India releases genome-edited rice varieties to boost yields by up to 30%

Business Standard

04-05-2025

In a significant development, India today released two new genome-edited varieties of rice—for the first time globally—that promise to boost per hectare yields by up to 30 per cent and mature 15–20 days earlier than existing varieties.
'The rice varieties (called 'Kamala – DRR Dhan-100' and 'Pusa DST Rice 1') will consume less water and thereby also help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the environment,' Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
The varieties will take at least four to five years to reach farmers after they complete the usual cycle of breeder, foundation and certified seeds. 'We are trying to quicken this as well so that farmers can get the benefit of these high-yielding varieties at the earliest,' Chouhan said.
A fundamental difference between genetically modified crops and gene-edited ones is that in the former, the final product (such as Bt cotton) contains foreign genes, while in gene-edited plants, no foreign gene is introduced.
India, a few years back, exempted SDN1 and SDN2 genome-edited plants from Rules 7–11 of the Environment Protection Act for the manufacture, use, import, export and storage of hazardous micro-organisms or genetically engineered organisms or cells (Rules, 1989), thereby bringing them outside the ambit of GEAC rules.
SDN1, SDN2 and SDN3 are three methods of genome editing in crops. The new paddy variants released today use the SDN1 and SDN2 methods. The central government had allocated ₹500 crore for genome editing in agricultural crops in its 2023–24 Union Budget. Compared to genetic modification, gene editing is a relatively new field.
'Apart from paddy, there are almost 24 other food crops and 15 horticulture crops which are in various stages of gene editing and should be released in due course,' said ICAR Director General Dr Mangi Lal Jat. He added that India will apply for IPR registration of the new varieties immediately. Initially, the genome-edited seeds will be distributed through state-run firms.
ICAR initiated a genome editing research project in rice in 2018 under its 'National Agricultural Science Fund'.
First, scientists selected two widely cultivated mega rice varieties—'Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204)' and 'MTU1010 (Cottondora Sannalu)'—which together are grown across more than nine million hectares in India.
Samba Mahsuri is known for its fine grain quality and premium market value, but it lacked climate resilience.
With moderate yields of 4–5 tonnes per hectare, a long maturation period of 145–150 days, incomplete panicle emergence, and vulnerability to pests, diseases and climate stress, the variety presented a clear case for improvement.
MTU1010, on the other hand, is a high-yielding, early-duration variety (125–130 days) well-suited for Rabi season cultivation in southern India, but it too suffered from sensitivity to drought and soil salinity.
Through genome editing, ICAR scientists enhanced these varieties—Samba Mahsuri and MTU1010—with better stress tolerance, improved yield and climate adaptability, without compromising their existing strengths, and developed the new varieties 'Kamala' (DRR Dhan-100) and 'Pusa DST Rice 1'.
Large-scale field trials showed DRR Dhan-100 (Kamala) had a 19 per cent yield improvement over Samba Mahsuri, recording an average yield of 5.37 tonnes per hectare compared to 4.5 tonnes per hectare for its parent.
Not only that, 'Kamala' also retained the same grain and cooking quality that has made Samba Mahsuri a consumer favourite.
Similarly, Pusa DST Rice 1 showed a 9–30 per cent yield advantage compared to its parent variant, depending on the soil type.
Kamala is recommended for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala (Zone VII), Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (Zone V), Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (Zone III).
Pusa DST Rice 1 is also recommended for use in the same zones and states.
Meanwhile, Venugopal Badaravada, a farmers' representative and member of the ICAR Governing Body—who has been a vocal critic of the premier research body—said ICAR's genome-edited rice claims are premature and misleading. He said farmers demand accountability, transparent data and technologies that are tested in their fields, not just polished in press releases.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that, starting from the forthcoming Kharif sowing season, scientists from various ICAR institutes, along with the Krishi Vigyan Kendras, will spend 15 days with farmers twice a year to explain various new research initiatives.
Chouhan said this attempt to bridge the gap between 'lab to land' will be carried out biannually, with efforts made to hold at least three meetings per day by the scientists.
'Our target is to reach all the farmers across the country in the next three to four years,' said Dr Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR.