In response to GM crop controversy, India develops climate-resilient genome-edited rice

Government scientists appear to have found an alternative to contentious genetically modified (GM) crops with the launch of two genome-edited varieties of rice—a key staple and export.

The main difference between genome-edited and GM crops is that the former involves modifying the plant's own genes, while GM crops involve insertion of genes from external sources.

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The launch of these genome-edited rice varieties follows the Supreme Court directing the government to formulate a national policy on genetically modified crops—covering research, cultivation, trade, and commerce—through public consultation. This is currently underway and yet to be finalized.

According to agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, these are the world’s first-ever genome-edited rice varieties. Both are expected to yield 20–30% more than conventional rice seeds and mature 20 days earlier, leading to significant water-use savings.

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In addition to being climate-resilient, these varieties are also projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (methane) by 20%, Chouhan said.

The technology has the potential to be replicated in other crops too for higher yields, climate resilience and improved quality.

“This is just the beginning. The government is actively developing several more genome-edited seed varieties for other crops,” Chouhan added while announcing the two varieties at ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)-IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) in New Delhi.

Under the budget announcement 2023-24, the government has allocated ₹500 crore for genome editing agricultural crops. Currently research programmes on genome editing have been initiated in over three dozens crops and including oilseeds, pulses, wheat, maize, tomato, mustard, banana, soybean, sunflower and sesamum.

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Work on mustard seeds is at an advanced stage.

"Increasing food demand, global climate change and increasing biotic and abiotic stresses necessitate the development of high yielding, climate resilient and nutritionally rich crop varieties. Genome editing has emerged as a new breeding technology for precision mutagenesis to create improved varieties in a shorter period," said Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Director General (DG) of ICAR.

ICAR initiated genome editing research in rice in 2018. Two popular varieties, Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204) and MTU1010 (Cottondora Sannalu) grown across Indian states in more than nine million hectares, were selected for genome editing.

The new variety DRR Dhan 100 (KAMALA), a high yielding variety of Samba Mahsuri, recorded an average yield of 5.37 tonnes per hectare as against 4.5 tons per hectare of its parent variety. It has a yield potential of around 9 tonnes per hectare and matures in 130 days (15-20 days earlier than Samba Mahsuri). 

Similarly, the other genome variety ‘PUSA DST Rice 1’ has an average yield of 3.5 tonnes per hectare more than the parent rice variety. 

This variety has been developed for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

According to ICAR, cultivation of these varieties in about 5 million hectares of the recommended area will produce 4.5 million tonnes of additional paddy, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 32,000 and save 7,500 million cubic metres of irrigation water, which can be used for other crops.