Future prospects and challenges in developing saline-tolerant banana

Abstract

Banana (Musa spp.) is an essential fruit with high economic value worldwide. One of the main environmental constraints in banana cultivation is abiotic stress on marginal land caused by salinity stress. This salinity stress can significantly reduce banana productivity and even cause plant death. Global climate change due to warming and reduced rainfall has increased the number of agricultural areas affected by salinity. This review article will describe current knowledge of biodiversity and various biological responses when banana plants are exposed to saline stress. This article also mentions the challenges in the banana breeding program with the current development of plant breeding and genetic engineering technology that could be used to create saline-tolerant banana accessions, its prospects, and the societal controversy underlying this technology. Thus, the information presented in this article could be a reference in the saline-tolerant banana breeding program.