To reduce arsenic uptake in rice cultivars, certain traits and underlying mechanisms play crucial roles. Key traits include:

• Root Architecture: Shallow root systems and adventitious roots help limit arsenic absorption by accessing less contaminated soil layers.
• Root Exudates: Some cultivars release organic compounds that can alter arsenic bioavailability and enhance nutrient mobilization, which competes with arsenic uptake.
• Arsenic Tolerance Mechanisms: Variations in transporter proteins and efflux pumps can limit arsenic uptake and promote its transport out of root cells.
• Biochemical Adaptations: Increased production of glutathione and phytochelatins detoxifies arsenic and sequesters it in vacuoles. Enhanced antioxidant activity can mitigate oxidative stress from arsenic exposure.
• Grain and Hull Characteristics: Thicker hulls and high amylose content can reduce arsenic accumulation in edible grains.

Underlying mechanisms include the chemical speciation of arsenic, soil microbial interactions, and the physiological stress responses of rice cultivars, which collectively influence arsenic uptake. Breeding programs targeting these traits could lead to safer rice varieties with lower arsenic levels.