Salinity stress poses a critical threat to global crop productivity, driven by factors such as saline irrigation, low precipitation, native rock weathering, high surface evaporation, and excessive fertilizer application. This abiotic stress induces oxidative damage, osmotic imbalance, and ionic toxicity, severely affecting plant growth and leading to crop failure. Silicon (Si) has emerged as a versatile element capable of mitigating various biotic and abiotic stresses, including salinity. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of Si's multifaceted role in alleviating salinity stress, elucidating its molecular, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms in plants. It explores Si uptake, transport, and accumulation in plant tissues, emphasizing its contributions to maintaining ionic balance, enhancing water uptake, and reinforcing cell structural integrity under saline conditions. Additionally, this review addresses Si transformations in saline soils and the factors influencing its bioavailability. A significant focus is placed on silicon-solubilizing microorganisms (SSMs), which enhance Si bioavailability through mechanisms such as organic acid production, ligand exchange, mineral dissolution, and biofilm formation. By improving nutrient cycling and mitigating salinity-induced stress, SSMs offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic silicon fertilizers, promoting resilient crop production in salt-affected soils.

Introduction: Soil salinity poses a severe threat to rice production, resulting in stunted growth, leaf damage, and substantial yield losses. This study focuses on developing an early maturing seedling stage salinity tolerant rice variety by integrating conventional breeding methods with marker assisted breeding (MAB) approaches.Methods: Seedling-stage salinity tolerance Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) Saltol from the salt-tolerant parent FL478 was introduced into the high-yielding but salt-sensitive rice variety ADT 45. This was achieved through a combination of conventional breeding and MAB. The breeding process involved rigorous selection, screening, and physiological parameter assessments.Results: KKL(R) 3 (KR 15066) identified as the top performing Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL), consistently demonstrating maximum mean grain yields under both salinity (3435.6 kg/ha) and normal (6421.8 kg/ha) conditions. In comparison to the early maturing, salt-tolerant national check variety CSR 10, KKL(R) 3 exhibited a substantial yield increase over 50%.Discussion: The notable improvement observed in KKL(R) 3 positions it as a promising variety for release, offering a reliable solution to maximize yields, ensure food security, and promote agricultural sustainability in both saline and non-saline environments. The study highlights the effectiveness of MAB in developing salt-tolerant rice varieties and emphasizes the significance of the Saltol QTL in enhancing seedling stage salinity tolerance. The potential release of KKL(R) 3 has the capacity to revolutionize rice production in salt affected regions, providing farmers with a reliable solution to maximize yields and contribute to food security while ensuring agricultural sustainability.