Salt-tolerant Crops Research Articles

A novel high-affinity potassium transporter SeHKT1;2 from halophyte Salicornia europaea shows strong selectivity for Na+ rather than K.

High-affinity K+ transporters (HKTs) are known as transmembrane cation transporters and are involved in Na+ or Na+-K+ transport in plants. In this study, a novel HKT gene SeHKT1;2 was isolated and characterized from the halophyte, Salicornia europaea. It belongs to subfamily I of HKT and shows high homology with other halophyte HKT proteins. Functional characterization of SeHKT1;2 indicated that it contributes to facilitating Na+ uptake in Na+-sensitive yeast strains G19, however, cannot rescue the K+ uptake-defective phenotype of yeast strain CY162, demonstrating SeHKT1;2 selectively transports Na+ rather than K+. The addition of K+ along with NaCl relieved the Na+ sensitivity. Furthermore, heterologous expression of SeHKT1;2 in sos1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana increased salt sensitivity and could not rescued the transgenic plants. This study will provide valuable gene resources for improving the salt tolerance in other crops by genetic engineering.

Membrane Proteins in Plant Salinity Stress Perception, Sensing, and Response.

Plants have several mechanisms to endure salinity stress. The degree of salt tolerance varies significantly among different terrestrial crops. Proteins at the plant's cell wall and membrane mediate different physiological roles owing to their critical positioning between two distinct environments. A specific membrane protein is responsible for a single type of activity, such as a specific group of ion transport or a similar group of small molecule binding to exert multiple cellular effects. During salinity stress in plants, membrane protein functions: ion homeostasis, signal transduction, redox homeostasis, and solute transport are essential for stress perception, signaling, and recovery. Therefore, comprehensive knowledge about plant membrane proteins is essential to modulate crop salinity tolerance. This review gives a detailed overview of the membrane proteins involved in plant salinity stress highlighting the recent findings. Also, it discusses the role of solute transporters, accessory polypeptides, and proteins in salinity tolerance. Finally, some aspects of membrane proteins are discussed with potential applications to developing salt tolerance in crops.

B-type response regulator hst1 controls salinity tolerance in rice by regulating transcription factors and antioxidant mechanisms

Salinity is a serious environmental problem that limits plant yield in almost half of the agricultural fields. The hitomebore salt tolerant 1(hst1) is a mutant B-type response regulator gene that was reported to improve salinity tolerance in the ‘YNU31-2-4' (YNU) genotype. The sister line (SL) is salt-sensitive, and the nearest genomic relative of the YNU plant has the OsRR22 gene, which is the non-mutant form of the hst1 gene. Biochemical and comprehensive transcriptome analysis of SL and YNU plants was performed to clarify the salinity tolerance mechanism(s) mediated by the hst1 gene. The hst1 gene reduced Na+ ions, lipid peroxidation, and H2O2 content, and improve proline and antioxidant enzymes activities under salt stress. Various transporter and gene-specific transcriptional regulator genes up-regulated in presence of the hst1 gene under saline conditions, identifying that post-stress transcription factors (OsbHLH056, OsH43, OsGRAS29, and OsMADS1) contributed to improved salinity tolerance in YNU plants. Specifically, OsSalT, miR156, and OsLPT1.16 genes were up-regulated, while upstream (OsHKs and OsHPs) and downstream regulators of the OsRR22 gene were down-regulated in YNU plants under saline conditions. Notably, the transcription factors reprogramming, upstream and downstream genes, indicate that these pathways are transcriptionally regulated by the hst1 gene. The findings of the regulatory role of the hst1 gene on plant transcriptome provide a greater understanding of hst1–mediated salt tolerance in rice plants. This knowledge will contribute to understanding the salinity tolerance mechanisms in rice and the evolution of salt-tolerant crops with the ability to withstand higher salinity to ensure food security during climate change.

