Pedosphere (2): 402--415, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Salt stress in rice: Morpho-physiological effects, nitrogen dynamics and integrated management strategies for yield improvement in saline soils |
Yusheng LI1,2, Haider SULTAN1, Aibin HE2,3, Xiayu GUO2,3, Tingcheng ZHAO1,2, Mohammad Nauman KHAN1, Zhiyong AI2,3 , Lixiao NIE1,2 |
1 Sanya National Center of Technology Innovation for Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice, School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Hainan University, Sanya 572025 (China)
2 National Center of Technology Innovation for Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice in Sanya, Sanya 572000 (China)
3 Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, Changsha 410125 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Soil salinization, intensified by global climate change and unsustainable agricultural practices, has become a critical factor limiting agricultural productivity. There is a pressing need for globally applicable and scalable salinity mitigation strategies in rice cultivation. This review systematically clarifies the interactions between salt stress and soil physicochemical properties and rice root architecture, nutrient uptake, and growth dynamics. In addition, it critically evaluates innovative agronomic strategies for yield enhancement in saline conditions, including organic fertilization, deep tillage, biochar amendment, exogenous growth hormone application, inoculation with halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria, nanomaterial utilization, and integration of calcium-based soil amendments. Salt stress elevates soil exchangeable sodium content, reducing soil porosity and water and nutrient retention capacities. These reductions in turn decrease soil fertility, microbial activity, and nitrogen supply to rice. Concurrently, osmotic, ionic, and oxidative stresses induced by salinity hinder root development and vigor, disrupt nutrient absorption/transport, and perturb nitrogen allocation between roots and shoots, collectively constraining rice growth and reducing yield. These emphasize the necessity for identifying the drivers and severity of soil salinization and developing targeted salinity mitigation or cultivation strategies tailored to local soil texture, climatic conditions, and resource availability, thereby enhancing agricultural productivity in salt-affected regions and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2: zero hunger) of achieving zero hunger globally. |
| Key Words: exogenous plant hormone,deep tillage,halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria,nanomaterial,organic fertilization,root architecture,salinity mitigation,soil salinization |
| Citation: Li Y S, Sultan H, He A B, Guo X Y, Zhao T C, Khan M N, Ai Z Y, Nie L X. 2026. Salt stress in rice: Morpho-physiological effects, nitrogen dynamics and integrated management strategies for yield improvement in saline soils. Pedosphere. 36(2): 402-415. |
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