Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.8
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and...
sustainability-logo
Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil Conservation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2023) | Viewed by 23034

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Arvind Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR – Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, Haryana, India
Interests: genetic enhancement in crop plants for salinity; sodicty, poor quality water and waterlogging tolerance; halophytes; management and phyto-amelioration of salt-affected soils; statistical analysis
Dr. Gajender Yadav

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Soil and Crop Management, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India
Interests: salinity management; crop responses to climate change; environmental effect on seeds; management and use of poor quality groundwater for sustainable agriculture
Dr. Raj Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Soil and Crop Management, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India
Interests: bio-saline forestry; agroforestry; degraded land rehabilitation; reclamation of salt- affected lands
Dr. Ashwani Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR – Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, Haryana, India
Interests: physiological and molecular mechanisms of plant adaptive response to abiotic stresses; halophytes; crops/trees responses to salt stress; phyto-amelioration of salt- affected lands
Dr. Ram Kishor Fagodiya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Soil and Crop Management, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute Karnal 132001, India
Interests: soil and water pollution; climate change; GHG emission and mitigation; conservation agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, salt-affected lands (SALs) have been extended by up to 1128 million hectares (Mha), representing about 7% of Earth’s continental surface, 60% of which is saline (an excess of soluble salt), 26% is sodic (an excess of exchangeable sodium) and 14% is saline–sodic soils (both an excess of soluble salt and exchangeable sodium). SALs are distributed in all the continents, although their extent and severity vary by region, and they are considered to be a severe environmental threat to natural resources and global food security, causing annual economic losses of USD 27.3 billion worldwide. Poor-quality groundwater (PQW), i.e., saline (with excess salt) and alkali (with high residual alkalinity), are generally associated with the development of salt-affected lands. Globally, an area of 2400 Mha (16% of total land) is underlain with saline/alkali groundwater, and the maximum area (14% of total saline/alkali water area) is found in the basin of West and Central Asia. The management of SALs and PQW is a major challenge to the achievement of food security and long-term agricultural sustainability worldwide.

The adverse impacts of SALs and PQW can be significantly reduced with the help of chemical ameliorants (gypsum, pyrite, etc.) and the leaching/flushing of salts. However, the implementation of these technologies is often limited in space, time and subject with regard to the available set of resources. The reclamation pace through chemical and physical approaches is dependent on the cost and availability of good-quality water. Therefore, the exploration and evaluation of easily adaptable, low-cost and highly efficient technological solutions is a major challenge for the management of these resources. Extensive effort is being made to cope with the unassertive impacts of SALs and PQW through the identification and development of salt-tolerant crop varieties, bio-saline agriculture/forestry, agronomic management, shifts in the crop calendar, etc. Halophytes have immense potential to manage dryland salinity, and several attempts have been made to utilize halophytes for the management of SALs and food production. Two halophytes, i.e., Salicornia bigelovii (oilseed crop) and Chenopodium quinoa, were found to be most suitable for cultivation in salt-affected dryland ecosystems.

In future, more concerted efforts are required to develop low-cost technologies to manage SALs and PQW for livelihood security. The advancement of salinity science and the development of new practices will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (UN) pertaining to land degradation neutrality and food security. In this context, we are organizing a Special Issue of Sustainability to address advancement in the management of SALs and PQW for sustainable food production. This issue will synthesize the innovative strategies used to accelerate the reclamation pace of these resources. Original research articles, meta-analyses, review articles and opinion papers are invited to contribute to this issue based on, but not limited to, the following specific themes:

  • The suitability and reclamation efficiency of ameliorants.
  • Secondary salinization and food production.
  • The re-sodification of reclaimed sodic lands and its impacts.
  • Emerging technologies for the reclamation of water-logged saline soils and sub-surface salinity/sodicity.
  • The management of salt-affected agro-ecosystems through agronomic management.
  • Bio-saline agriculture/forestry and economics of production.
  • Halophyte and their amelioration efficiency and sustainability.
  • Crop responses in salt-affected soils.
