultivated crops in optimal conditions due to lower yield but represent an alternative in stressful growth conditions. In this review, we summarize the advances achieved in research on underexploited species differing in their genetic nature. First, we highlight advances in research on salt tolerance of traditional varieties of tomato or landraces; varieties selected and developed by smallholder farmers for adaptation to their local environments showing specific attractive fruit quality traits. We remark advances attained in screening a collection of tomato traditional varieties gathered in Spanish Southeast, a very productive region which environment is extremely stressing. Second, we explore the opportunities of exploiting the natural variation of halophytes, in particular quinoa and amaranth. The adaptation of both species in stressful growth conditions is becoming an increasingly important issue, especially for their cultivation in arid and semiarid areas prone to be affected by salinity. Here we present a project developed in Spanish Southeast, where quinoa and amaranth varieties are being adapted for their culture under abiotic stress targeting high quality grain.

A novel function of the tomato CALCINEURIN‐B LIKE 10 gene as a root‐located negative regulator of salt stress

“…The ability of a plant to maintain a low Na + /K + ratio has been repeatedly named as a key determinant of plant salt tolerance in different crops, including tomato (Egea et al, 2023). But, if SlCBL10 silencing rootstocks show very significant reductions in Na + /K + ratios, why was the positive effect shown by the rootstocks under long‐term salinity exposure not observed with a shorter exposure time?…”

“…The ability of a plant to maintain a low Na + /K + ratio has been repeatedly named as a key determinant of plant salt tolerance in different crops, including tomato (Egea et al, 2023). But, if SlCBL10 contents approximately 50% lower than those of the WT rootstock (Figure 2c).…”

Morphological performance and seasonal pattern of water relations and gas exchange in Pistacia lentiscus plants subjected to salinity and water deficit

“…To counteract the decrease in water availability due to high salt concentration, plants can adjust their osmotic potential by accumulating solutes, sugars, and amino acids, in their cells. However, the effectiveness of osmotic adjustment in alleviating the effects of salinity stress depends on the plant species and cultivars, as well as the concentration and duration of the salt stress ( Liao et al., 2022 ; Egea et al., 2023 ). In our study, Pistacia lentiscus might exhibit some tolerance to a salinity level of 4 dS m -1 , but it's essential to remember that "tolerance" doesn't mean thriving.…”

NaCl elicitation enhances metabolite accumulation and stress resilience in Inula crithmoides L. shoot cultures: implications for its nutritional and medicinal value

“…Additionally, in recent years, salinity has emerged as a significant environmental challenge, affecting agricultural productivity and ecological balance (Egea et al 2023), and posing a significant threat to plant crops, especially in regions with limited freshwater resources (Tessema et al 2023). Addressing this issue is crucial for ensuring global food security and maintaining ecological stability in areas affected by salinity.…”