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Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants

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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 June 2023) | Viewed by 23241

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hans Raj Gheyi

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Guest Editor

Academic Unit of Agricultural Engineering, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58428-830, PB, Brazil
Interests: saline stress; cowpea; irrigation management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60450-760, CE, Brazil
Interests: photosynthesis; plant physiology; salinity

Dr. Devinder Sandhu

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Guest Editor

USDA-ARS, U.S. Salinity Lab, 450 W Big Springs Road, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
Interests: salinity; salt tolerance; genetics; abiotic stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The salinity of soil and water is a problem present in all continents, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Worldwide data indicate that 20% of the total cultivated area (upland and irrigated) and 33% of irrigated agricultural land are affected by excess salts in the soil. Furthermore, a significant part of the water sources in these regions, notably groundwater, have high concentrations of salts, which is a limiting factor for agricultural production. On the other hand, the growing demand for food because of population increases, the scarcity of water resources and land for the expansion of agriculture, and global climate change scenarios indicate the need to use these saline resources. In this context, Biosaline and Halo Agriculture appears to be one of the sustainable tools to increase food production and create job opportunities and sources of income for farmers. Given this, 'Agriculture' is inviting researchers to contribute to a Special Issue on Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants. For this Special Issue, contributions are expected that present successful examples of biosaline agriculture in different parts of the world, as well as studies on crop tolerance to salinity, strategies for the use of brackish water, and the bio-remediation of salt-affected soils.

Dr. Hans Raj Gheyi
Dr. Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda
Dr. Devinder Sandhu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

salinity
brackish water
haloculture
salt tolerance
bio-remediation
alternative crops
soil amendments
halophytes
reclamation

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 218 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Fields of the Future: Pivotal Role of Biosaline Agriculture in Farming

by Hans Raj Gheyi, Devinder Sandhu and Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda

Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1774; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091774 - 07 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 869

Abstract

Worldwide, groundwater quality is in decline, growing progressively saltier [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

20 pages, 5799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bacillus aryabhattai Mitigates the Effects of Salt and Water Stress on the Agronomic Performance of Maize under an Agroecological System

by Henderson Castelo Sousa, Geocleber Gomes de Sousa, Thales Vinícius de Araújo Viana, Arthur Prudêncio de Araújo Pereira, Carla Ingryd Nojosa Lessa, Maria Vanessa Pires de Souza, José Marcelo da Silva Guilherme, Geovana Ferreira Goes, Francisco Gleyson da Silveira Alves, Silas Primola Gomes and Fred Denilson Barbosa da Silva

Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061150 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1942

Abstract

The use of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be one option for mitigating the impact of abiotic constraints on different cropping systems in the tropical semi-arid region. Studies suggest that these bacteria have mechanisms to mitigate the effects of water stress and to promote more significant growth in plant species. These mechanisms involve phenotypic changes in growth, water conservation, plant cell protection, and damage restoration through the integration of phytohormone modulation, stress-induced enzyme apparatus, and metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth, leaf gas exchange, and yield in maize (Zea mays L.—BRS Caatingueiro) inoculated with Bacillus aryabhattai and subjected to water and salt stress. The experiment followed a randomised block design, in a split-plot arrangement, with six repetitions. The plots comprised two levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water (0.3 dS m⁻¹ and 3.0 dS m⁻¹); the subplots consisted of three irrigation depths (50%, 75%, and 100% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc)); while the sub-subplots included the presence or absence of B. aryabhattai inoculant. A water deficit of 50% of the ETc resulted in the principal negative effects on growth, reducing the leaf area and stem diameter. The use of B. aryabhattai mitigated salt stress and promoted better leaf gas exchange by increasing the CO₂ assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, and internal CO₂ concentration. However, irrigation with brackish water (3.0 dS m⁻¹) reduced the instantaneous water-use efficiency of the maize. Our results showed that inoculation wiht PGPR mitigates the effect of abiotic stress (salt and water) in maize plants, making it an option in regions with a scarcity of low-salinity water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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13 pages, 1525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ionic Response and Sorghum Production under Water and Saline Stress in a Semi-Arid Environment

by Rodrigo Rafael da Silva, José Francismar de Medeiros, Gabriela Carvalho Maia de Queiroz, Leonardo Vieira de Sousa, Maria Vanessa Pires de Souza, Milena de Almeida Bastos do Nascimento, Francimar Maik da Silva Morais, Renan Ferreira da Nóbrega, Lucas Melo e Silva, Fagner Nogueira Ferreira, Maria Isabela Batista Clemente, Carla Jamile Xavier Cordeiro, Jéssica Christie de Castro Granjeiro, Dárcio Cesar Constante and Francisco Vanies da Silva Sá

Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061127 - 27 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1247

Abstract

The increase in water demand in regions with limited good-quality water resources makes it necessary to study the effect of low-quality water on plant metabolism. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of water and salt stress on the levels of mineral elements and accumulation of toxic elements Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in the leaves and their consequences on the production variables of the sorghum cultivar IPA SF-15. The design adopted was randomized blocks in a factorial scheme (4 × 4), with four salt concentrations (1.5; 3.0; 4.5, and 6.0 dS m⁻¹) and four irrigation depths (51.3; 70.6; 90.0, and 118.4% of crop evapotranspiration ETc) in three repetitions. To obtain nutrient, sodium, and chlorine contents in the leaf, we collected the diagnosis leaf from six plants per plot. For production data, we performed two harvests at 76 and 95 days after planting (silage point and for sucrose extraction). We evaluated the dry mass, fresh mass yield, and total dry mass for the two cutting periods and applied the F-test at the 5% significance level. There was an effect of water stress but not saline, making it possible to use saline water for sorghum irrigation. As for the toxicity of ions, the plant showed tolerance behavior to Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. The grain filling phase was more sensitive than the final phase of the crop cycle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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22 pages, 5259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of Brackish Groundwater for Different Biosaline Agriculture Systems in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region

by Carla Ingryd Nojosa Lessa, Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda, Cláudio Cesar de Aguiar Cajazeiras, Antonia Leila Rocha Neves, Fernando Bezerra Lopes, Alexsandro Oliveira da Silva, Henderson Castelo Sousa, Hans Raj Gheyi, Rafaela da Silva Nogueira, Silvio Carlos Ribeiro Vieira Lima, Raimundo Nonato Távora Costa and Geocleber Gomes de Sousa

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030550 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2428

Abstract

The objective of this research was to define the potential of brackish groundwater for 15 systems of biosaline agriculture in a representative area of the Brazilian semi-arid region. The study was conducted using a database of the State of Ceará, with 6284 wells having brackish water (EC ≥ 0.8 dS m⁻¹ and discharge rate ≥ 0.5 m³ h⁻¹). Our results show that the potential of brackish groundwater resources depends on the set of data: (i) production system (crop salt tolerance and water demand) and (ii) water source (salinity and well discharge rate). The joint analysis of these data shows that plant production systems with lesser water requirements, even with moderate tolerance levels to salt stress, present better results than more tolerant species, including halophytes and coconut orchards. About 41, 43, 58, 69, and 82% of wells have enough discharge rates to irrigate forage cactus (1.0 ha), sorghum (1.0 ha with supplemental irrigation), hydroponic cultivation, cashew seedlings, and coconut seedlings, respectively, without restrictions in terms of salinity. Otherwise, 65.8 and 71.2% of wells do not have enough water yield to irrigate an area of 1.0 ha with halophytes and coconut palm trees, respectively, butmore than 98.3 and 90.7% do not reach the water salinity threshold for these crops. Our study also indicates the need for diversification and use of multiple systems on farms (intercropping, association of fish/shrimp with plants), to reach the sustainability of biosaline agriculture in tropical drylands, especially for family farming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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24 pages, 5675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid Mitigates Saline Stress on Physiology, Production, and Post-Harvest Quality of Hydroponic Japanese Cucumber

by Valeska Karolini Nunes Oliveira, André Alisson Rodrigues da Silva, Geovani Soares de Lima, Lauriane Almeida dos Anjos Soares, Hans Raj Gheyi, Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda, Carlos Alberto Vieira de Azevedo, Reginaldo Gomes Nobre, Lúcia Helena Garófalo Chaves, Pedro Dantas Fernandes and Vera Lúcia Antunes de Lima

