The researchers studied different types of rice to see how much they vary genetically and how these differences could be useful for improving crops. They found that some traits like yield and plant size had a lot of genetic variation, meaning they could be changed through breeding. Traits like yield per plant and number of tillers were mostly controlled by genes that add up, making them easier to improve. Overall, the study showed that there is a lot of potential in the rice germplasm for making better crops in the future.