Study of changes in soil-reclamation characteristics during collector-water irrigation

The paper considers land and water resources use and quality of return flow and its re-use for irrigation of salt tolerant crops in conditions of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The article considers land and water resources use and quality of return water and its reuse for irrigation of salt-tolerant crops in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The volume of the return (collector) flow and its quality in the Republic entirely depend on water availability, i.e. water availability in the Amu Darya River. In high-water years, such as 1992, 2005, 2010 and 2017, the return flow volume reached 3.0 billion m3, which constituted 35-38% of the total water withdrawal used for crop irrigation. In high-water years, almost 65% of the total water withdrawal has a salinity of 3.0 g/l, which is quite suitable for some food crops. Under conditions of fresh water deficit in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, multi-year (2000-2018) experimental-production research on collector-drainage water use for irrigation of salt-resistant forage, vegetable-gourd crops, pasture-hayfields, as well as for liman irrigation of wild forage crops (reed and others), was conducted. Based on the findings of the research, the article offers practical and scientific recommendations for solving these problems.

Genome-wide identification, evolution and expression analysis of NAC gene family under salt stress in wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides. L)

The NAC transcription factor (TF) family is one of the largest plant-specific gene families, playing the vital roles in plant growth and development as well as stress response. Although it has been extensively characterized in many plants, the significance of NAC family in wild emmer wheat is not well understood up to now. Here, a total of 200 NAC transcription factors were identified in wild emmer (TdNACs) through a genome-search method, which were classified into 12 subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationship. And the members in the subfamily shared similar exon-intron structure and conversed domain organization. Collinearity analysis revealed that segmental duplication and polyploidization contributed mainly to the expansion of TdNACs. Furthermore, the genetic variations of TdNACs were investigated using the re-sequencing data and genetic bottleneck has occurred on NAC genes when wild emmer domesticated to cultivated emmer wheat. Finally, the expression patterns of these TdNACs were investigated using RNA-seq data of the salt-tolerant genotype under salt stress to obtain salt-responsive TdNACs, and 10 out of which were further validated using QPCR analysis. This study provided the targets for further functional study of TdNAC genes, and also contributed to mine novel genes for improving the salt tolerance in wheat and other crops.

Transcription elongation factor AtSPT4-2 positively modulates salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

BackgroundSalt stress significantly influences plant growth and reduces crop yield. It is highly anticipated to develop salt-tolerant crops with salt tolerance genes and transgenic technology. Hence, it is critical to identify salt tolerance genes that can be used to improve crop salt tolerance.ResultsWe report that the transcription elongation factor suppressor of Ty 4-2 (SPT4-2) is a positive modulator of salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. AtSPT4-2 expression is induced by salt stress. Knockout mutants of AtSPT4-2 display a salt-sensitive phenotype, whereas AtSPT4-2 overexpression lines exhibit enhanced salt tolerance. Comparative transcriptomic analyses revealed that AtSPT4-2 may orchestrate the expression of genes associated with salt tolerance, including stress-responsive markers, protein kinases and phosphatases, salt-responsive transcription factors and those maintaining ion homeostasis, suggesting that AtSPT4-2 improves salt tolerance mainly by maintaining ion homeostasis and enhancing stress tolerance.ConclusionsAtSPT4-2 positively modulates salt tolerance by maintaining ion homeostasis and regulating stress-responsive genes and serves as a candidate for the improvement of crop salt tolerance.

Assessment and mechanism analysis of plant salt tolerance regulates soil moisture dynamics and controls root zone salinity and sodicity in seasonally irrigated agroecosystems