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020395 - 08 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2533

Abstract

Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic compound capable of inducing physiological and metabolic changes that enhance the tolerance of plants to saline stress associated with using a hydroponic system and enable the use of saline water in semi-arid regions. In this context, this assay aimed to evaluate the impact of the foliar application of SA on mitigating salt stress effects on Japanese cucumber cultivated in a hydroponic system. The experiment was carried out in a protected ambient (greenhouse), using the Nutrient Film Technique—NFT hydroponic system. A completely randomized design was performed in a 4 × 4 split-plot scheme, with four levels of electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution—ECns (2.1, 3.6, 5.1, and 6.6 dS m⁻¹)—considered as plots and four SA concentrations (0, 1.8, 3.6, and 5.4 mM), regarded as subplots, with four replicates and two plants per plot. An increase in the ECns negatively affected the physiology, production components, and post-harvest quality of cucumber. However, the application of SA to leaves at concentrations between 1.4 and 2.0 mM reduced the deleterious effects of saline stress and promoted an increase in the production of and improvement in the post-harvest quality of cucumber fruits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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14 pages, 2990 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

NaCl Accumulation, Shoot Biomass, Antioxidant Capacity, and Gene Expression of Passiflora edulis f. Flavicarpa Deg. in Response to Irrigation Waters of Moderate to High Salinity

by Jorge F. S. Ferreira, Xuan Liu, Stella Ribeiro Prazeres Suddarth, Christina Nguyen and Devinder Sandhu

Agriculture 2022, 12(11), 1856; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12111856 - 05 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1897

Abstract

Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa (yellow passion fruit) is a high-value tropical crop explored for both fruit and nutraceutical markets. As the fruit production in the US rises, the crop must be investigated for the effects of salinity under semi-arid climates. We assessed the effects of irrigation-water salinity, leaf age, and drying method on leaf antioxidant capacity (LAC) and plant genetic responses. Plants were grown in outdoor lysimeter tanks for three years, with waters of electrical conductivities of 3.0, 6.0, and 12.0 dS m⁻¹. Both Na and Cl significantly increased with salinity; leaf biomass at 3.0 and 6.0 dS m⁻¹ were similar but reduced significantly at 12.0 dS m⁻¹. Salinity had no effect on LAC, but new leaves had the highest LAC compared to older leaves. Low-temperature oven-dried (LTO) and freeze-dried (FD) leaves had the same LAC. The analyses of twelve transporter genes, six involved in Na⁺ transport and six in Cl⁻ transport, showed higher expressions in roots than in leaves, indicating a critical role of roots in ion transport and the control of leaf salt concentration. Passion fruit’s moderate tolerance to salinity and its high leaf antioxidant capacity make it a potential new fruit crop for California, as well as a rich source of flavonoids for the nutraceutical market. Low-temperature oven drying is a potential alternative to lyophilization in preparation for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) analysis of passion fruit leaves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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30 pages, 10172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salt Tolerance Indicators in ‘Tahiti’ Acid Lime Grafted on 13 Rootstocks

by Gabriel O. Martins, Stefane S. Santos, Edclecio R. Esteves, Raimundo R. de Melo Neto, Raimundo R. Gomes Filho, Alberto S. de Melo, Pedro D. Fernandes, Hans R. Gheyi, Walter S. Soares Filho and Marcos E. B. Brito

Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101673 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1590

