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Introduction and Objective: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L., from the family Poaceae) is one of the most economically important crops globally, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions due to its production of sugar, ethanol, bioenergy, and bagasse. Given its key role in providing renewable energy and derived products, sugarcane is a major focus of agricultural and industrial research. However, one of the most significant challenges impacting sugarcane production, especially in saline areas, is salinity stress. Soil salinity is one of the most critical environmental stresses, leading to reduced plant growth and yield, posing a serious global threat to agricultural production. Salinity stress negatively affects sugarcane growth and development in several ways, including reduced water uptake, disruption of metabolism, and accumulation of sodium in plant tissues. As a result, the severe decline in yield and product quality in saline areas has become a major concern for both farmers and researchers. This review aims to examine the challenges posed by salinity in sugarcane and to present innovative remedial strategies for enhancing the crop's resistance to salinity.
Materials and Methods: This review study was conducted using a systematic search in reputable scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Initially, over 100 articles related to salinity and sugarcane were reviewed. The criteria for selecting the articles included publication in peer-reviewed journals, relevance to the topic of salinity, and a focus on innovative remedial methods. After an initial review, articles specifically addressing novel approaches for improving sugarcane resistance to salinity were selected and analyzed. The extracted data were qualitatively analyzed and categorized to identify key challenges and trends.
Results: The results of this study show that salinity has widespread negative effects on sugarcane's physiological and biochemical processes. In the early stages of salinity stress, the plant experiences osmotic stress due to reduced water uptake and stomatal closure, which leads to a decrease in photosynthesis and ultimately a reduction in plant growth. Sodium accumulation in cells causes ionic stress, resulting in cell membrane damage and decreased enzymatic activity. These processes lead to premature leaf senescence and a significant reduction in sucrose concentration in sugarcane stalks, directly affecting the quality of the final product. To address these challenges, various methods have been employed globally. One of the primary approaches is the genetic improvement of sugarcane through traditional methods such as selecting salinity-tolerant parents and performing hybridization. These methods enable the development of varieties that show greater tolerance to saline conditions. However, due to the complexity of the sugarcane genome, which includes multiple chromosome sets, this process is highly time-consuming, often requiring 7 to 12 years to produce a salinity-tolerant variety. Additionally, this genetic complexity makes each hybridization event unique and unpredictable, complicating the breeding process. In addition to traditional methods, modern molecular approaches have emerged as critical strategies for improving sugarcane's resistance to salinity. Molecular tools, such as PCR-based markers and genome-editing technologies like CRISPR, can target key salinity-tolerance genes and eliminate or modify sensitive genes, aiding in the development of salinity-resistant sugarcane varieties. These methods not only shorten the time required for resistance improvement but also provide a more precise and reliable way of genetic modification. Beyond genetic modification, the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPBs) has been introduced as an effective approach for mitigating the effects of salinity. These microorganisms enhance salinity tolerance by producing plant hormones such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and cytokinins, improving nutrient exchange, and regulating osmoprotectant compounds such as total soluble sugar (TSS) and proline. Additionally, these microbes protect plants against diseases and environmental stressors by producing antibiotics, hydrogen cyanide, and other pathogen-inhibiting compounds. Research has shown that the use of these microorganisms can significantly reduce the negative effects of salinity and improve sugarcane performance under saline conditions. Omics technologies such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and ionomics have also proven to be effective tools in identifying genes and molecular pathways associated with salinity tolerance. These techniques allow researchers to identify gene expression patterns under saline conditions and propose new strategies for improving sugarcane's salinity resistance. Specifically, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has played a vital role in accelerating transcriptomic studies of sugarcane tissues under salinity stress.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this review demonstrates that salinity is one of the major challenges in sugarcane production, having extensive negative effects on the growth and yield of the crop. However, employing innovative remedial methods, such as traditional and molecular genetic improvement, the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and omics technologies, can significantly enhance sugarcane's resistance to salinity. Given the critical importance of sugarcane in the global industry, future research should focus on optimizing these methods and developing new strategies to simultaneously increase the efficiency and sustainability of sugarcane production in saline areas and improve the quality of the final product.
