Salty Conditions Research Articles

Effects of liquid organic fertilizer on growth and volatile components of Arugula under salinity

The effects of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) made from anaerobic digestion on some physiological factors and volatile components of arugula plants that were grown in salty conditions were investigated. The experiment was conducted in three different stages. In the first two stages, seeds were grown in petri dishes and pots for seven days. The third stage involved growing seedlings in pots for 60 days. Salinity inhibited the germination of 7-day arugula seedlings in petri dishes and their emergence in pots. In these stages, LOF pretreatment failed to eliminate stress-induced inhibition. Some physiological parameters were analyzed in 60-day seedlings in the third stage. Salt-induced inhibition showed significant negative effects on all parameters. In contrast to previous stages, LOF (1% and 5%) and NPK had positive effects in all groups at the third stage, eliminating salt stress in all parameters except water content. Contrary to expectations, volatile components showed no significant change but had fluctuating values due to salt stress or fertilizer treatments.

Nitrogen removal performance and mechanism in constructed wetlands under saline conditions: Role of Canna indica inoculated with Piriformospora indica

The phytopromotional root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica was introduced into the wetland plant Canna indica L. to explore its impact on nitrogen (N) removal in constructed wetlands (CWs) to treat normal and saline (0.9 % NaCl) wastewater. P. indica colonization increased total nitrogen, NH4+-N, and NO3–-N removal efficiencies under normal and saline conditions, with NO3–-N removal rates significantly increasing by 17.5 % under saline conditions (P<0.05). N removal by plant uptake improved by 26.1 % and 27.7 % under normal and saline conditions due to P. indica-mediated growth-promoting effects. Salt-tolerant denitrifiers and nitrifiers guaranteed the dominant role of microbial degradation in N removal under saline conditions. P. indica inoculation considerably improved the contribution of Nocardioides and Nitrosomnas to dissimilatory/assimilatory nitrate reduction and nitrification genes, respectively. These findings elucidate the mechanisms and potential applications of P. indica-mediated phytoremediation in practical wastewater treatment under varying salty conditions.

Utilization of recycled materials for low-cost MXene synthesis and fabrication of graphite/MXene composite for enhanced water desalination performance

Access to clean and safe drinking water is essential to human health, economic progress, and ecological stability. Advanced materials have emerged to advance water treatment processes, particularly desalination, but are associated with the major challenge of being fabricated through environmentally taxing mining processes, which contributes to the carbon footprint. This study explores an innovative approach of using a renewable carbon-rich material derived from waste to create MXene nanocomposites that are applied to improve water thermal desalination. The synthesis of MXenes from recycled materials involves a series of chemical and exfoliation procedures, resulting in the production of two-dimensional nanosheets with exceptional electrical and mechanical properties. The integration of biomass offers a sustainable alternative to traditional precursors used for MXene preparation and introduces unique functional groups onto the MXene surface, which enhances its ability to absorb substances. This nanocomposite successfully produced solar evaporation rates of up to 3.0 kg m−2h−1 with 96.03 % solar steam conversion efficiency under single solar irradiation (1 sun). Through extensive characterization of SEM, FESEM, EDX, XRD, BET, contact angle, and performance assessments of desalination and water quality by ICP-OES, this study sheds light on the underlying mechanisms driving the improved water desalination capabilities of MXene composites. The composite materials show great mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical stability against acidic, alkali, and concentrated salty conditions. Mechanical robustness is the key advantage of this work. The findings underscore the importance of sustainable material utilization and highlight the potential of MXene composites as next-generation solutions for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly water desalination technologies.

Numerical Investigation of Fatigue Behavior in Ti-6Al-4V Orthopedic Hip Implants Subjected to Different Environments.

