India Creates world’s first gene – edited rice: the yield is more and with stands climate vagaries

India Leads Genome-Edited Rice, Boosting Agricultural Prospects

India has marked a significant milestone in agricultural innovation by developing and launching the world's first genome-edited rice varieties. This advancement, spearheaded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), introduces two distinct types poised to enhance farming efficiency and contribute to national food security goals. The development leverages cutting-edge CRISPR-Cas gene editing techniques, specifically SDN1 and SDN2 methods, which allow for precise modifications to the plant's own genetic material without introducing foreign DNA.

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Introducing Advanced Rice Types

The two newly unveiled varieties, 'DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)' and 'Pusa DST Rice 1', represent targeted solutions to pressing agricultural challenges.

• DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala): Developed by the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad, this variety builds upon the popular 'Samba Mahsuri' lineage. Using SDN1 editing, scientists enhanced the grain count per panicle, resulting in an approximate 19% yield increase. Crucially, 'Kamala' matures nearly three weeks earlier than its parent variety. This accelerated growth cycle promises substantial water savings, reduced cultivation costs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, all while preserving the desirable grain quality of Samba Mahsuri.

• Pusa DST Rice 1: The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi engineered this variety by editing the 'MTU1010' genome. Its primary characteristic is enhanced tolerance to both drought and salinity, making it particularly suitable for cultivation in challenging environmental conditions. Projections suggest yield improvements of 20-30% compared to conventional varieties in drought-prone and saline soil regions.

Government Support and What's Next

At the launch event, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted the importance of this breakthrough for the country. He called it a major step forward for Indian farming, possibly starting a new era of agricultural growth, much like the first Green Revolution. He stressed that these new rice types could help farmers earn more money, spend less on farming, save water, and reduce pollution harmful to the climate. The Minister also repeated the government's goal to grow more pulses and oilseeds, hoping to make India a major food provider for the world, similar to its success with Basmati rice exports.

This progress was made possible because the government decided in March 2022 that plants changed using these specific gene-editing methods (SDN1 and SDN2) are safe. They don't need to follow the strict safety rules usually required for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), mainly because the changes are very precise and don't add genes from other species.

Getting the Rice to Farmers

According to Dr. M.L. Jat, head of ICAR, both new rice types have passed all the required tests across India. Now, the focus is on producing enough seeds (like breeder, foundation, and certified seeds) so that farmers all over the country can get them. Growing these new rice types on about 500,000 hectares of land could produce an extra 4.5 million tonnes of rice, save around 7.5 billion cubic meters of water used for farming, and reduce harmful greenhouse gases by 20% – mainly because they grow faster.

ICAR officials, like Dr. A.K. Singh, pointed out that this success opens the door for using gene editing on many other crops, including grains, oilseeds, and fruits and vegetables. This could greatly help improve India's food supply and nutrition in the future.