The United Nations (2017) has indicated that the world population will increase from 7.6 billion currently to 9.8 billion by 2050, so food production will need to be increased by 60%. Already, around 10.9% of the world's population suffers from malnutrition (FAO, 2018). This figure is expected to increase as arable land decreases due to increased non-agricultural development and soil salinity caused by poor soil and irrigation management, global warming, climate change, rising sea levels and land subsidence, posing a threat to food production. . Around 50% of the world's arable land is already affected by salinity (Waqas et al., 2018). Faced with increasing pressure to produce more food to feed a growing population, improving agricultural production, particularly of salt-tolerant crops, remains a crucial challenge. This investigation will demonstrate how scientific knowledge and understanding of advanced genetic engineering in genome editing can enable scientists to find solutions to develop salt-tolerant crops. The limits of scientific research and the impacts on social, economic and environmental consequences will also be discussed. (2) Related Biological Sciences - Salt Toxicity and Plant Growth. Excess salt (NaCl) in soil affects normal plant growth due to osmotic stress which reduces the ability of plants to absorb sufficient water, causing plant cells to shrivel and slow growth (Figure 1 ). Additionally, excess salinity ions induce the accumulation of Na+ and Cl- ions in leaves, causing severe ionic imbalance and stress in cells. A high concentration of Na+ inhibits the uptake of K+ ion, a vital element for plant growth, resulting in leaf “burn” or even death, as shown in Figure 2 (Prince, 2016). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayModify salt-affected soils for crops, and (2) Use salt-affected soils to grow crops naturally salt-tolerant plants (halophytes), and research into the development of new salt-tolerant cultivars (Ashraf et al., 2008). With the first strategy, there are different ways to modify salt-affected soils, including leaching, drip irrigation, subsurface drainage, and amelioration. Leaching uses water to drain excess salts from the root zone to lower layers of soil. Careful management of drip irrigation reduces the effects of salt by keeping soils moist, which promotes stable leaching. A proper underground drainage system carries excess water and salts out of the area. Fertilizers containing chemicals such as gypsum, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium sulfate are used to improve the soil. (PMC, 2014; Agriculture and Food, 2016). However, the limitations of this strategy are that it is economically unviable and potentially harmful to the environment. Fertilizers are expensive, building an efficient irrigation system across a large agricultural area requires huge capital investments, and leaching could increase the salinity of groundwater and river systems (South African Government, 2017) . Researchers focus on the second strategy to improve halophyte growth and generate salt-tolerant cultivars, instead of costly soil reclamation measuresto modify the soil. Since the 1960s, scientists have been conducting experiments to discover new techniques to improve crop growth in saline environments and to develop new salt-resistant crops using genetic engineering technology. Conventional breeding techniques as well as molecular biology using DNA-based markers for genotype screening have been used in the research. Genetic mapping and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis by selecting desirable traits from higher plants and crossing them to create new improved traits have shown success in improving the salt resistance of certain crops these recent years (Lema-Ruminska et al., 2004; Mlcochova et al., 2004). Different plants respond differently to salinity stress. Scientists have observed the development of specific genes and proteins, as well as the influence of metabolites in the salt tolerance mechanisms of different model plants (Zhang & Shi, 2013,). Discovering and understanding how gene editing develops salt tolerance in plants has allowed scientists to successfully apply this knowledge to growing resilient crops such as alfalfa, durum wheat and rice. (Large et al., 2006; Ashraf and Akram, 2009). According to Zhang and Wang (2015), rstB transgenic alfalfa plants can successfully enhance calcium accumulation, which acts as a salt stress resistance mechanism. It is confirmed that the RstB transene “can be used as a molecular breeding tool for salt tolerance in crops.” Genetically modified salt-tolerant alfalfa is a highly nutritious forage perennial legume containing high concentrations of vitamins B, C, D and E. It is more easily digestible and is mainly used as animal feed, particularly for dairy cattle, with a small quantity for commercial vitamin manufacturing. It is tolerant to herbicides, thereby reducing insect infestation, and can produce yields approximately 17% higher than conventional alfalfa, which can be influenced by many factors such as seed variety, weather and soil conditions and water availability (Fernandez-Cornejo et al., 2016). Wheat: The new durum wheat TmHKT1;5-A containing a salt-resistant gene produces a protein that expels Na+ from leaf cells that affects the photosynthesis process in plants (University of Adelaide, 2012). It can grow well in both standard and saline conditions. However, in a saline soil environment, it increases its yield by approximately 25%. Its ability to resist salt stress allows farmers to have the option of using only one type of durum wheat for each paddock, even though the soil may contain salty parts. Based on these results, scientists are able to reliably predict that durum wheat containing the salt tolerance gene could outperform its wheat parent in salty conditions. This also contributes to continued research into crossing the salt resistance gene with soft wheat, a more important crop than durum wheat (Vincent, 2012; University of Adelaide, 2012).Rice, after years of unsuccessful research, a new species of salt-tolerant rice with better quality and higher yields than normal crops has been developed using CRISPR/Cas technology, cutting parts of the DNA, editing the codes and modifying genes (Wallheimer, 2018; Haskins, 2018). It can produce much higher yield of more than 50% compared to normal non-salt tolerant crops, has abetter quality and taste, and is healthier to eat because the salt in the soil acts as a natural pesticide and kills bacteria. The huge increase in yields, if sustainable, will be good news for both farmers and the world, as it will be able to produce more grain to feed a large majority of the world's population, with rice being their staple food. However, the negative environmental impact is that once land has been converted to saltwater plantations, the soil becomes saline and only salt-tolerant crops can be grown there. As for production, scientists have not yet determined whether it is ready for production. In terms of cost, it will be expensive for most people unless the price can be lowered to an affordable level. So far, these genetically modified crops have all demonstrated higher nutritional quality, higher yield, greater salt tolerance, resistance to herbicides and pesticides, with less resistance. maintenance in relation to their mother cultures. Genetic engineering has proven to be an effective approach for the development of salt-tolerant plants, and it is anticipated that this approach will become more powerful as more candidate genes associated with salinity tolerance are identified and widely used ( Zhang & Shi, 2013, ). . Research Limitations However, there are also limitations. Although some progress has been made, very few new salt-tolerant crops have been developed (Chinnusamy, et al., 2005). The main challenges are time and labor cost, as well as unforeseen consequences such as the transfer of unwanted genes with desired traits. Although crop wild relatives can provide an abundant source of salt-tolerant genes for incorporation into domestic crops, the barriers to breeding are not so easy to overcome as there have been more failures than successes in research over the past decades, and the scientific technology has not yet been developed. be further improved. Additionally, as the experiments were primarily performed under controlled laboratory conditions, results may change under actual field conditions with varied salt levels and other environmental factors (e.g. climate and soil fertility ) (Yamaguchi & Blumwald, 2005). **Collaboration between scientists is essential to scientific research.**Perhaps the biggest obstacle is that our cultivated plants have lost their natural resilience to the salt-affected environment following many years of selection. (Emmerich, 2017). (4) Social, economic and environmental impacts Research on improving crop growth in saline environments can have significant impacts on social, economic and environmental considerations. Successfully improving the salt tolerance of crops and developing new salt-tolerant crop species with high-quality nutrients and yields will contribute immensely to food varieties and food production to prevent the global food crisis. Salt-resilient crops will become increasingly important as the environment continues to be affected by increasing salinity levels in soils and water systems and arable land for normal crops decreases. Additionally, increased agricultural activities in salt-affected areas will also boost employment growth. , thus benefiting society in many areas, both socially and economically. THE..