Rice (Oryza sativa L.) production is highly susceptible to temperature fluctuations, which can significantly reduce plant growth and development at different developmental stages, resulting in a dramatic loss of grain yield. Over the past century, substantial efforts have been undertaken to investigate the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of cold stress tolerance in rice. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent developments and trends in this field. We summarized the previous advancements and methodologies used for identifying cold-responsive genes and the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in rice. Integration of new technologies has significantly improved studies in this era, facilitating the identification of essential genes, QTLs, and molecular modules in rice. These findings have accelerated the molecular breeding of cold-resistant rice varieties. In addition, functional genomics, including the investigation of natural variations in alleles and artificially developed mutants, is emerging as an exciting new approach to investigating cold tolerance. Looking ahead, it is imperative for scientists to evaluate the collective impacts of these novel genes to develop rice cultivars resilient to global climate change.

Soil salinity significantly hampers wheat production by adversely affecting growth attributes, posing a challenge to food security and economic stability. This study investigates the impact of soil salinity on wheat production, focusing on the mitigation of salinity stress through the application of trehalose, a known osmoprotectant. We treated seven-day-old seedlings of various wheat genotypes (Bhittai, Zamindar-04, DN-84, Zincol-16) with trehalose (10 and 50 mM) in the presence and absence of NaCl (150 mM) for five days. Our findings indicate that under saline conditions, genotypes Bhittai and Zamindar-04 exhibited the highest tolerance, showing longer shoot lengths and greater dry weight. Conversely, DN-84 and Zincol-16 demonstrated lower tolerance with shorter root and shoot lengths. The application of trehalose significantly improved the fresh and dry weight of Zamindar-04 and Bhittai. Zamindar-04 and Bhittai emerged as superior genotypes with Zamindar-04 having the least POX activity, and Bhittai showcasing increased spikelets, reduced trehalose content, and high mean productivity (MP) value. The study concludes that trehalose significantly mitigates the adverse effects of soil salinity on wheat growth by enhancing stress tolerance in specific genotypes, notably Bhittai and Zamindar-04. In conclusion, the application of trehalose offers a promising strategy to improve wheat production under saline conditions, particularly for genotypes with higher inherent tolerance.