Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Plant Resilience to Extreme Soil Salinity and Drought Synergy

Climate change is intensifying environmental challenges, with increasing soil salinization and prolonged drought periods posing severe threats to plant survival, productivity, and ecosystem stability. These two stressors frequently co-occur, exerting compounding effects on plant physiology and development. While plants have evolved adaptive strategies to tolerate either salinity or drought individually, the combined impact of these stressors creates a more complex and often more severe challenge that is not yet fully understood. Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms that underpin plant resilience to this synergy is crucial for sustaining agriculture and ecosystem health in changing climates.Soil salinity and drought affect plants through both osmotic and ionic stress, leading to disruptions in water balance, nutrient uptake, and cellular homeostasis. In response, plants employ an array of defense mechanisms, including osmotic adjustment via compatible solutes (e.g., proline, glycine betaine), antioxidant systems to mitigate oxidative stress, and ion transport regulation to maintain cellular ion balance. Additionally, root system plasticity, stomatal control, and the modulation of hormone signaling pathways (such as abscisic acid, ethylene, and jasmonic acid) play vital roles in plant acclimation to these stressors.Despite advances in understanding plant responses to individual stressors, knowledge of their interactive effects remains limited. The simultaneous occurrence of salinity and drought can either amplify or alleviate stress responses, depending on species-specific traits, environmental conditions, and the duration of stress exposure. Investigating how plants coordinate physiological and biochemical pathways under combined stress conditions is crucial for developing stress-resilient crops and sustainable ecosystem management strategies.This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular and physiological responses underlying plant resilience to extreme soil salinity and drought synergy. We invite contributions that explore innovative approaches, including genomics, metabolomics, phenotyping, and ecological modeling, to uncover key adaptive strategies and mechanisms.We welcome original research, reviews, meta-analyses, and opinion pieces addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- The interactive effects of salinity and drought on plant water relations, nutrient uptake, and metabolism- Hormonal and transcriptional regulation of plant responses to combined salinity and drought stress- Functional roles of osmolytes, antioxidants, and ion transporters in stress adaptation- Physiological and structural plasticity of roots, leaves, and stomata under combined stress conditions- Genomic and biotechnological strategies for enhancing plant resilience to soil salinity and drought- Modeling plant growth and stress response under future climate scenarios- Breeding and selecting resilient genotypes for sustainable agriculture and reforestation in saline and arid regionsBy fostering collaboration among plant scientists, ecophysiologists, and agronomists, this Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of plant resilience mechanisms and contribute to the development of innovative solutions for mitigating the impacts of soil salinization and drought in the face of global climate change.Disclaimer: Descriptive studies that report responses to abiotic stress treatments without contributing to the mechanistic, or genetic, understanding of the responses observed will not be considered for peer review. Topic editors: Nataša Lukić, Biljana Kukavica, Erna Karalija Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/70094/molecular-and-physiological-mechanisms-underlying-plant-resilience-to-extreme-soil-salinity-and-drought-synergy