Awais M, Rasheed Z and Sadiq MT, 2023. Salinity stress effects on nutrient uptake in plants and its influence on plant growth efficiency. Trends in Animal and Plant Sciences 1: 64-72. https://doi.org/10.62324/TAPS/2023.008

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Salinity stress poses significant threats to global agriculture, affecting plant nutrient uptake and overall growth efficiency. This comprehensive review explores the underlying mechanisms of salinity-induced damage in plants, delving into the intricate physiological, biochemical, and genetic adaptations employed by plants in response to salinity stress. Salinity's impacts on nutrient availability in the soil and plant root nutrient absorption are highlighted, with particular emphasis on how these impacts ultimately affect plant growth and productivity. The review also examines the negative influence of salinity on photosynthesis and transpiration, further elucidating the complex relationship between salinity stress and plant growth efficiency. Furthermore, we discuss various strategies to mitigate salinity stress, ranging from traditional breeding and genetic engineering to the use of beneficial soil microorganisms and soil amendments. We emphasize the potential of these strategies in enhancing salt tolerance in crops and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices in saline-prone areas. Finally, we outline future research directions and potential applications, underscoring the need for a more profound understanding of plant-salinity interactions. The review suggests that integrating our current understanding with advanced technologies, such as high-throughput sequencing, functional genomics, and artificial intelligence, could accelerate the development of salt-tolerant crop varieties. Such advancements could greatly contribute to global food security amidst the escalating environmental challenges posed by climate change and soil salinization.