Qiaoling Yuan

1 Introduction According to a recent FAO report (2024), approximately 1,381 million hectares (10.7% of the world's arable land) are affected by salinity, with substantial crop yield losses observed in these areas [1]. Soil salinity reduces crop yields by imposing both osmotic and ionic stresses on plants [2, 3], especially for cultivated rice (Oryza sativa), which is considered the most salt-sensitive crop of all cereals [4].

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INTRODUCTION Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple cereal food crop for over half of the global population. As the human population is still growing steadily, global rice demand is projected to increase by 30% to 852 million tons in 2035 to help support our dietary needs (Khush, 2013).