Plants (Jun 2023)

Research Progress on the Mechanism of Salt Tolerance in Maize: A Classic Field That Needs New Efforts

  • Jiawei Li,
  • Qinglin Zhu,
  • Fuchao Jiao,
  • Zhenwei Yan,
  • Haiyan Zhang,
  • Yumei Zhang,
  • Zhaohua Ding,
  • Chunhua Mu,
  • Xia Liu,
  • Yan Li,
  • Jingtang Chen,
  • Ming Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122356
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 12
p. 2356

Abstract

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Maize is the most important cereal crop globally. However, in recent years, maize production faced numerous challenges from environmental factors due to the changing climate. Salt stress is among the major environmental factors that negatively impact crop productivity worldwide. To cope with salt stress, plants developed various strategies, such as producing osmolytes, increasing antioxidant enzyme activity, maintaining reactive oxygen species homeostasis, and regulating ion transport. This review provides an overview of the intricate relationships between salt stress and several plant defense mechanisms, including osmolytes, antioxidant enzymes, reactive oxygen species, plant hormones, and ions (Na+, K+, Cl−), which are critical for salt tolerance in maize. It addresses the regulatory strategies and key factors involved in salt tolerance, aiming to foster a comprehensive understanding of the salt tolerance regulatory networks in maize. These new insights will also pave the way for further investigations into the significance of these regulations in elucidating how maize coordinates its defense system to resist salt stress.

Keywords