In this paper, hip implants made of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy are analyzed numerically using Extended Finite Element Method XFEM. The combined effect of corrosion and fatigue was considered here since this is a common cause of failure of hip implants. Experimental testing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was performed to determine its mechanical properties under different working environments, including normal, salty, and humid conditions. The integrity and life of the hip implant were assessed using the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) approach. For this purpose, the conditional fracture toughness Kq using CT specimens from all three groups (normal, humid, salty conditions) were determined. This provided insight into how different aggressive environments affect the behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy; i.e., how much its resistance to crack growth would degrade depending on conditions corresponding to the real exploitation of hip implants. Next, analytical and XFEM analyses of fatigue behavior in terms of the number of cycles were performed for all three groups, and the obtained results showed good agreement, confirming the validity of the integrity assessment approach shown in this work, which also represented a novel approach since fatigue and corrosion effects were investigated simultaneously.

Inside-out templating: A strategy to decorate helical carbon nanotubes and 2D MoS2 on ethyl cellulose sponge for enhanced oil adsorption and oil/water separation

Ethyl cellulose (EC)-based composite sponges were developed for oil spillage treatment. The EC sponge surface was decorated with helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) (1 phr) using the inside-out sugar templating method. The inside surface of a sugar cube was coated with HCNTs and MoS2. After filling the sugar cube pores with EC and the subsequent sugar leaching, the decorating materials presented on the sponge surface. The EC/HCNT/MoS2 sponge had a high level of oil removal based on its adsorption capacity (41.68 g/g), cycled adsorption (∼75–79 %), separation flux efficiency (∼85–95 %), and efficiency in oil/water emulsion separation (92–94 %). The sponge maintained adsorption capacity in acidic, basic, and salty conditions, adsorbed oil under water, and functioned as an oil/water separator in a continuous pump-assisted system. The compressive stress and Young's modulus of the EC sponge increased following its decoration using HCNTs and MoS2. The composite sponge was robust based on cycled compression and was thermally stable up to ∼120 οC. Based on the eco-friendliness of EC, the low loading of HCNTs and MoS2, and sponge versatility, the developed EC/HCNT/MoS2 sponge should be good candidate for use in sustainable oil adsorption and separation applications.

Internal Fruit Quality Is Maintained in Eggplant under Mild Long-Term Salt Treatment

Modern Solanum melongena varieties have been developed to improve the content of phenolics, sugars, and nutritionally relevant minerals in fruit. However, fruit composition might be altered due to abiotic stresses like salinity. Physiological and fruit quality traits were evaluated in four eggplant landraces under usual irrigation and moderately salty irrigation conditions (80 mM NaCl). Growing parameters measured included root length, leaf surface, and fresh weight, while fruit composition traits included sugars, phenolics, and mineral content determinations. Few differences were observed for agronomic traits, probably due to the mild tolerance of eggplant to salinity. Some varieties showed signs of salt tolerance like an increase in primary root length to overcome salt stress. Glucose was the metabolite more affected by the salt treatment in the fruit, while phenolic compounds and other metabolites studied were not altered. Significant differences were observed in the main minerals Na, K, Ca, P, and Mg, both between genotypes and treatments. Although salinity produced changes in some physiological and developmental traits, the composition of the fruit was not significantly modified for the accessions tested. Mineral, sugar, and phenolic contents were not particularly altered in unripe fruits, indicating tolerance of eggplant varieties to salinity in terms of fruit quality.

Overexpression of GiLEA5-2.1, a late embryogenesis abundant gene LEA3 from Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat., enhances the drought and salt stress tolerance of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana)

