Sustainable soybean production and abiotic stress management in saline environments: a critical review

Abstract

Soybean ('Glycine max' L.) is an important oilseed crop around the world. Soybean growth, development and productivity are affected by changing environments that induce abiotic stresses. In soybean, salinity acts as a major abiotic stress that increases electrolyte leakage as well as Na+ and proline content in plants, and adversely affects plant physiology. This review offers an understanding of how the growth, yield attributes, and yield of soybean decrease under salinity stress. To appreciate how soybean can better adapt to a changing climate that induces salinity stress, an understanding of the mechanisms underlying this stress is needed. Improved performance and yield in response to salinity stress can emerge from the application of novel strategies, such as the development of transgenic crops that enhance salt tolerance in soybean. Effective management strategies, including the use of compatible antioxidants such as proline or glycinebetaine, coupled with a more effective balance of nutrients or the use of organic fertilizers, allow salinity to be mitigated, thereby improving yield and other growth-related quality parameters in soybean.