  • Crop/tree improvement for salt tolerance through advance approaches.
  • Effects of salt-affected ecosystems on bio-diversity, food production and GHG emissions.
  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for salt-affected lands.

Dr. Arvind Kumar
Dr. Gajender Yadav
Dr. Raj Kumar
Dr. Ashwani Kumar
Dr. Ram Kishor Fagodiya
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • salt-affected lands
  • saline and sodic waters
  • reclamation strategies
  • salt tolerance
  • halophytes
  • bio-saline forestry

Published Papers (8 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

27 pages, 7484 KiB  
Article
Physiological Characterization of Tripidium arundinaceum and Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) Germplasm for Salinity Stress Tolerance at the Formative Stage
by Channappa Mahadevaiah, Palanisamy Vignesh, Chinnasamy Appunu, Ramanathan Valarmathi, Pooja Dhansu, Ashwani Kumar, Selvarajan Dharshini, Thelakat Sasikumar Sarath Padmanabhan, Jayanarayanan Ashwin Narayan, Kannan Selvamuthu, Venkatarayappa Sreenivasa, Huskur Kumaraswamy Mahadeva Swamy, Vazhakkannadi Vinu, Arun Kumar Raja, Giriyapura Shivalingamurthy Suresha, Govindakurup Hemaprabha and Ravinder Kumar
Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6962; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086962 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1635
Abstract
A total of sixteen accessions of Tripidium arundinaceum (Retz.) Welker, Voronts. & E.A. Kellogg (previously known as Erianthus arundinaceus (Retz.) Jeswiet) were evaluated for salinity tolerance at the bud germination stage by irrigating with 175 mM salinized Hoagland solution in perlite-sand hydroponics. Six [...] Read more.
A total of sixteen accessions of Tripidium arundinaceum (Retz.) Welker, Voronts. & E.A. Kellogg (previously known as Erianthus arundinaceus (Retz.) Jeswiet) were evaluated for salinity tolerance at the bud germination stage by irrigating with 175 mM salinized Hoagland solution in perlite-sand hydroponics. Six accessions, IND99-907, IND01-1134, IND01-1136, IK76-48, and Bethuadahari, were germinated with healthy roots as compared to other accessions. These six accessions were further evaluated for morphological, physiological, and root anatomical parameters for different levels of salinity stress at the formative phase. Young leaf elongation was ceased after the fourth and twelfth day in Co 97010 and Co 86032, respectively, at 175 mM of salinity stress. The growth of young leaves in Co 97010 and Co 86032 was observed up to 25 mM of salinity stress only, whereas in T. arundinaceum accessions viz., IND99-907 and Bethuadahari, growth was recorded even at 175 mM. Lignification of cell walls, thickening of protoxylems, and vacuolization of cortex regions were observed in Co 97010, Co 86032, Bethuadahari, and IND01-1134 as compared to the normal anatomical structures in IND99-907. The accession IND99-907 recorded the lowest Na/K ratio, followed by IND99-1136 at 175 mM of salinity stress. The accession IND99-907 was identified as a salinity-tolerant genotype and suitable for utilization in the sugarcane crop improvement programmes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6655 KiB  
Article
Influence of Eucalyptus Agroforestry on Crop Yields, Soil Properties, and System Economics in Southern Regions of India
by Karuppanan Ramasamy Ramesh, Harshavardhan Krishnarao Deshmukh, Karthikeyan Sivakumar, Vipan Guleria, Rathod Digvijaysinh Umedsinh, Nathakrishnan Krishnakumar, Alagesan Thangamalar, Kathirvel Suganya, Mariyappan Kiruba, Thiru Selvan, Padmanaban Balasubramanian, Chinnaswamy Ushamalini, Gurusamy Thiyagarajan, Saminathan Vincent, Palani Rajeswari, Shanmugavel Bavish, Arsha Riaz and Kuppusamy Senthil
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3797; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043797 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4314
Abstract
Agroforestry benefits farmers, making it a sustainable alternative to monoculture. To create a viable Eucalyptus clone-based agroforestry system, a field experiment was carried out in Tamil Nadu, India. The economics and changes in the soil qualities were evaluated by growing agricultural and horticultural [...] Read more.