Soil water deficit and saline-alkaline stress impose severe constrains to agriculture and vary across different salt-tolerant crops. Yet, the effects and mechanisms of plant salt tolerance on long-term soil water budget and future root zone (both primary and secondary) salinization and alkalization trends under changing environments in irrigated agroecosystems have not been fully understood, particularly driven by seasonal irrigation practices and stochastic climate conditions. Here, we introduce a robust species-dependent soil water, salinity, and sodicity coupled model that enables explicitly simulation to the feedback between evapotranspiration and salinity being shaped by plant salt tolerance and saturated hydraulic conductivity as affected by salinization and alkalization in seasonally irrigated agroecosystems. Using this model in conjunction with field comprehensive measurements from a typical arid inland river basin in Northwest China, we find that the species-dependent model performed well in simulating the root zone moisture (s), salinity (Cs) and sodicity (Ex) dynamics as driven by seasonal irrigation and random precipitation under different salt-tolerant crops, with average consistency measure (CM) reaching to 0.825 ± 0.017, 0.819 ± 0.027 and 0.728 ± 0.033, respectively. Stochastic simulations indicate that plant salt tolerance plays a predominant role in regulating the feedback of vegetation on soil water budget and root zone salinity and sodicity levels over time in seasonally irrigated agroecosystems. In contrast to salt-sensitive species, salt-tolerant plants seems to exhibit higher efficiency in water extraction from soil, with higher evapotranspiration rates, less frequent leaching events and greater capillary upflow fluxes, thereby lowering soil moisture and boosting salinization and alkalization in the root zone, particularly in arid climates. Sensitivity analysis revealed that plant salt tolerance, together with climatic forcing and anthropogenic perturbations, can significantly modulate the soil water balance and determine the possible trends of root zone salinization and alkalization in future, thus controlling potential risks of soil degradation related to reducing soil hydraulic conductivity Ks(Cs, Ex) in irrigated agroecosystems. Notably, since Ks(Cs, Ex) decreases with plant salt tolerance increases, salt-resilient species have the potential to exacerbate soil degradation. Our results emphasize the importance of comprehensively considering plant salt tolerance for assessing the sustainability of agricultural management practices and environmental protection measures, as well as proposing adaptive strategies under global changes.

Bracelet salt glands of the recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor: Distribution, morphology, and induction.

Halophytes complete their life cycles in saline environments. The recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor has evolved a specialized salt secretory structure, the salt gland, which excretes Na+ to avoid salt damage. Typical L. bicolor salt glands consist of 16 cells with four fluorescent foci and four secretory pores. Here, we describe a special type of salt gland at the base of the L. bicolor leaf petiole named bracelet salt glands due to their beaded-bracelet-like shape of blue auto-fluorescence. Bracelet salt glands contain more than 16 cells and more than four secretory pores. Leaf disc secretion measurements and non-invasive micro-test techniques indicated that bracelet salt glands secrete more salt than normal salt glands, which helps maintain low Na+ levels at the leaf blade to protect the leaf. Cytokinin treatment induced bracelet salt gland differentiation, and the developed ones showed no further differentiation when traced with a living fluorescence microscopy imager, even though new salt gland development and leaf expansion were observed. Transcriptome revealed a NAC transcription factor gene that participates in bracelet salt gland development, as confirmed by its genome editing and overexpression in L. bicolor. These findings shed light on bracelet salt gland development and may facilitate the engineering of salt-tolerant crops.

Integrated microbiological and metabolomics analyses to understand the mechanism that allows modified biochar to affect the alkalinity of saline soil and winter wheat growth

In order to understand the mechanism that allows modified biochar (BC) to enhance the salt tolerance and growth of crops in saline-alkali soil, we tested the effects of ordinary BC, nanoparticle-size BC, acidified BC (HBC), and acidified nanoparticle-size BC on winter wheat growth and the soil properties by combining microbiological and metabolomics analyses. The results showed that compared with the control with no BC, the plant height increased by 17.33 % under HBC and the proportion of large soil aggregates increased by 1.25–2.83 times. HBC increased the relative abundances of some dominant genera of bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus) and fungi (e.g., Mycothermus), as well as functions such as bacterial metabolic genetic information processing and cellular processes, and reduced the abundance of pathotrophic fungi. Metabolomics analysis showed that HBC upregulated various metabolites (including amino acids and their derivatives, lipids, flavonoids, and organic acids) and five main metabolic pathways. Among the KEGG pathways, the pyrimidine metabolism pathway was significantly upregulated, as well as crop leaf metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, and valine, leucine, and isoleucine metabolism, and the antioxidant levels and resistance to salt-alkali stress were enhanced in winter wheat leaves. Partial least squares-path modeling suggested that HBC affected the growth of winter wheat by significantly changing the soil physicochemical properties and microbial structure (path coefficients of 0.566 and 0.512, respectively).

Salt tolerance in Brassicaceae crops: physiological responses and molecular mechanisms.