Introduction and Objective: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L., from the family Poaceae) is one of the most economically important crops globally, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions due to its production of sugar, ethanol, bioenergy, and bagasse. Given its key role in providing renewable energy and derived products, sugarcane is a major focus of agricultural and industrial research. However, one of the most significant challenges impacting sugarcane production, especially in saline areas, is salinity stress. Soil salinity is one of the most critical environmental stresses, leading to reduced plant growth and yield, posing a serious global threat to agricultural production. Salinity stress negatively affects sugarcane growth and development in several ways, including reduced water uptake, disruption of metabolism, and accumulation of sodium in plant tissues. As a result, the severe decline in yield and product quality in saline areas has become a major concern for both farmers and researchers. This review aims to examine the challenges posed by salinity in sugarcane and to present innovative remedial strategies for enhancing the crop's resistance to salinity.
Materials and Methods: This review study was conducted using a systematic search in reputable scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Initially, over 100 articles related to salinity and sugarcane were reviewed. The criteria for selecting the articles included publication in peer-reviewed journals, relevance to the topic of salinity, and a focus on innovative remedial methods. After an initial review, articles specifically addressing novel approaches for improving sugarcane resistance to salinity were selected and analyzed. The extracted data were qualitatively analyzed and categorized to identify key challenges and trends.
Results: The results of this study show that salinity has widespread negative effects on sugarcane's physiological and biochemical processes. In the early stages of salinity stress, the plant experiences osmotic stress due to reduced water uptake and stomatal closure, which leads to a decrease in photosynthesis and ultimately a reduction in plant growth. Sodium accumulation in cells causes ionic stress, resulting in cell membrane damage and decreased enzymatic activity. These processes lead to premature leaf senescence and a significant reduction in sucrose concentration in sugarcane stalks, directly affecting the quality of the final product. To address these challenges, various methods have been employed globally. One of the primary approaches is the genetic improvement of sugarcane through traditional methods such as selecting salinity-tolerant parents and performing hybridization. These methods enable the development of varieties that show greater tolerance to saline conditions. However, due to the complexity of the sugarcane genome, which includes multiple chromosome sets, this process is highly time-consuming, often requiring 7 to 12 years to produce a salinity-tolerant variety. Additionally, this genetic complexity makes each hybridization event unique and unpredictable, complicating the breeding process. In addition to traditional methods, modern molecular approaches have emerged as critical strategies for improving sugarcane's resistance to salinity. Molecular tools, such as PCR-based markers and genome-editing technologies like CRISPR, can target key salinity-tolerance genes and eliminate or modify sensitive genes, aiding in the development of salinity-resistant sugarcane varieties. These methods not only shorten the time required for resistance improvement but also provide a more precise and reliable way of genetic modification. Beyond genetic modification, the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPBs) has been introduced as an effective approach for mitigating the effects of salinity. These microorganisms enhance salinity tolerance by producing plant hormones such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and cytokinins, improving nutrient exchange, and regulating osmoprotectant compounds such as total soluble sugar (TSS) and proline. Additionally, these microbes protect plants against diseases and environmental stressors by producing antibiotics, hydrogen cyanide, and other pathogen-inhibiting compounds. Research has shown that the use of these microorganisms can significantly reduce the negative effects of salinity and improve sugarcane performance under saline conditions. Omics technologies such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and ionomics have also proven to be effective tools in identifying genes and molecular pathways associated with salinity tolerance. These techniques allow researchers to identify gene expression patterns under saline conditions and propose new strategies for improving sugarcane's salinity resistance. Specifically, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has played a vital role in accelerating transcriptomic studies of sugarcane tissues under salinity stress.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this review demonstrates that salinity is one of the major challenges in sugarcane production, having extensive negative effects on the growth and yield of the crop. However, employing innovative remedial methods, such as traditional and molecular genetic improvement, the use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and omics technologies, can significantly enhance sugarcane's resistance to salinity. Given the critical importance of sugarcane in the global industry, future research should focus on optimizing these methods and developing new strategies to simultaneously increase the efficiency and sustainability of sugarcane production in saline areas and improve the quality of the final product.
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