The successful screening and evaluation of salt-tolerant germplasm at the germination and seedling stages is of great importance for promoting the breeding of wheat varieties with salt tolerance. In this study, 70 wheat varieties bred in different regions were evaluated for salt tolerance through hydroponic exposure to different concentrations of salt. The relative water absorption, water absorption rate, dehiscence rate, germination rate, and germination index of seeds, and plant height, root length, stem diameter, and biomass of seedlings were determined at the germination and seedling stages of wheat, and the salt tolerance was identified and evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis. The germination ability and seedling growth potential of wheat germplasms decreased with the aggravation of salt stress. Based on the comprehensive salt tolerance index at the germination stage, our study identified 35 varieties to be salt-tolerant. There were nine varieties further screened for having strong salt tolerance according to the comprehensive salt tolerance index at the germination and seedling stages. SN41, Emam, YN301, and JM262 were superior in salt-tolerance, and YM39, LM30, JM60, YN999, and SD29 were salt-tolerant. Our study suggests that the biomass of seedlings can be used as a key parameter for assessing wheat germplasm’s ability to withstand salt. Our results can provide some basic materials for cultivating new germplasm with salt tolerance and excavating the related genes of wheat.

With the continuous improvement of living standards, the preferences of consumers are shifting to rice varieties with high eating and cooking quality (ECQ). Milled rice is mainly composed of starch, protein, and oil, which constitute the physicochemical basis of rice taste quality. This review summarizes the relationship between rice ECQ and its intrinsic ingredients, and also briefly introduces the effects of nitrogen fertilizer management on rice ECQ. Rice varieties with higher AC usually have more long branches of amylopectin, which leach less when cooking, leading to higher hardness, lower stickinesss, and less panelist preference. High PC impedes starch pasting, and it may be hard for heat and moisture to enter the rice interior, ultimately resulting in worse rice eating quality. Rice with higher lipid content had a brighter luster and better eating quality, and starch lipids in rice have a greater impact on rice eating quality than non-starch lipids. The application of nitrogen fertilizer can enhance rice yield, but it also decreases the ECQ of rice. CRNF has been widely used in cereal crops such as maize, wheat, and rice as a novel, environmentally friendly, and effective fertilizer, and could increase rice quality to a certain extent compared with conventional urea. This review shows a benefit to finding more reasonable nitrogen fertilizer management that can be used to regulate the physical and chemical indicators of rice grains in production and to improve the taste quality of rice without affecting yield.

High salinity and other abiotic stressors severely limit the productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat is a moderately salt-tolerant crop, and its salinity tolerance has been extensively studied due to the fact that it is one of the most essential food crops. It is essential to comprehend the mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance and create adaptable wheat types. In this paper, the morphological adaptations in wheat were first introduced under salinity stress, then the main physiological, biochemical and molecular reactions of wheat to salinity stress were summarized in detail. In addition, the advances in breeding approaches to salinity tolerance in wheat through germplasm evaluation, screening and gene editing were generally reviewed. Finally, proposals for further research or possible challenges in this process were also discussed. Our review will provide references for improving salt tolerance of wheat and for breeding salt-tolerant varieties.

Melatonin (MT) is a growth regulator and antioxidant that can resist peroxidation damage on plants caused by environmental stresses. In this study, the alleviation effects of melatonin on alfalfa under salt stress were investigated in terms of photosynthesis, antioxidant enzymes, and osmoregulation. The alfalfa seedlings were cultured in 200 mM NaCl Hoagland solution. Five levels of MT (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mM) were applied as a foliar spray. Generally, the foliar spray of MT increased root length, root surface area, height, leaf length and width, aerial and root biomass, SPAD readings, the content of proline and soluble protein, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). Malonaldehyde (MDA) content was decreased by MT foliar spray. The beneficial effects of MT on alfalfa under salt stress were dosage-dependent, and excessive MT levels inhibited alfalfa growth. The alleviating effects of MT on salt stress were more pronounced at 0.3 mM MT. This study suggested that exogenous MT foliar spray at appropriate levels can ameliorate the adverse effects of salt stress on alfalfa seedlings.

Crop yield is the ultimate manifestation of all physiological changes of crops and external environmental influence. A controlled study was conducted to investigate the effects of exogenous gibberellin on the morphological and physiological characteristics and yield formation of sesbania pea grown in saline soils. Seeds were presoaked with four levels of Gibberellin (GA₃) solutions (0, 202.1, 404.2 and 606.3 µM) for 6 h, and then manually direct-sown with a seeding rate of 45 kg ha⁻¹. The morphological parameters (plant height, root length, dry weight), photosynthesis (chlorophyll a and b content), the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD); peroxidase (POD); catalase (CAT)), the contents of soluble protein and NSC (non-structural carbohydrates), and seed yield increased with the application of exogenous gibberellin, especially at the level of 404.2 µM GA₃. But GA₃ had no significant effects on 1000-seed weight. Our study suggested that the appropriate application of exogenous gibberellin could improve the yield of sesbania pea grown in saline soils by increasing photosynthesis and antioxidative defense.

Fertilizer management is one of the easiest and most practical ways of combating salt stress. This study was done to evaluate the alleviative effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and salt tolerance of salt-affected sorghum. A controlled study organized in a randomized block design with three replications was conducted, testing three nitrogen rates (N0: 0 kg ha⁻¹, N1: 180 kg ha⁻¹, N2: 360 N kg ha⁻¹) and phosphorus rates (P0: 0 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹, P1: 60 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹, P2: 120 P₂O₅ kg ha⁻¹). Nitrogen and phosphorus application had positive effects on morphological indexes (plant height, stem diameter), some physiological and biochemical attributes (the content of proline and soluble protein, and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase), and aerial biomass (fresh and dry weight) of sorghum grown in saline soils. Reactive oxygen species accumulation and cell membrane damage were decreased with the application of nitrogen and phosphorus. Compared with sole fertilizer, the combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus showed better performance in alleviating salt damage on sorghum. Despite the fact that the maximum of most of the measured parameters and the minimum of reactive oxygen species accumulation and cell membrane damage were generally obtained at N1P1 and N2P2 treatment, N1P1 was recommended to be the suitable treatment considering economic benefits and environmental protection.