Soil salinisation is a growing threat to global agriculture, reducing crop yields. Brassicaceae crops are vital vegetables and cash crops. Salt stress significantly affects the growth and development of Brassicaceae crops. A better understanding of the molecular and physiological mechanisms of salt tolerance is of theoretical and practical importance to improve Brassicaceae crop's salt tolerance and crop quality. Combined with previous research results, we discuss recent advances in research on salt stress response and salt tolerance in Brassicaceae crops. We summarised recent research progress on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of ionic homeostasis, antioxidant regulation, hormonal regulation and accumulation of osmotic-adjustment substances. We also discussed the molecular mechanism of Brassicaceae crop salt tolerant varieties from the perspective of differentially expressed genes, differentially expressed proteins and metabolites through transcriptome, proteome and metabonomic analysis methods. This paper summarises the molecular mechanisms in the perspective of differentially expressed genes, differentially expressed proteins, and metabolites through transcriptomic, proteome and metabolomics analysis. The review provides abundant data for accelerating the breeding of salt-tolerant Brassicaceae and laid a foundation for understanding the mechanism of salt tolerance of Brassicaceae crops and breeding salt-tolerance varieties.

A comparative study on salt stress response of Camelina sativa and Carthamus tinctorius during germination

Soil salinization is one of the most significant global problems, leading to reduced agricultural productivity potential and biodiversity. The main salt commonly found on the surface of soils and in water is NaCl, which directly impacts plant growth and land degradation. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the morpho-physiological characteristics of two genotypes of Camelina sativa (?NS Slatka?; ?NS Zlatka?) and two genotypes of Carthamus tinctorius (?NS Lana?; ?NS Una?), which potentially characterize them as salt-tolerant crops. The levels of salinity tolerance were compared under five NaCl treatments, ranging from 0 mM to 200 mM. Based on the obtained results, seeds of all four genotypes germinated at the highest salt concentration (200mM NaCl), but the germination percentage declined at all salt concentrations. Moreover, lower salt concentrations induced root elongation and reduced shoot length of seedlings of all four genotypes. Salt stress tolerance indexes showed the importance of converting the plant parameters into mathematical indexes, and the significance of comparing all the tolerance indexes according to salt stress.

A novel biorefinery concept based on marginally used halophyte biomass

Optimizing the organosolv process parameters towards establishing a novel biorefinery concept based on marginally used halophyte biomass.

Response of Contrasting Rice Genotypes to Zinc Sources under Saline Conditions

Abiotic stresses are among the major limiting factors for plant growth and crop productivity. Among these, salinity is one of the major risk factors for plant growth and development in arid to semi-arid regions. Cultivation of salt tolerant crop genotypes is one of the imperative approaches to meet the food demand for increasing population. The current experiment was carried out to access the performance of different rice genotypes under salinity stress and Zinc (Zn) sources. Four rice genotypes were grown in a pot experiment and were exposed to salinity stress (7 dS m−1), and Zn (15 mg kg−1 soil) was applied from two sources, ZnSO4 and Zn-EDTA. A control of both salinity and Zn was kept for comparison. Results showed that based on the biomass accumulation and K+/Na+ ratio, KSK-133 and BAS-198 emerged as salt tolerant and salt sensitive, respectively. Similarly, based on the Zn concentration, BAS-2000 was reported as Zn-in-efficient while IR-6 was a Zn-efficient genotype. Our results also revealed that plant growth, relative water content (RWC), physiological attributes including chlorophyll contents, ionic concentrations in straw and grains of all rice genotypes were decreased under salinity stress. However, salt tolerant and Zn-in-efficient rice genotypes showed significantly higher shoot K+ and Zn concentrations under saline conditions. Zinc application significantly alleviates the harmful effects of salinity by improving morpho-physiological attributes and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, and the uptake of K and Zn. The beneficial effect of Zn was more pronounced in salt-tolerant and Zn in-efficient rice genotypes as compared with salt-sensitive and Zn-efficient genotypes. In sum, our results confirmed that Zn application increased overall plant’s performance under saline conditions, particularly in Zn in-efficient and tolerant genotypes as compared with salt-sensitive and Zn efficient rice genotypes.