Agroforestry benefits farmers, making it a sustainable alternative to monoculture. To create a viable Eucalyptus clone-based agroforestry system, a field experiment was carried out in Tamil Nadu, India. The economics and changes in the soil qualities were evaluated by growing agricultural and horticultural crops, namely pearl millet, sorghum, maize, sesame, small onions, green gram, and red gram, as intercrops under eight-month-old eucalyptus clone trees using a randomised block design in three replications at a spacing of 3 m × 1.5 m. The plots for the intercrops and the eucalyptus clones were kept apart for comparison. Maize showed the greatest drop in plant height during all the phases, including 30 DAS, 60 DAS, and harvest, while small onions showed the least reduction in plant height. Sesame and small onions showed the greatest drop in dry matter production, whereas sorghum showed the least. In terms of the intercrop yield reduction, maize had the biggest reduction and green gram had the lowest. Red gram had the largest crop equivalent yield, whereas maize had the lowest. The volume of the trees was generally increased more favourably by red gram than by green gram. The intercrops had some effects on the nutrients in the soil. Red gram intercropping had the highest levels of EC, soil organic carbon, available soil nitrogen, available soil phosphorus, and available soil potassium, while the sole tree treatment had the lowest levels. Small onions, red gram, and sesame were the crops; tree + small onion, tree + red gram, and tree + sesame were the intercrop combinations with the highest gross income, net income, and B:C in the intercropping treatment alone. Tree + green gram had the highest land equivalent ratio (LER) and the red gram, sesame, and small onion intercrops were shown to be the most profitable. Although the present study supports a complementary relationship, the lack of awareness among farmers of Eucalyptus allelopathy formed the major limitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 545 KiB  
Article
Selenium Mediated Alterations in Physiology of Wheat under Different Soil Moisture Levels
by Sapna Yadav, Sinky Sharma, Kamal Dutt Sharma, Pooja Dhansu, Suman Devi, Kumar Preet, Pooja Ahlawat, Paras Kamboj, Preety Rani, Babita Rani, Prashant Kaushik and Ashwani Kumar
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1771; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031771 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1598
Abstract
Soil moisture stress is one of the most serious aspects of climate change. Selenium (Se) is regarded as an essential element for animal health and has been demonstrated to protect plants from a number of abiotic challenges; however, our knowledge of Se-regulated mechanisms [...] Read more.
Soil moisture stress is one of the most serious aspects of climate change. Selenium (Se) is regarded as an essential element for animal health and has been demonstrated to protect plants from a number of abiotic challenges; however, our knowledge of Se-regulated mechanisms for enhancing crop yield is limited. We investigated the effects of exogenous Se supplementation on physiological processes that may impact wheat productivity during soil moisture stress. The plants were grown in plastic containers under screen-house conditions. The experiment was laid out in CRD consisting of three soil moisture regimes, i.e., control (soil moisture content of 12.5 ± 0.05%), moderate (soil moisture content of 8.5 ± 0.05%), and severe moisture stress (soil moisture content of 4.5 ± 0.05%). Selenium was supplied using sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) through soil application before sowing (10 ppm) and foliar application (20 ppm and 40 ppm) at two different growth stages. The foliar spray of Se was applied at the vegetative stage (70 days after planting) and was repeated 3 weeks later, whereas the control consisted of a water spray. The water status, photosynthetic efficiency, and yield were significantly decreased due to the soil’s moisture stress. The exogenous Se application of 40 ppm resulted in decreased negative leaf water potential and improved relative water contents, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance in comparison to the control (without selenium) under water shortage conditions except the plants treated with soil application of selenium under severe moisture stress at 70 DAS. Subsequently, Se-regulated mechanisms improved 100 seed weight, biological yield, and seed yield per plant. We suggest that Se foliar spray (40 ppm) is a practical and affordable strategy to increase wheat output in arid and semi-arid regions of the world that are experiencing severe water shortages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2076 KiB  
Article
Identification of Salinity Tolerant Stable Sugarcane Cultivars Using AMMI, GGE and Some Other Stability Parameters under Multi Environments of Salinity Stress
by Ravinder Kumar, Pooja Dhansu, Neeraj Kulshreshtha, Mintu Ram Meena, Mahadevaswamy Huskur Kumaraswamy, Chinnaswamy Appunu, Manohar Lal Chhabra and Sstish Kumar Pandey
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021119 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1489
Abstract
Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), as well as various AMMI-derived statistics, Genotype, and Genotype × Environment Interaction (GGE) models were employed on 24 sugarcane genotypes planted during two seasons (2017–18, 2018–19) under different induced salinity stress environments using saline water irrigation [...] Read more.
Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), as well as various AMMI-derived statistics, Genotype, and Genotype × Environment Interaction (GGE) models were employed on 24 sugarcane genotypes planted during two seasons (2017–18, 2018–19) under different induced salinity stress environments using saline water irrigation (iw) viz., E1 (Normal iw during crop season 2017–18), E2 (Normal iw during crop season 2018–19), E3 (4 dsm−1 ECiw during crop season 2017–18), E4 (4 dsm−1 ECiw during crop season 2018–19), E5 (8 dsm−1 ECiw during crop season 2017–18), E6 (8 dsm−1 ECiw during crop season 2018–19), E7 (12 dsm−1 ECiw during crop season 2017–18) and E8 (12 dsm−1 ECiw during crop season 2018–19) to assess the genotype by the environment interaction for the cane yield, commercial cane sugar (CCS) yield, number of millable cane (NMC), single cane weight (SCW), and pol % in juice. Individual and interactive effects of the genotype and environment for all the traits were significant. In the expression of total variability, the environmental contribution was higher for the cane yield (66.98%), CCS yield (67.60%), NMC (65.78%), and SCW (43.27%), whereas genotypic contribution was higher in the expression of pol% (82.48%). As per AMMI Stability Value (ASV), G14 (Co 13033), G23 (Co 15026), G7 (Co 05009), G17 (Co 13036), and G2 (Co 15025) were the most stable genotypes for the cane yield. Whereas as per GSI (genotype selection index), genotypes G24 (Co 15027), G21 (Co 15023), G23 (Co 15026), and G17 (Co 13036) were found most stable. The Sustainability Index (SI) of the cane yield (CY) and its contributing and CY-based computed traits were low for most of the genotypes, which indicates the negative impact of increased levels of irrigation-induced salinity in the expression of these traits. In the mean vs stability biplot analysis, G21 (Co 15023), G24 (Co 15027), G16 (Co 13036), G6 (Co 0238), and G20 (Co 14036) were found to be highly productive and stable genotypes for the cane yield. The superior and stable performance of early maturing notified varieties G21 (Co 15023) and G6 (Co 0238) for CY and CCS yield indicates that they will help the farmers to obtain sustainable income in saline soil conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3771 KiB  
Article
In Silico Dissection of Regulatory Regions of PHT Genes from Saccharum spp. Hybrid and Sorghum bicolor and Expression Analysis of PHT Promoters under Osmotic Stress Conditions in Tobacco
by Naveenarani Murugan, Ravinder Kumar, Shashi Kant Pandey, Pooja Dhansu, Mahadevaiah Chennappa, Saranya Nallusamy, Hemaprabha Govindakurup and Appunu Chinnaswamy
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1048; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021048 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is the second-most essential macronutrient required for the growth and development of plants. It is involved in a number of cellular processes that contribute to the plant’s growth and development. This study investigated Saccharum spp. hybrid and Sorghum bicolor promoter regions [...] Read more.
