Ashwani Kumar

Rice improvement now operates at the intersection of three objectives that were historically treated more independently: raising yield, maintaining or improving grain quality, and stabilising performance under abiotic stress. This critical narrative review evaluates the genetic architecture, breeding evidence and translational maturity of these objectives in Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.), while drawing selectively on African rice and wild Oryza germplasm where they illuminate useful alleles or mechanisms. Literature published from 2000 to 5 August 2026 was prioritised, with earlier or foundational work retained when necessary. The synthesis distinguishes large-effect loci that have translated effectively into breeding, such as SUB1A, from traits whose expression is strongly background- or environment-dependent. Yield improvement has benefited from genes controlling stature, panicle architecture, grain number, grain size and heading date, but the same loci can alter maturity, lodging risk, source–sink relations and market-preferred grain dimensions. Grain quality is similarly modular rather than unitary: appearance, milling, cooking, eating, aroma and nutritional attributes arise from partially distinct pathways, with Wx, ALK, BADH2, Chalk5 and grain-size regulators illustrating both tractability and pleiotropic constraint. For abiotic stress tolerance, major loci affecting sodium transport, submergence quiescence, root architecture, anaerobic germination, phosphorus acquisition, heat tolerance and chilling adaptation provide strong mechanistic anchors, yet combined-stress and grain-filling environments remain underrepresented. Genomics, genomic selection, pangenomics and genome editing broaden the accessible allele space, but prediction and editing do not remove the need for rigorous multi-environment phenotyping. The central conclusion is that future genetic gain will depend less on stacking nominally favourable alleles than on designing compatible haplotype combinations whose effects remain stable across target production environments and consumer quality requirements.

Objective: Ash and its preparations have been used in Ayurveda for the treatment of various ailments since 7^th century AD. Numerous studies suggest that the elements present in ash have significant role in affective disorders. Thus, the present study aimed at evaluating the antianxiety and antidepressant activity of total ash of H. sabdariffa calyces, and also of the tablets of total ash. Methods: Powdered calyces were taken in tared silica crucible, and were incinerated at a temperature not exceeding 450 °C. The resultant ash was cooled and weighed. This was evaluated for antianxiety and antidepressant activity using an elevated plus maze and Porsolt’s swim test, respectively. Further, the ash samples were analysed through ICP-MS to know their composition. The ash was formulated into tablets using the wet granulation technique, using only organic excipients. Results: Results indicated that the total ash of H. sabdariffa calyces exhibited significant (pH. sabdariffa total ash were as effective (pConclusion: Magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and calcium have been reported to play a significant role in affective disorders, explaining, thereby, as to why ash of H. sabdariffa calyces exhibited anti-anxiety and antidepressant activity.