Properties of Biochar with Different Raw Materials and Carbonization Conditions and the Effect of Its Application on the Growth of Salt-tolerant Crop in Saline Soil

Properties of Biochar with Different Raw Materials and Carbonization Conditions and the Effect of Its Application on the Growth of Salt-tolerant Crop in Saline Soil

Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics and Response Patterns of Salinity Stress Responsive Genes (SSRGs) in Wild Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L.)

Cultivating salt-tolerant crops is a feasible way to effectively utilize saline-alkali land and solve the problem of underutilization of saline soils. Quinoa, a protein-comprehensive cereal in the plant kingdom, is an exceptional crop in terms of salt stress tolerance level. It seems an excellent model for the exploration of salt-tolerance mechanisms and cultivation of salt-tolerant germplasms. In this study, the seeds and seedlings of the quinoa cultivar Shelly were treated with different concentrations of NaCl solution. The physiological, biochemical characteristics and agronomic traits were investigated, and the response patterns of three salt stress-responsive genes (SSRGs) in quinoa were determined by real-time PCR. The optimum level of stress tolerance of quinoa cultivar Shelly was found in the range of 250–350 mM concentration of NaCl. Salt stress significantly induced expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and particularly betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH). BADH was discovered to be more sensitive to salt stress and played an important role in the salt stress tolerance of quinoa seedlings, particularly at high NaCl concentrations, as it displayed upregulation until 24 h under 100 mM salt treatment. Moreover, it showed upregulation until 12 h under 250 mM salt stress. Taken together, these results suggest that BADH played an essential role in the salt-tolerance mechanism of quinoa. Based on the expression level and prompt response induced by NaCl, we suggest that the BADH can be considered as a molecular marker for screening salt-tolerant quinoa germplasm at the early stages of crop development. Salt treatment at different plant ontogeny or at different concentrations had a significant impact on quinoa growth. Therefore, an appropriate treatment approach needs to be chosen rationally in the process of screening salt-tolerant quinoa germplasm, which is useful to the utilization of saline soils. Our study provides a fundamental information to deepen knowledge of the salt tolerance mechanism of quinoa for the development of salt-tolerant germplasm in crop breeding programs.

Isolation and Characterization of Dehydrin Gene from Egyptian Gray Mangrove in Nabq Protectorate

ABSTRACT: Dehydrins have a key role in protecting plants, especially in the grey mangrove tree Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. from salt stress. Understanding the mangrove plants at the molecular level will be necessary for developing such highly salt-tolerant crops. The full-length cDNA of the DHN gene sequence AmDHN was isolated from Avicennia marina and contained a 588bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 195 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of about 19.746k Da. As well as, multiple alignment sequences and phylogenetic relationships were analyzed for sequences using MEGA7 software revealing that AmDHN has a high identity with other DHNs plants and suggesting that AmDHN belongs to group II (LEA) proteins. Using bioinformatics analysis tools, we have investigated characterize and gene expression to better understand the structure and function analysis prediction of the AmDHN protein. AmDHN protein contains motifs (SYK2), Sn, Yn segment, and at least one copy of a lysine-rich conserved sequence known as K-segment (consensus EKKGIME/DKIKEKLPG) near the C terminal, the 3D predicted the structure protein sequence of the secondary structure, the top 5 final models using by I-TASSER server and several parameters computed by the software were obtained. Our results indicate that the AmDHN gene plays an essential role in salt stress remediation in the Avicennia marina. They could be used for further studies to understand the molecular mechanisms of salinity tolerance in plants and can be potentially utilized in transforming other plants to improve tolerance to salinity stress.

“Exploring the Potential for Collector-Drainage Water Reuse in Fodder Crop Farming: A Case Study in Uzbekistan’s Mizachul Steppe”

The recycling of collector-drainage water (CDW) with high mineral content increases the salt levels in inland water bodies, which can limit the usability of the water downstream. To improve the agricultural irrigation system and livestock production in Central Asia, comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research is needed to analyze the inter-annual and multiyear CDW generation patterns. A Ph.D. research study has been designed to investigate the amount, quality, and ionic composition of CDW and its reuse potential for maize crops in the Mirzachul steppe of Uzbekistan. Reusing drainage water is an effective approach to supplementing water resources and reducing drainage disposal problems by reducing the volume of water involved. Reusing drainage water for irrigation can also mitigate water pollution issues. Different reuse methods include conventional agriculture, salt-tolerant crop cultivation, wildlife habitats and wetlands, and initial reclamation of salt-affected lands. In recent years, salinity levels in all major CDWs have shown a continuous increase. The present study is based on scientific research that involved proper fieldwork monitoring and observation while irrigating maize crops with a mixture of salt water and fresh water.