Phosphorus (P) is the second-most essential macronutrient required for the growth and development of plants. It is involved in a number of cellular processes that contribute to the plant’s growth and development. This study investigated Saccharum spp. hybrid and Sorghum bicolor promoter regions of Phosphate transporters (PHT), viz., PHT1, PHT2, PHT3, PHT4, and PHO1, through in silico analysis. The transcription start sites (TSS), conserved motifs, and CpG islands were studied using various computational techniques. The distribution of TSSs indicated the highest promoter prediction scores (1.0). MSh2 and MSb4 were recognized as the common promoter motifs for PHT promoters, found in with 85 to 100% percentage of distribution. The CpG analysis revealed that the promoter regions of most PHT genes had low CpG density, indicating a possible tissue-specific expression. The PHT promoters were investigated for the presence of biotic- and abiotic-stress-associated transcription factor binding sites (TFbs) that revealed the presence of binding motifs for major transcription factors (TFs), namely, AP2/ERF, bHLH, bZIP, MYB, NAC, and WRKY. Therefore, the in-silico analysis of the promoter regions helps us to understand the regulation mechanism of phosphate transporter promoters and gene expression under stress management. The 5′ regulatory region of the EaPHT gene was isolated from Erianthus, a wild relative of the genus Saccharum. The promoter construct was prepared and transformed in tobacco wherein the promoter drove the expression of GUS. Analysis of GUS expression in transgenic tobacco revealed enhanced expression of GUS under salt-stress conditions. This is the first report of the isolation and characterization of a phosphate transporter gene promoter from Erianthus and is expected to be useful for the development of salt-stress transgenic crop plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2615 KiB  
Article
Nano-Iron and Nano-Zinc Induced Growth and Metabolic Changes in Vigna radiata
by Neelam Rani, Kusum Kumari, Parul Sangwan, Poonam Barala, Jyoti Yadav, Vijeta, Rahul and Vinita Hooda
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8251; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148251 - 6 Jul 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2044
Abstract
The widespread industrial use and consequent release of nanosized iron (nFe3O4) and zinc oxide (nZnO) particles into the environment have raised concerns over their effects on living organisms, including plants. These nanoparticles are the source of their respective metal [...] Read more.
The widespread industrial use and consequent release of nanosized iron (nFe3O4) and zinc oxide (nZnO) particles into the environment have raised concerns over their effects on living organisms, including plants. These nanoparticles are the source of their respective metal ions and although plants require both Fe and Zn ions for proper growth, excessive levels of these metals are toxic to them. A better understanding of the effects of these nanoparticles on plants also offers an opportunity for their useful applications in agriculture. The present work evaluates the changes in seed germination, plant growth, photosynthetic capacity, levels of biomolecules and antioxidant enzymes in Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek when grown in the presence of nFe3O4 (size 1–4 nm) and nZnO (size 10–20 nm) and compared to the control plants. The plants were raised hydroponically for up to 14 days at two different concentrations of nanoparticles, viz. 10 and 100 mg/L. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) results established that V. radiata can accumulate Fe and Zn in shoots with high efficiency. The results indicated that nFe3O4 had a favourable effect on V. radiata, whereas no apparent benefit or toxicity of nZnO was observed at the tested concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 2326 KiB  
Review
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Salt-Affected Soils: Mechanistic Understanding of Interplay Factors and Reclamation Approaches
by Ram K. Fagodiya, Sandeep K. Malyan, Devendra Singh, Amit Kumar, Rajender K. Yadav, Parbodh C. Sharma and Himanshu Pathak
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911876 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3511
Abstract
Salt-affected soils contain high levels of soluble salts (saline soil) and exchangeable sodium (alkali soil). Globally, about 932 million ha (Mha), including 831 Mha of agricultural land, is salt-affected. Salinity and sodicity adversely affect soil microbial diversity and enzymatic activities, and thereby carbon [...] Read more.
