Globally, the risk of arsenic (As) contamination in soil and rice is well documented across the globe. In Bangladesh, drinking water and rice are two major exposure pathways of As to humans. Therefore, the efficiency of recent technologies to reduce rice As and associated human health risks still need to be deeply investigated. In this direction, a pot experiment was performed to investigate the impact of soil As and agronomic irrigation management on rice (cv. BRRI dhan28) growth, yield, As accumulation, and finally, health risks to humans from consuming rice. Treatment combinations were made with three levels of As (0, 20, and 40 mg kg⁻¹) having two irrigation procedures, including alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and traditional continuous flooding (CF). According to the findings, As pollution in the soil lowered the yield contributing features and rice yield, including panicle length, filled grains per panicle, sterile grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and straw yield. AWD water management significantly improved the growth performance and productivity of rice. Grain yield was increased by 13% in AWD compared to CF. Rice grain and straw As concentrations were increased to 0.56 mg kg⁻¹ and 15.10 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, in soil with 40 mg kg⁻¹ As and CF water management. AWD treatment significantly reduced grain and straw As contents by 16% and 28%, respectively. Increased grain, straw, and total As uptake was noticed with higher soil As concentrations. The study also found that rising soil As raised non-carcinogenic risks (HQ > 1) and carcinogenic risks (CR > 1.010–4) while AWD lowered health risks compared to CF. Thus, rice farming using AWD irrigation could be a viable and long-term solution for reducing As contamination in rice and associated human health hazards.

Moringa (Moringa oleifera L.) leaf extract is a natural plant growth stimulant that is well-known for its ability to improve plant growth and development. A field study was conducted to evaluate the influence of MLE (Moringa Leaf Extract) on the growth, yield and nutritional improvement in two vegetable crops [Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Indian Spinach (Basella alba)]. The extract was applied at two weeks interval with different frequencies. The crops were fertilized with chemical fertilizers and MLE application was done as per treatment @ 25 ml/plant. For each of the crops, this bio-stimulant had a significant boosting effect on growth, yield and nutrient uptake whereas the maximum frequency in the application i.e. T4 (foliar application of MLE at 2 weeks after transplanting and application at every 2 weeks thereafter) showed the highest influence. Indian Spinach responded proportionally more to foliar-applied MLE in terms of plant growth and nutrient uptake compared to tomato. The effect of MLE on the yield parameters was more pronounced in tomato that showed a 25% (averaged across all the growth parameters) increase over control, but Indian Spinach showed ~20% increase in yield parameters compared to control. Therefore, applying MLE to the foliage may assist in increasing the yield by improving plant growth across the different vegetable species (e.g., Tomato and Indian Spinach).

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are integral components of plant signaling networks that mediate interactions between plants and their environment, thereby regulating diverse physiological and biochemical processes. While controlled ROS production is essential for stress perception and signal transduction, excessive ROS accumulation induces oxidative damage. ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids leads to the formation of highly electrophilic α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds collectively referred to as reactive carbonyl species (RCS). Under severe abiotic stress conditions, excessive RCS accumulation exerts cytotoxic effects and causes widespread cellular dysfunction. In contrast, at subtoxic levels, RCS function as important secondary messengers that modulate stress-responsive signaling pathways, including programmed cell death, stomatal regulation, and adaptive responses to abiotic stresses. This review critically synthesizes current advances in understanding the dual roles of ROS and RCS as both damaging agents and signaling molecules in plants. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanistic basis of ROS-RCS crosstalk and their interactions in abiotic stress tolerance. Furthermore, this review highlights emerging research gaps and outlines future perspectives aimed at translating redox signaling insights into strategies for improving plant stress resilience under changing environmental conditions.