Abiotic stress, including drought and salt, reduces the yield of all major crop plants globally. Exploring the stress tolerance factors and mechanisms of dominant species is still an urgent task that is crucial for food and feed production. Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat., which is a halophytic plant, is economically important due to its medicinal, feeding, and ecological value. The plant is widely distributed in the salinized land of Northwest China. The plant demonstrates a robust capacity to withstand drought and salt stress, rendering it an excellent candidate for investigating the molecular mechanism behind drought and salt stress tolerance. Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins have been ascribed as significant stress tolerance factors attributed to their crucial role in improving the resilience against drought and salt stress. However, research on the salt tolerance mechanism of G. inflata is rare and limited to the physiological level. Furthermore, the role of the genes in G. inflata during abiotic stress conditions remains unclear. In this research, comprehensive knowledge of how G. inflata responds to salt stress was attained by investigating RNA-seq transcriptomes from the root of seedlings treated with 200 mM NaCl for three different time points (0 h, 3 h, and 48 h). Compared to the control, the roots exhibited a significant up-regulation in MDA and proline content as well as SOD and POD activity. The RNA-seq analysis revealed that there were 1938 DEGs that were common across various time points. GO and KEGG indicated that during salt stress, DEGs were found to be abundant in starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and the ABA signaling pathway. The correlation analysis suggested that Glyur000227s00015126.1 (GiLEA5–2.1) might be a candidate gene modulating the protection of G. inflata roots from salt stress. Apparently, the expression of GiLEA5–2.1 was triggered by drought and salt treatments. To investigate the role of GiLEA5–2.1 in drought and salt stress, plants overexpressed-GiLEA5–2.1 were generated. Overexpression of GiLEA5–2.1 in tobacco (N. benthamiana) could improve resistance against drought and salinity. Under drought and salty conditions, plants that overexpressed GiLEA5–2.1 exhibited enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes and higher proline levels, along with decreased MDA content. Functional analyses demonstrate that GiLEA5–2.1 has a positive role in drought and salt treatments, it significantly increased the ability of tobacco to withstand drought and salt stress.

The Impact of Salinity on Crop Yields and the Confrontational Behavior of Transcriptional Regulators, Nanoparticles, and Antioxidant Defensive Mechanisms under Stressful Conditions: A Review.

One of the most significant environmental challenges to crop growth and yield worldwide is soil salinization. Salinity lowers soil solution water potential, causes ionic disequilibrium and specific ion effects, and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) buildup, causing several physiological and biochemical issues in plants. Plants have developed biological and molecular methods to combat salt stress. Salt-signaling mechanisms regulated by phytohormones may provide additional defense in salty conditions. That discovery helped identify the molecular pathways that underlie zinc-oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-NP)-based salt tolerance in certain plants. It emphasized the need to study processes like transcriptional regulation that govern plants' many physiological responses to such harsh conditions. ZnO-NPs have shown the capability to reduce salinity stress by working with transcription factors (TFs) like AP2/EREBP, WRKYs, NACs, and bZIPs that are released or triggered to stimulate plant cell osmotic pressure-regulating hormones and chemicals. In addition, ZnO-NPs have been shown to reduce the expression of stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) while also affecting transcriptional factors. Those systems helped maintain protein integrity, selective permeability, photosynthesis, and other physiological processes in salt-stressed plants. This review examined how salt stress affects crop yield and suggested that ZnO-NPs could reduce plant salinity stress instead of osmolytes and plant hormones.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic melamine sponge composite sorbent in supercritical carbon dioxide atmosphere for selective and effective oil removal from water

In this study, both the modification of activated halloysite nanotube (HNT) with methyltriethoxysilane (METES) and the fabrication of durable, superhydrophobic (water contact angle: 153.0°) and superoleophilic (oil contact angle: 0 °) melamine sponge (MS)-HNT-METES sorbent material (MS-METES) were achieved in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) atmosphere. For the coating of MS with clay mineral and METES through sol-gel reaction in scCO2, optimal process conditions were determined to be pressure difference of 60 bars at 35 °C, solvent/METES mass ratio of 7.5, METES/MS mass ratio of 10, and degas time of 400 s. Successful preparation of MS-METES was proven by XPS, FTIR, 29Si-MAS NMR, SEM, and contact angle measurements. MS-METES displayed excellent sorption capacity for various petroleum products, oils, and organic solvents (49.6–122.4 g/g), remarkable oil-water separation efficiency (99.1%, for continuous separation technique), high selectivity for oil/organic solvent in acidic, salty, and alkaline solution conditions, good reusability, chemical stability and robustness, and outstanding flexibility and mechanical stability. We believe that the innovative process used in this study will have great potential to be used by researchers in the direct fabrication of new superhydrophobic and superoleophilic sorbent materials for the selective removal of oil and organic solvent spills from water.

