Figure 3.

Crop root adaption for salt tolerance. Schematic diagram showing potential targets for designing a crop with a salt-tolerant root ideotype; root anatomical traits that prevent Na⁺ entry into the xylem and use less energy, root system architecture (RSA) plasticity to avoid salt whilst optimizing nutrient and water uptake, and transport mechanisms for Na⁺ exclusion from the root and retrieval from xylem, preventing accumulation of Na⁺ in the shoot. SOS1 (Salt Overly Sensitive 1) is a sodium/proton antiporter (Na⁺/H⁺) that facilitates export of Na⁺ out of the root and HKT1 (High affinity K Transporter 1) retrieves Na⁺ from the xylem. Adapted from “Wheat (grain filling stage)” by BioRender.com (2022).