Salt-affected soils contain high levels of soluble salts (saline soil) and exchangeable sodium (alkali soil). Globally, about 932 million ha (Mha), including 831 Mha of agricultural land, is salt-affected. Salinity and sodicity adversely affect soil microbial diversity and enzymatic activities, and thereby carbon and nitrogen dynamics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. In this review article, we synthesize published information to understand the impact of salinity and sodicity on GHG production and emissions from salt-affected soils, and how various reclamation amendments (gypsum, phosphogypsum, organic manure, biochar, etc.) affect GHG emissions from reclaimed soils. Nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions are of greater concern due to their 298 and 28 times higher global warming potential, respectively, compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), on a 100-year time scale. Therefore, CO2 emissions are given negligible/smaller significance compared to the other two. Generally, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions are higher at lower salinity and reduced at higher salinity mainly due to: (a) higher ammonification and lower nitrification resulting in a reduced substrate for denitrification; (b) reduced diversity of denitrifying bacteria lowered down microbial-mediated denitrification process; and (c) dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), and denitrification processes compete with each other for common substrate/nitrate. Overall, methane (CH4) emissions from normal soils are higher than those of salt-affected soils. High salinity suppresses the activity of both methanogens (CH4 production) and methanotrophs (CH4 consumption). However, it imposes more inhibitory effects on methanogens than methanotrophs, resulting in lower CH4 production and subsequent emissions from these soils. Therefore, reclamation of these soils may enhance N2O and CH4 emissions. However, gypsum is the best reclamation agent, which significantly mitigates CH4 emissions from paddy cultivation in both sodic and non-sodic soils, and mitigation is higher at the higher rate of its application. Gypsum amendment increases sulfate ion concentrations and reduces CH4 emissions mainly due to the inhibition of the methanogenesis by the sulfate reductase bacteria and the enhancement of soil redox potential. Biochar is also good among the organic amendments mitigating both CH4 and N2O emission from salt-affected soils. The application of fresh organic matter and FYM enhance GHG emissions for these soils. This review suggests the need for systematic investigations for studying the impacts of various amendments and reclamation technologies on GHG emissions in order to develop low carbon emission technologies for salt-affected soil reclamation that can enhance the carbon sequestration potential of these soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

24 pages, 2809 KiB  
Review
Microbial Diversity and Adaptation under Salt-Affected Soils: A Review
by Chiranjeev Kumawat, Ajay Kumar, Jagdish Parshad, Shyam Sunder Sharma, Abhik Patra, Prerna Dogra, Govind Kumar Yadav, Sunil Kumar Dadhich, Rajhans Verma and Girdhari Lal Kumawat
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9280; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159280 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5363
Abstract
The salinization of soil is responsible for the reduction in the growth and development of plants. As the global population increases day by day, there is a decrease in the cultivation of farmland due to the salinization of soil, which threatens food security. [...] Read more.
The salinization of soil is responsible for the reduction in the growth and development of plants. As the global population increases day by day, there is a decrease in the cultivation of farmland due to the salinization of soil, which threatens food security. Salt-affected soils occur all over the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The total area of global salt-affected soil is 1 billion ha, and in India, an area of nearly 6.74 million ha−1 is salt-stressed, out of which 2.95 million ha−1 are saline soil (including coastal) and 3.78 million ha−1 are alkali soil. The rectification and management of salt-stressed soils require specific approaches for sustainable crop production. Remediating salt-affected soil by chemical, physical and biological methods with available resources is recommended for agricultural purposes. Bioremediation is an eco-friendly approach compared to chemical and physical methods. The role of microorganisms has been documented by many workers for the bioremediation of such problematic soils. Halophilic Bacteria, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Cyanobacteria, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and microbial inoculation have been found to be effective for plant growth promotion under salt-stress conditions. The microbial mediated approaches can be adopted for the mitigation of salt-affected soil and help increase crop productivity. A microbial product consisting of beneficial halophiles maintains and enhances the soil health and the yield of the crop in salt-affected soil. This review will focus on the remediation of salt-affected soil by using microorganisms and their mechanisms in the soil and interaction with the plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt-Affected Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production: Emerging Challenges, Management and Future Strategies)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-8
Back to TopTop