On Sunday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan 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.
According to Chouhan, 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. “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.”