Abstract

The citrus yield is limited by soil and/or water salinity, but appropriate rootstocks can ensure the sustainability of the production system. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to evaluate the salt content in the soil and the production and physiological aspects of the ‘Tahiti’ acid lime combined with thirteen rootstocks, irrigated with saline water in the first two production years to identify indicators of salt tolerance. The rootstocks evaluated were: ‘Santa Cruz Rangpur’ lime, ‘Indio’, ‘Riverside’ and ‘San Diego’ citrandarins, ‘Sunki Tropical’ mandarin, and eight hybrids, obtained from the Citrus Breeding Program of Embrapa Cassava and Fruits. The waters used had three saline levels: 0.14, 2.40, and 4.80 dS m⁻¹, in a randomized block adopting a split-plot design, with rootstocks in the plots and saline waters in the subplots, with four replicates. From August 2019 to February 2021, fruit harvests and agronomic traits were measured. At the end of each production year, the soil characteristics, leaf gas exchange, and chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis were performed. It was concluded that: (1) the effects of water salinity on citrus are of osmotic nature, reducing gas exchange, (2) the salinity did not significantly damage the photosynthetic apparatus until the second year of production, and (3) using more stable, salt-tolerant rootstocks makes it possible to cultivate ‘Tahiti’ acid lime under irrigation with waters of 2.4 dS m⁻¹ electrical conductivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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20 pages, 4548 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Calcium Lignosulfonate Can Mitigate the Impact of Salt Stress on Growth, Physiological, and Yield Characteristics of Two Barley Cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.)

by Hayam I. A. Elsawy, Khadiga Alharbi, Amany M. M. Mohamed, Akihiro Ueda, Muneera AlKahtani, Latifa AlHusnain, Kotb A. Attia, Khaled Abdelaal and Alaa M. E. A. Shahein

Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091459 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2455

Abstract

The current study was conducted in a pot experiment with sand bed soil for two winter seasons (2019/20, 2020/21) to illuminate the impact of calcium lignosulfonate (Ca-LIGN) (100 mg/L) in alleviating various levels of NaCl (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM) on two barley cultivars, Giza132 and Giza133. Giza133 outgrew Giza132 under salinity stress by accumulating less Na⁺ content and retaining more K⁺ content. Surprisingly, Ca-LIGN was shown to be involved in both cultivars’ capacity to efflux Na⁺ in return for greater K⁺ influx under 100 and 200 mM NaCl, resulting in an increased dry weight of shoots and roots as well as leaf area compared with the untreated salinity levels. Physiological parameters were measured as relative water content (RWC), electrolyte leakage rate (ELR), peroxidase activity (POD) in leaf and root and grain yield, and grain protein content were evaluated. Adding Ca-LIGN ameliorated both cultivars’ growth in all the recorded characteristics. Under salinity stress, Ca-LIGN induced a higher RWC in both cultivars compared to those without Ca-LIGN. Although the ELR increased significantly in Giza132 leaves under the different NaCl concentrations compared to in Giza133 leaves, applying Ca-LIGN for both cultivars reduced the deterioration in their leaf and root by significantly lowering the ELR. As a result, applying Ca-LIGN to the salinity-affected plants (Giza133 and Giza132) under (100 and 200 mM NaCl), respectively, inhibited POD activity by about (10-fold, 6-fold, and 3-fold, 5-fold). The impact of Ca-LIGN on grain yield was more effective in Giza133 than in Giza132, with (61.46, 35.04, 29.21% and 46.02, 24.16, 21.96%) at various salinity levels. Moreover, while both cultivars recorded similar protein content under normal conditions, adding Ca-LIGN increased protein accumulation by raising salinity concentration until it reached 3% and 2% increases in both cultivars, Giza133 and Giza132, respectively, under 300 mM NaCl. It can be concluded that applying Ca-LIGN on barley can help to alleviate the ionic stress by excluding the harmful ions, resulting in higher grain yield and protein content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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17 pages, 3939 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reclamation of Saline Soil under Association between Atriplex nummularia L. and Glycophytes Plants

by Monaliza Alves dos Santos, Maria Betânia Galvão Santos Freire, Fernando José Freire, Alexandre Tavares da Rocha, Pedro Gabriel de Lucena, Cinthya Mirella Pacheco Ladislau and Hidelblandi Farias de Melo

Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1124; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081124 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1600

