Impact of Salinity on the Behavior of Fungi

Abstract

Salinity of the soil and water is one of the principal environmental elements that might influence the soil proprieties, crop production, distribution plant pathogens and their associated diseases. In addition to preventing plant growth and development, salinity also has an impact on antagonistic and pathogenic of numerous fungi. In addition to its direct effects on crops, salinity has been a significant problem that causes additional damage by enhancing the predisposition of plants to biotic diseases. However, salinity may either a potential antifungal agent by reducing mycelia growth, sporulation and conidial germination or increases the virulence of diseases by promoting the production of enzymatic activities including cellulase, pectin lyase, and polygalacturonase by the microorganisms. The effect of this environmentally agent on the growth and reproductive parameters differs between species, either directly or indirectly. There are numerous fungal species that can grow in situations with high salt concentrations; the majority of them are halotolerant, but there are also some halophilic species that can only flourish in salty conditions. The aim of this review is to characterize behavior fungal regarding salinity, in order to develop an integrated pest management strategy that incorporates biological, chemical, and cultural control approaches for disease management, economical effective, and extremely appealing for better crop quality and environmental sustainability in these salinity-related conditions.