Salt Stress Resilience in Food Crops: Integrating ‘Omics’ and Nanotechnology

The field of agricultural science plays a vital role in supporting global food production, but its sustainability is increasingly threatened by a variety of stresses, particularly soil salinization. With rising population demands, erratic climate, overuse of agrochemicals, and poor irrigation practices, higher salt levels in agricultural lands are becoming a critical issue—directly affecting plant function and reducing crop yields worldwide. Traditional approaches have struggled to fully address these challenges, especially where the complex interactions between salt stress, plant metabolism, and nutrient uptake are involved. Recent advances have highlighted the potential of ‘omics’ technologies—such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics—to unravel the intricate signaling networks and metabolic pathways that drive plant stress responses. Moreover, nanotechnology is emerging as a promising tool to improve agricultural productivity through enhanced nutrient delivery, disease management, and protection against both biotic and abiotic stressors, including excess soil salinity. Despite these advancements, there remain significant gaps in understanding how integrated molecular and nanotechnological strategies can be harnessed to improve plant resilience and productivity, particularly in real-world agricultural settings.This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of how plants respond to salt stress at molecular, physiological, and metabolic levels, with a special focus on the application of cutting-edge ‘omics’ and nanotechnology-based approaches. We seek to explore how combining these modern tools can identify and manipulate the genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic factors governing plant adaptation to salinity. A further goal is to investigate how nanomaterials, alongside bio-kit gene editing techniques, can be utilized to transiently or permanently modify key pathways, thereby equipping plants to better cope with salinity challenges. By bringing together these converging fields, we strive to reveal new insights that can translate into sustainable strategies for boosting crop performance on saline soils.This scope encompasses major food crops exposed to salt stress, emphasizing studies that bring together ‘omics’ techniques and nanotechnological or biotechnological interventions. Studies limited to single analytical methods or model plants without broader applied relevance, and purely descriptive studies without mechanistic or functional insights, will not be considered for this Research Topic.To gather further insights in this research landscape, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Exploration and integration of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to uncover plant pathways regulating salt stress responses• Application of nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology for improving nutrient uptake, disease resistance, and stress protection• Use of bio-kit tools (such as CRISPR or siRNA) for transient or permanent gene modification under saline conditions• Functional characterization of gene products and metabolic processes associated with plant resilience• Advanced strategies that combine molecular and nano-based approaches for enhancing salt tolerance in food crops• Evaluation of benefits, safety, and environmental impacts of nanomaterials and gene-editing technologies in agricultural contextsWe invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives covering any of the topics mentioned above.Disclaimer: Topic Editor Jason C. White is a founder of Convergent Bioscience. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject. Topic editors: Keni Cota-Ruiz, Jorge L Gardea-Torresdey, Jason Christopher White Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81907/salt-stress-resilience-in-food-crops-integrating-omics-and-nanotechnology