Abstract
Main conclusionSome salt stress response mechanisms can translate into sorghum forage yield and thus act as targets for genetic improvement.Sorghum is a drought-tolerant cereal that is widely grown in the vast Africa’s arid and semi-arid areas. Apart from drought, salinity is a major abiotic factor that, in addition to natural causes, has been exacerbated by increased poor anthropological activities. The importance of sorghum as a forage crop in saline areas has yet to be fully realized. Despite intraspecific variation in salt tolerance, sorghum is generally moderately salt-tolerant, and its productivity in saline soils can be remarkably limited. This is due to the difficulty of replicating optimal field saline conditions due to the great heterogeneity of salt distribution in the soil. As a promising fodder crop for saline areas, classic phenotype-based selection methods can be integrated with modern -omics in breeding programs to simultaneously address salt tolerance and production. To enable future manipulation, selection, and genetic improvement of sorghum with high yield and salt tolerance, here, we explore the potential positive correlations between the reliable indices of sorghum performance under salt stress at the phenotypic and genotypic level. We then explore the potential role of modern selection and genetic improvement programs in incorporating these linked salt tolerance and yield traits and propose a mechanism for future studies.
Highlights
Soil salinization is widespread resulting naturally from the retention of soluble salt in the soil
We propose a model for future prospective genetic improvement programs
The plant salt overly sensitive (SOS) is an important pathway that responds to salt stress by excluding Na+ ions from the cell (Rolly et al 2020). We suggest that these genes alongside SOS1 can be targeted to develop highly antioxidative potential and salt-induced desiccation-tolerant sorghum genotypes for forage production
Summary
Soil salinization is widespread resulting naturally from the retention of soluble salt in the soil. The net effects have been a disruption of ionic homeostasis to toxic levels as well as an osmotic imbalance which contribute to physiological drought which limits crop performance and productivity (Munns and Tester 2008). This poses an even more serious threat to food security and economic development in Africa and other lessdeveloped countries (Fao 2009). Despite its high drought tolerance, sorghum can withstand moderate levels of soil salinity, while high salinity stress limits its growth and productivity. Recent developments and breakthroughs in plant phenotyping and genotyping offer high potential for identifying and selecting salt-tolerant sorghum with high forage productivity and incorporating them with advanced breeding programs.
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