Abstract

Phytoremediation is an efficient technique for the reclamation of salt-affected soils by growing plants. The present study aims to evaluate the intercropping of halophyte Atriplex nummularia Lindl. with naturally occurring species (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth, Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit and Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) adapted to semiarid regions as a management capable of enhancing the phytoremediation capacity of these species. A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block and contained four replicates. Species were cultivated alone and in association with A. nummularia to evaluate their potential uses in the reclamation of soils. Exchangeable Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na^+, and K⁺, as well as salinity and sodicity variables, were evaluated. The evaluations were performed at 9 and 18 months of plant growth. The results indicated that A. nummularia individualized was the treatment most efficient; with reductions of 80%, 63%, and 84% in electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, and exchangeable sodium percentage values, respectively at 18 months compared to starting of the experiment. However, the use of A. nummularia and species adapted to the semiarid in association, or even alone, promoted beneficial effects on the soil quality after the establishment of the plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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12 pages, 1716 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceCommunication

Stomatal Regulation and Osmotic Adjustment in Sorghum in Response to Salinity

by Pablo Rugero Magalhães Dourado, Edivan Rodrigues de Souza, Monaliza Alves dos Santos, Cintia Maria Teixeira Lins, Danilo Rodrigues Monteiro, Martha Katharinne Silva Souza Paulino and Bruce Schaffer

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050658 - 02 May 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2535

Abstract

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, one of the most important dryland cereal crops, is moderately tolerant of soil salinity, a rapidly increasing agricultural problem due to inappropriate irrigation management and salt water intrusion into crop lands as a result of climate change. The mechanisms for sorghum’s tolerance of high soil salinity have not been elucidated. This study tested whether sorghum plants adapt to salinity stress via stomatal regulation or osmotic adjustment. Sorghum plants were treated with one of seven concentrations of NaCl (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 mM). Leaf gas exchange (net CO₂ assimilation (A), transpiration (Tr); stomatal conductance of water vapor (gs), intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE)), and water (Ψw), osmotic (Ψo), and turgor Ψt potentials were evaluated at 40 days after the imposition of salinity treatments. Plants exhibited decreased A, gs, and Tr with increasing salinity, whereas WUE was not affected by NaCl treatment. Additionally, plants exhibited osmotic adjustment to increasing salinity. Thus, sorghum appears to adapt to high soil salinity via both osmotic adjustment and stomatal regulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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15 pages, 3664 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supplemental Irrigation with Brackish Water Improves Carbon Assimilation and Water Use Efficiency in Maize under Tropical Dryland Conditions

by Eduardo Santos Cavalcante, Claudivan Feitosa Lacerda, Rosilene Oliveira Mesquita, Alberto Soares de Melo, Jorge Freire da Silva Ferreira, Adunias dos Santos Teixeira, Silvio Carlos Ribeiro Vieira Lima, Jonnathan Richeds da Silva Sales, Johny de Souza Silva and Hans Raj Gheyi

Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040544 - 11 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

Dry spells in rainfed agriculture lead to a significant reduction in crop yield or to total loss. Supplemental irrigation (SI) with brackish water can reduce the negative impacts of dry spells on net CO₂ assimilation in rainfed farming in semi-arid tropical regions and maintain crop productivity. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the net carbon assimilation rates, indexes for water use efficiency, and indicators of salt and water stress in maize plants under different water scenarios, with and without supplemental irrigation with brackish water. The experiment followed a randomized block design in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plots simulated four water scenarios found in the Brazilian semi-arid region (Rainy, Normal, Drought, and Severe Drought), while the subplots were with or without supplemental irrigation using brackish water with an electrical conductivity of 4.5 dS m⁻¹. The dry spells reduced the photosynthetic capacity of maize, especially under the Drought (70% reduction) and Severe Drought scenarios (79% reduction), due to stomatal and nonstomatal effects. Supplemental irrigation with brackish water reduced plant water stress, averted the excessive accumulation of salts in the soil and sodium in the leaves, and improved CO₂ assimilation rates. The supplemental irrigation with brackish water also promoted an increase in the physical water productivity, reaching values 1.34, 1.91, and 3.03 times higher than treatment without SI for Normal, Drought, and Severe Drought scenarios, respectively. Thus, the use of brackish water represents an important strategy that can be employed in biosaline agriculture for tropical semi-arid regions, which are increasingly impacted by water shortage. Future studies are required to evaluate this strategy in other important crop systems under nonsimulated conditions, as well as the long-term effects of salts on different soil types in this region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosaline Agriculture and Salt Tolerance of Plants)

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