Omics-Based Strategies for Improving Salt Tolerance in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Soil salinity is one of the most crucial abiotic stresses that limit global food production. Due to the impacts of climate change, salinity poses a serious threat to future food and nutritional security of many countries. Maize has become a staple food in many parts of the world, with total production surpassing that of wheat or rice. It is sensitive to soil salinity. Osmotic and ion toxicity are the two major physiological problems that maize plants face under salt stress conditions. The detrimental effects of salt stress on survival and growth of maize plants are very complex. It is a prerequisite to introduce novel breeding approaches for mitigating this specific peril. Plant breeders have been manipulating a wide range of strategies that definitely improve maize production under salt-affected soils. This chapter reviews current updates of omics approaches on maize under salt stress conditions to shed light on complex controlling networks involved in salt tolerance. Better understanding of the mechanisms of salt stress tolerance through omics approaches was found useful for engineering salt-tolerant maize varieties for sustainable production of this major food crop under saline soils.