Elucidation of the morpho-physiological traits of maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress

Agriculture is an essential sector for the increasing world population, hence the need for more food production. However, the aim of increasing food crop production is mostly suppressed by abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. Salinity is a major limiting factor that inhibits the potential of plant growth and productivity worldwide. Hence, understanding the mechanisms behind plant stress response is important for developing new biomarker approaches that will increase salt tolerance in crops. To survive, plants exhibit various morphological, physiological, and biochemical processes when faced with saline conditions. This study was carried out to explore and evaluate the morphological and physiological effects of salinity on maize grown in the absence/presence of NaCl, followed by measurement of the various growth parameters at the end of a treatment cycle. Results of the study revealed that salt stress significantly decreased growth parameters such as plant height, leaf number, leaf width, leaf area, leaf length, and shoot (weight and length). On the other hand, salinity decreased physiological traits such as stomatal count, stomatal density, transpiration, and respiration rates. This study has shown the negative effects of salt stress on the morphology and physiology of maize. These findings can be used as a reference tool in stress response studies focusing on salt stress pathways in maize and other related crops.

Proteomic Approaches to Uncover Salt Stress Response Mechanisms in Crops.

Salt stress is an unfavorable outcome of global climate change, adversely affecting crop growth and yield. It is the second-biggest abiotic factor damaging the morphological, physio-biochemical, and molecular processes during seed germination and plant development. Salt responses include modulation of hormonal biosynthesis, ionic homeostasis, the antioxidant defense system, and osmoprotectants to mitigate salt stress. Plants trigger salt-responsive genes, proteins, and metabolites to cope with the damaging effects of a high salt concentration. Enhancing salt tolerance among crop plants is direly needed for sustainable global agriculture. Novel protein markers, which are used for crop improvement against salt stress, are identified using proteomic techniques. As compared to single-technique approaches, the integration of genomic tools and exogenously applied chemicals offers great potential in addressing salt-stress-induced challenges. The interplay of salt-responsive proteins and genes is the missing key of salt tolerance. The development of salt-tolerant crop varieties can be achieved by integrated approaches encompassing proteomics, metabolomics, genomics, and genome-editing tools. In this review, the current information about the morphological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of salt response/tolerance in crops is summarized. The significance of proteomic approaches to improve salt tolerance in various crops is highlighted, and an integrated omics approach to achieve global food security is discussed. Novel proteins that respond to salt stress are potential candidates for future breeding of salt tolerance.

Irrigation water quality in the western Mitidja, Algeria: A case study of Sidi Rached watershed​

The Sidi Rached watershed, located in the west of the Mitidja plain, is experiencing an important agricultural activity which is constantly increasing and is manifested by an excessive use of groundwater and inputs, in particular fertilizers. However, uncontrolled practices are observed and cause the deterioration of water and soil. To assess the consequences of these practices on the environment, a study was conducted in Sidi Rached watershed in the west of Mitidja plain, during 2008 and 2010 by conducting surveys involving agricultural institutions and farmers to establish the technical itineraries used by the farmers during the two years 2008 and 2010. Secondarily, analysis on the physico-chemical properties of the groundwater was carried out, which is mainly used for irrigation. The monitoring of the quality of this ground water was carried out on agricultural drillings from 50 water samples taken and analyzed. The main parameters analyzed were nitrate concentrations and mineralization rates. The results obtained are significant: more than 45% and more than 60% of the samples taken for the years 2008 and 2010 respectively exceed the norms of potability established by the World Health Organisation. Therefore, this could be a threat to public health and to the sustainability of the resource. These waters, although acceptable for irrigation, must be used on salt-tolerant crops and on well-drained or permeable soils to control salinity. The future of the agricultural plain depends on the quality of its resources, water and soil, and this is closely linked to the ability of managers and farmers to strike a balance between productivity and preservation of natural resources.