Foliar Fertilization: A Potential Strategy for Improving Plant Salt Tolerance

Soil salinity is a significant abiotic stressor that inhibits agricultural productivity globally. Researchers have been trying for a long to apply fertilizers to crops growing on salt affected soils so as to achieve improved crop growth. Although a variety of techniques are in vogue to apply fertilizers, foliar fertilization, which may provide plants with necessary nutrients directly through their leaves, is a potential technique for improving plant salt tolerance. This review outlines recent developments in the field of foliar fertilization for increased salt tolerance. We particularly examine the processes that increase plant salt tolerance by foliar fertilization, as well as the problems and possibilities connected with this technique. We also discuss the commercial foliar fertilizers that have been evaluated for salt tolerance improvement and up to what extent they are receptive by the farming community for the widespread use of this approach of nutrient supplementation. A range of fertilization strategies, including foliar supplementation, and soil-based methods, with a particular emphasis on essential nutrients applied through foliage, is discussed at length. Moreover, we also underline the necessity for more studies to enhance nutrient composition, absorption efficiency, and administration strategies. Thus, foliar fertilization has the potential to become a commonly used strategy for boosting crop productivity in salty conditions.

The synergy of zinc oxide supported magnetic cobalt ferrite: Efficient boosting the peroxymonosulfate activation towards the refractory organic pollutants elimination

Herein, we report the construction of ZnO-supported spinel CoFe2O4 (CFO) nanocomposites, i.e., CFZ, by a facile hydrothermal method, as an effective peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for the degradation of organic pollutants. The optimized hybrid catalyst CFZ 1:1 showed excellent enhancement in efficiency towards BPA decontamination as compared to the single metal oxides alone and the mixing of CFO and ZnO powder. Under the conditions of 0.5 g.L−1 CFZ 1:1, 0.2 g.L−1 PMS, and non-adjusted pH, the removal efficiencies of 95% and 67% were attained for BPA (20 mg.L−1) and TOC within 20 mins reaction. The catalytic decontamination process could adapt to a wide pH range (pH5 – pH9) and showed negligible influence by several common anions. Interestingly, the presence of Cl- ions accelerated the BPA removal rate (k = 0.303 min−1 by adding 50 mM Cl), suggesting that the CFZ 1:1/PMS system could function well under salty conditions. Based on the quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) characterization, the generation of nonradical singlet oxygen (1O2), sulfate radical anion (SO4•-), and hydroxyl radical (•OH) was responsible for BPA degradation in which 1O2 was hypothesized to be the dominant reactive oxygen species. Beside the separately efficient removal of several pollutants represent for dyes, antibiotics, and POPs, CFZ 1:1/PMS system could almost completely eliminate mixed pollutant solution containing BPA, rhodamine B, and tetracycline after a short time 20 mins. The CFZ 1:1/PMS system also remained highly stable and robust for 4 consecutive runs with over 80% BPA removal and minimal leaching of metal ions. Overall, the results enlightened new insights into the design and development of composite catalysts for the removal of persistent pollutants from wastewater.

