India's first genome-edited rice varieties will boost rice yields by 20-30%, reduce water consumption: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Time of India

05-05-2025

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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday unveiled India's first genome-edited rice varieties, DRR Dhan 100 ( Kamala ) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research ( ICAR ). These varieties promise to increase rice yields by 20-30%, offer superior drought tolerance, high nitrogen-utilisation efficiency, reduce water consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation.The newly launched genome-edited rice varieties are the first of their kind in the world and are expected to help achieve the target of boosting yields while reducing production costs, said Chouhan. 'I am sure that these varieties will play a leading role in heralding the second green revolution in the country,' he added.The new rice varieties will likely take 4-5 years to reach farmers after completing the seed development cycle, which includes breeder, foundation, and certified seeds, according to Chouhan. 'Efforts are also being made to expedite the process, ensuring farmers can benefit from these high-yielding varieties as soon as possible,' he said.Speaking at the launch event, Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General (DG), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said, 'Gene editing is currently being applied to around 24 food crops and 15 horticulture crops, with releases expected in the coming years, potentially bringing new varieties with improved traits to the market.'Notably, ICAR in 2018 launched a genome editing research project for rice under the National Agricultural Science Fund . The project focused on two popular rice varieties: Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204) and MTU1010 ( Cottondora Sannalu ), which are cultivated across nine million hectares in India.According to officials, gene editing research is currently underway in India for various crops, including mustard, tomato, tobacco, and cotton, with the goal of introducing desirable traits and improvements.The government had allocated Rs 500 crore for genome editing in agricultural crops during the Union Budget 2023-24. Speaking with ET Digital on the sidelines of the press conference, Chouhan said that the government will consider increasing the research budget for genome editing in agriculture if the need arises in the future. The government is working to streamline the seed supply chain, ensuring timely delivery of genome-edited crop varieties to farmers at affordable prices and making the benefits of this innovation widely accessible, the Agriculture Minister added.Genome editing technology, such as CRISPR-Cas, is a precise mutagenesis tool for creating desirable variants of native genes in living organisms. Some genome editing techniques, like Site-Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN-1) and Site-Directed Nuclease 2 (SDN-2), are exempt from regulations as they are similar to mutations that happen naturally.In SDN-1 and SDN-2 genome editing, a native gene is modified in its original location to create an alternative form (allele) with desirable changes in expression and function. These mutants don't contain foreign DNA and are indistinguishable from natural or induced mutants, making them exempt from biosafety regulations under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986.The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of the respective ICAR institutes approved the genome-edited rice lines, and the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) granted clearance on May 31, 2023, classifying them under India's relaxed regulatory framework for SDN1 and SDN2 genome edits.'The initiative marks a significant step forward in India's efforts to ensure food security and sustainable agriculture in the face of mounting environmental challenges. There are few concerns about the Intellectual Property Rights of the technology which are being looked after and will be resolved in times to come,' said ICAR in a release.According to officials, India's overall regulatory framework for genome-edited crops is still evolving, with ongoing efforts to establish a comprehensive regulatory landscape. They indicated the government is planning to immediately apply for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) registration for the new genome-edited rice varieties. Initially, these seeds will be distributed through state-run firms to ensure widespread accessibility.The ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad, has developed DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala), a high-yielding rice variety with enhanced drought tolerance and early maturity, outperforming its parent variety, Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204).ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi, has developed Pusa DST Rice 1, a new variety derived from the popular fine-grain variety MTU1010.'Using the Site Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN1) genome editing approach, ICAR-IIRR scientists introduced precise mutations without incorporating any foreign DNA. The resulting mutant line demonstrated superior yield performance, drought tolerance, high nitrogen-use efficiency, and maturity ~20 days earlier (around 130 days) than its parent variety,' the ICAR said in a statement.The genome-edited rice line, officially designated IET 32072, underwent multi-location field trials in 2023 and 2024 under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice (AICRPR) to assess its performance.'Results showed a 19% yield improvement over Samba Mahsuri, with DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) recording an average yield of 5.37 tonnes per hectare, compared to 4.5 tonnes per hectare for its parent. Under optimal conditions, DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) has demonstrated a yield potential of up to 9 tonnes per hectare,' it added.Kamala and Pusa DST Rice 1 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).According to the ICAR, cultivating these rice varieties on approximately 5 million hectares can yield an additional 4.5 million tonnes of paddy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% (32,000 tonnes). The shorter duration (reduction by 20 days) of these varieties can also save around 7,500 million cubic metres of irrigation water by reducing three irrigations.