Articles

Soil salinity is a growing global challenge that significantly affects the crop Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Sorghum is a vital C4 cereal crop known for its resilience to abiotic stresses. While sorghum displays moderate salt tolerance, yield losses under high salinity necessitate genetic improvement. However, traditional breeding methods are time-consuming and often insufficient in enhancing stress resilience. This review explores recent advances in enhancing sorghum's salt tolerance through biotechnological approaches such as genetic engineering, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and omics technologies. Key breakthroughs include the use of stress-responsive genes like AtNHX1 and SOS1, and the integration of molecular markers and QTL mapping to accelerate breeding programs. Though promising, challenges remain in transformation efficiency, regulatory hurdles, and public perception. Future of sorghum depends on incorporating biotechnology, omics data, and collaborative efforts that will be helpful in developing high-yielding, salt-resilient sorghum cultivars for sustainable agriculture in the future.