Microbial metabolomic responses to changes in temperature and salinity along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

Seasonal cycles within the marginal ice zones in polar regions include large shifts in temperature and salinity that strongly influence microbial abundance and physiology. However, the combined effects of concurrent temperature and salinity change on microbial community structure and biochemical composition during transitions between seawater and sea ice are not well understood. Coastal marine communities along the western Antarctic Peninsula were sampled and surface seawater was incubated at combinations of temperature and salinity mimicking the formation (cold, salty) and melting (warm, fresh) of sea ice to evaluate how these factors may shape community composition and particulate metabolite pools during seasonal transitions. Bacterial and algal community structures were tightly coupled to each other and distinct across sea-ice, seawater, and sea-ice-meltwater field samples, with unique metabolite profiles in each habitat. During short-term (approximately 10-day) incubations of seawater microbial communities under different temperature and salinity conditions, community compositions changed minimally while metabolite pools shifted greatly, strongly accumulating compatible solutes like proline and glycine betaine under cold and salty conditions. Lower salinities reduced total metabolite concentrations in particulate matter, which may indicate a release of metabolites into the labile dissolved organic matter pool. Low salinity also increased acylcarnitine concentrations in particulate matter, suggesting a potential for fatty acid degradation and reduced nutritional value at the base of the food web during freshening. Our findings have consequences for food web dynamics, microbial interactions, and carbon cycling as polar regions undergo rapid climate change.

The effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on Mentha piperita grown under salt stress

Climate change threatens agricultural areas and food supply security not only in our country but also worldwide. As a result, plants are exposed to many abiotic stresses such as salt stress, drought stress, etc. Various methods are being tried to cope with abiotic stress, but sustainable alternative methods are needed in agriculture and one of them is biological fertilizers. Microbial fertilizers such as plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and support environmentally friendly, soil-friendly, and more economical production in agriculture. In this study, the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, defined as a salt tolerant species, on the morphological parameters of Mentha piperita, which has significant commercial value and was grown under salty conditions, were investigated. Surprisingly, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens did not significantly alleviate the effects of salt stress on M. piperita grown under saline conditions (0, 50, 75, and 100 mM NaCl) in almost all parameters except for water content.

The Effect of Biochar Applications at Different Doses on Soybean Seedlings Grown in Salty Conditions

In this research, the effects of biochar application at different doses on the mineral element content of soybean seedlings under salt stress were investigated under greenhouse circumstances. In the study, leaf and root some mineral contents were investigated. According to the data obtained from the study, it was stated that while the leaf and root plant nutrient content of soybean seedlings decreased in salty conditions in general, the applied biochar increased the leaf and root plant nutrient content. This positive effect of biochar treatments on enhancing mineral element content was dose dependent. In conclude, biochar can be used as an amendment for increasing plant nutrient use efficiency of plants under saline conditions.

The Achilles’ heel of superbugs that survive salty dry conditions

Nosocomial infection has become a serious global challenge in modern healthcare facilities due to the persistence of superbugs. To survive in highly sanitized hospitals, superbugs produce beneficial substances such as mannitol to sustain their growth. We uncovered that a mannitol-producing protein is vital to help the bugs persist in salty and dry conditions, and may be the key to their demise.

Organic geochemistry and organic matter enrichment mechanisms of the lacustrine source rocks from a small-faulted Basin: A case study of the Bayindulan, A'er and Wuliyasitai sags in the Erlian Basin, Northern China

