From Salinity to Nutrient-Rich Vegetables: Strategies for Quality Enhancement in Protected Cultivation

Abstract

Salinity, a significant abiotic stressor, imperils vegetable growth, yield, and quality. Moreover, elevated salinity levels, driven by climate change, jeopardize vegetable nutritional quality. In particular, protected cultivation systems, responsible for 60% of the global vegetable industry’s economic value, encounter notable challenges in managing salinity due to water runoff and drainage mechanism limitations. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the intricate mechanisms that control salinity and use this knowledge to improve plant tolerance to these conditions. In this study, we explore strategies to effectively mitigate the detrimental impacts of salinity on vegetable crops cultivated within protected environments. Additionally, we investigate the benefits of controlled moderate salinity adjustments in protected cultivation to enhance their nutritional content. Moderate salinity or nutrient solution increases typically raise total soluble solids, sugar, vitamin C, phenols, lycopene, and antioxidants in most fruit vegetables. Though generally applicable to leafy vegetables, exceptions like lettuce and wild rocket may show inconsistencies, potentially reducing some quality traits. Interdisciplinary approaches are essential to developing sustainable solutions for managing salinity in protected cultivation systems, thereby ensuring the resilience of vegetable production in the face of changing environmental conditions. Given the impracticality of desalinating all areas, future research should also investigate synergies between moderate salinity stress, cultivars used, and environmental factors from physiological and molecular perspectives to enhance vegetable nutritional quality.