Systematic information on wheatbelt water salinity in streams, dams, wells, and bores

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and stated challenges and stated research gap and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 1973 and 2026, spanning 8 journals. Those papers have been cited 403 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Soil salinization in agriculture: Mitigation and adaptation strategies combining nature-based solutions and bioengineering (2024) · iScience · cited 382× · doi

  Figure 1. Saltwater intrusion effects (yellow and bare soil areas on the left side of the road) on soybeans in the Po River Delta (Italy) as seen from drone survey, 8 August 2022 (photo by S. Cucchiaro). around the globe highlight the pressing issue of salinity intrusion disasters and their severe consequences for agriculture in delta regions. The soil salinization phenomenon is widely spread also in inland arid regions.17 Inland deserts and arid lands cover vast expanses of the Earth’s surface, comprising diverse ecosystems such as deserts, steppes, and drylands. These regions are often fragile and highly sensitive to envi- ronmental disturbances, including changes in water availability and quality.18 These areas, characterized by low rainfall and high evaporation rates, are particularly susceptible to salinization due to limited freshwater resources and high soil salt concentrations.19 The causes of salini- zation in inland deserts and arid lands are multifaceted. Natural processes, such as weathering rocks and minerals, release salts into the soil and water.20 In Western Australia, for instance, rock weathering and deposition over thousands of years has resulted in salinity accumulation of approximately 100 and 15,000 tonnes/ha.21,22 However, human activities play a significant role in accelerating salinization processes. Improper irrigation practices, excessive groundwater extraction, and inadequate drainage systems can accumulate salts in the soil profile, gradually rendering the land unsuitable for cultivation.23–25 Soil salinization jeopardizes the productivity of agricultural lands, degrading soil fertility and threatening the survival of plant and animal species adapted to arid conditions.26 Addressing the challenges posed by soil salinization requires a multi-faceted approach. To mitigate such phenomenon, it is necessary to adopt sustainable water management practices, promoting efficient irrigation techniques (e.g., drop and sub-irrigation) combined with rainwater harvesting facilities. However, only with the adoption of NBS it is possible to solve the issue while preserving ecosystem services. The purpose of this perspective is to explore the capability of NBS to mitigate soil salinization in agriculture through a combination of sustainable solutions that can be adopted from coastal areas to inland arid lands. We also debated the possible benefit of bioengineering advances in selecting and creating salt- tolerant crops. Indeed, under the urgent need to combat hunger, given the actual acceleration of climate change, NBS could not be enough to act in large areas and support millions of people. Therefore, we propose combining salt-tolerant crop varieties with NBS to optimize the benefits in the world’s most vulnerable regions. For each solution described, we addressed the challenges and limitations of their implemen- tations. A conceptual framework of the mitigation solutions described in the work is summarized in Figure 2. SALTWATER INTRUSION ALONG COASTS

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: soil salinization arid areas regions inland lands intrusion deserts water salt irrigation saltwater delta issue
• Comparative Effects of Nano-Silicon Application Methods on Salt Stress Tolerance in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) (2026) · Türkiye Tarımsal Araştırmalar Dergisi · doi

  Salinity is a major abiotic stressor affecting crop yield and quality. Climate change and environmental degradation constrain agricultural productivity. There is a need to improve crop resilience and productivity under stress conditions.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: salinity major abiotic stressor affecting crop yield quality
• Morpho-physiological response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla L.) and NaCl remotion ca-pacity (2026) · Biotecnia · doi

  Salinity affects plant growth and physiology. Climate change and poor water management exacerbate the problem in arid and semi-arid regions. There is a need to develop strategies for improving crop yields and quality in saline environments.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: salinity affects plant growth physiology climate change poor
• Salt tolerance of Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) ecotypes in callus cultures in vitro (2026) · JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY · doi

  High soil salinity is a serious and increasing problem all over the world. Salt stress reduces the productivity of plants by altering water and mineral uptake. There is a need to develop strategies for improving salt tolerance in plant species.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: high soil salinity serious increasing problem all world
• IMPLICATIONS and CAUSES OF SALINITY PROBLEMS IN THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN WHEATBELT: THE YORK‐MAWSON AREA (1973) · Australian Geographical Studies · cited 9× · doi

  There is a lack of systematic information on wheatbelt water salinity in streams, dams, wells, and bores. The nature, extent, and possible causes of salinity problems in non-irrigated agricultural areas are not well understood.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: there lack systematic information wheatbelt water salinity streams
• Regulatory effects of salt–nitrogen interaction on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Limonium bicolor in the Yellow River Delta (2026) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi

  The challenge of soil salinization in the Yellow River Delta. The difficulty of understanding the interactive effects of salt and nitrogen on plant growth. The need to optimize the K/Na ratio and enhance photosynthesis in L. bicolor.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: challenge soil salinization yellow river delta difficulty understanding
• Spatiotemporal evolution and driving mechanisms of cropland soil salinity in the irrigated area of the Manas River Basin based on random forest model (2026) · Agricultural Water Management · cited 3× · doi

  Under the combined influence of climate change and human activities, the spatiotemporal evolution of cropland soil salinity content (SSC) and its driving mechanisms remain inadequately understood, particularly regarding the nonlinear threshold responses to multiple factors and causal pathways.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: combined influence climate change human activities spatiotemporal evolution cropland soil salinity content driving mechanisms remain
• Hydro-salinity dynamics in a semi-arid agricultural plain: implications for sustainable land management (2025) · Ecological Indicators · cited 9× · doi

  Although the severity of soil salinization has been increasing, especially with intensifying environmental issues, the spatial distribution of groundwater and soil salinity and the associated multiscale driving mechanisms remain unclear.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: soil severity salinization increasing especially intensifying environmental issues spatial distribution groundwater salinity associated multiscale driving

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