Lacustrine organic-rich shales in the lower Tengger member (K1bt1) are the most important source rocks in the Erlian Basin. The Erlian Basin contains many sags with independent subsidence-sedimentation histories, structure styles and hydrocarbon exploration potential. A comprehensive study was carried out to investigate the organic geochemical characteristics of the shales from three typical sags (the Bayindulan, A'er and Wuliyasitai sags) in the Erlian Basin to define the differences to their depositional environment, dominant source material, and hydrocarbon generation potential in small-faulted basins. Kerogen types in these shales in the study area can be classified into type Ⅱ1-Ⅰ kerogen in the Bayindulan Sag, type Ⅱ2 to type Ⅱ1 in the A'er Sag and type Ⅱ2 in the Wuli Sag. Biomarker characteristics indicate that the dominant algae-sourcing organic matter (OM) in the shales in the Bayindulan Sag was formed under the salty and reducing conditions. Source rocks from the A'er Sag were formed under the fresh-brackish and weak reducing-weak oxidizing conditions with a mixing input of algae and higher plants. Organic-rich shales from the Wuli Sag were deposited under the fresh water and oxidizing environment with a terrestrially dominated organic matter input. The correlation among parameters including average chain length (ACL) of C25–C33n-alkanes, the aquatic/macrophytes proxy (Paq), TAR, the proportion of saropelinite, the wax indexes, Pr/Ph, and TOC were used to investigate the main controlling factors of the enrichment of the organic matter in these three sags. The organic matter accumulation models on the formation of high-quality shales in the Erlian Basin are anisotropic due to various depositional environments and biological sources of source rocks in different regions. The characteristics of organic matter accumulation in the Erlian Basin can be classified into three patterns. Firstly, the good preservation condition that favored the accumulation of organic matter is the main controlling factor resulting in the organic matter enrichment in the Bayindulan Sag. Secondly, the bloom of algae in nutrient-rich surface water favored the accumulation of OM in the A'er Sag. Finally, large influx of vascular plants in the oxygen-rich condition is the main factor leading to the formation of the high-quality shales in the Wuli Sag. Further, these three organic matter accumulation models could be used for reference in the assessment of the petroleum potential of the faulted basins that are similar with the Erlian Basin.

Mouth rinsing and ingesting salty or bitter solutions does not influence corticomotor excitability or neuromuscular function

PurposeTo explore the effect of tasting unpleasant salty or bitter solutions on lower limb corticomotor excitability and neuromuscular function.MethodsNine females and eleven males participated (age: 27 ± 7 years, BMI: 25.3 ± 4.0 kg m−2). Unpleasant salty (1 M) and bitter (2 mM quinine) solutions were compared to water, sweetened water, and no solution, which functioned as control conditions. In a non-blinded randomized cross-over order, each solution was mouth rinsed (10 s) and ingested before perceptual responses, instantaneous heart rate (a marker of autonomic nervous system activation), quadricep corticomotor excitability (motor-evoked potential amplitude) and neuromuscular function during a maximal voluntary contraction (maximum voluntary force, resting twitch force, voluntary activation, 0–50 ms impulse, 0–100 impulse, 100–200 ms impulse) were measured.ResultsHedonic value (water: 47 ± 8%, sweet: 23 ± 17%, salt: 71 ± 8%, bitter: 80 ± 10%), taste intensity, unpleasantness and increases in heart rate (no solution: 14 ± 5 bpm, water: 18 ± 5 bpm, sweet: 20 ± 5 bpm, salt: 24 ± 7 bpm, bitter: 23 ± 6 bpm) were significantly higher in the salty and bitter conditions compared to control conditions. Nausea was low in all conditions (< 15%) but was significantly higher in salty and bitter conditions compared to water (water: 3 ± 5%, sweet: 6 ± 13%, salt: 7 ± 9%, bitter: 14 ± 16%). There was no significant difference between conditions in neuromuscular function or corticomotor excitability variables.ConclusionAt rest, unpleasant tastes appear to have no influence on quadricep corticomotor excitability or neuromuscular function. These data question the mechanisms via which unpleasant tastes are proposed to influence exercise performance.

Application of Humic Acid and Algal Extract: An Eco-friendly Strategy for Improving Growth and Essential Oil Composition of Two Basil Varieties under Salty Soil Stress Conditions

Abiotic stress factors such as salinity, drought, flooding, as well as low and high temperatures are the main factors that drastically influence crop yield worldwide. The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of foliar spraying with humic acid and algal extract alone or in combination with organic fertilizers under salty soil conditions on the growth, essential oil composition, and quality of two basil varieties (O. basilicum var. basilicum and O. basilicum var. Genovese). Growth characters significantly increased when plants were sprayed with 1.5% humic acid and/or 3 ml/L algal extract (oligo X) as control < humic acid < algal extract (oligo X) < humic acid + algal extract (oligo X). Also, essential oil composition, yield, and proline content significantly increased after spraying with humic acid 1.5% and/or 3 mL/L algal extract. The two varieties differed in their growth characteristics; the number of branches and herb fresh weight; as well as essential oil percentage and yield per plant under control conditions, and thus differences were due to the differences in salinity stress tolerance. Both varieties differed in their response to treatments with humic acid and algal extract. The GC/MS results show the presence of 30 components in the essential oils of the studied basil plants. The major compounds were linalool, Estragole, and Eucalyptol. Linalool and Eucalyptol were much higher in O. basilicum L., while Estragole was much higher in O. basilicum var. Genovese. These results revealed humic acid and algal extract’s vital role as eco-friendly fertilizers in improving basil plant growth, yield, and quality under salinity stress conditions. Which may be involved in sustainable medicinal plant production.

Different Tactics of Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, Homeostasis Ions, and Phytohormones as Regulators and Adaptatively Parameters to Alleviate the Adverse Effects of Salinity Stress on Plants.

A major abiotic barrier to crop yield and profitability is salt stress, which is most prevalent in arid and semi-arid locations worldwide. Salinity tolerance is complicated and multifaceted, including a variety of mechanisms, and to adapt to salt stress, plants have constructed a network of biological and molecular processes. An expanding field of agricultural research that combines physiological measures with molecular techniques has sought to better understand how plants deploy tolerance to salinity at various levels. As the first line of defense against oxidative damage brought on by salt stress, host plants synthesize and accumulate several osmoprotectants. They (osmoprotectants) and other phytohormones were shown to serve a variety of protective roles for salt stress tolerance. Intrinsic root growth inhibition, which could be a protection mechanism under salty conditions, may be dependent on phytohormone-mediated salt signaling pathways. This article may also make it easier for scientists to determine the precise molecular processes underlying the ZnO-NPs-based salinity tolerance response for some plants. ZnO-NPs are considered to improve plant growth and photosynthetic rates while also positively regulating salt tolerance. When plants are under osmotic stress, their administration to zinc nanoparticles may also affect the activity of antioxidant enzymes. So, ZnO-NPs could be a promising method, side by side with the released osmoprotectants and phytohormones, to relieve salt stress in plants.

Molecular manipulations of miR398 increase rice grain yield under different conditions.

Rice miR398 targets two stress-tolerant genes, CSD1-2 (Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutases1-2) and CCS (copper chaperone of CSD), which usually boost plants' tolerance by inhibiting growth. So, how to accurately regulate the activities of miR398 targets and thus make rice better able to adapt to different conditions has great significances in producing rice yields under the current circumstances of shrinking arable lands resulting from global urbanization and increasing salty soil caused by irrigation. Through controlling the expressions of miR398 in different levels, we found down-regulated expression of miR398 targets can promote growth under good growth conditions while up-regulated expressions of the targets can help rice tolerate salt. In this study, we over-expressed miR398 highly, moderately, and lowly, then three concomitantly inverse levels of its targets' expression were obtained. Under normal growth conditions, the transgenic lines with low and moderate levels of over-expressions of miR398 could increase grain yields 14.5% and 7.3%, respectively, although no transgenic lines could survive well under salty conditions simulating real saline-alkali soil. Using short tandem target mimic (STTM) technology to silence miR398 highly, moderately, and lowly respectively, also three inverse levels of its targets' expression were obtained. All three transgenic lines exhibited good agronomic performances under salt stress in inverse to their degrees of STTM, but their growth was inhibited differently under normal conditions. Altogether, we suggest that flexibly manipulating the expression of miR398 is an ideal strategy to help rice survive better and achieve optimized yields under specific conditions.