New genetic tools are breathing fresh life into India’s staple crops, Pg II

Key Highlights:

• India approved and released its first two gene-edited rice varieties, DRR Dhan-100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice-1, in 2025.
• These varieties were developed by Indian researchers using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.
• DRR Dhan-100 (Kamala) offers up to 19% higher yield, matures 20 days earlier (130 days), and is drought-tolerant.
• Pusa DST Rice-1 is designed for tolerance to saline and alkaline soils, showing a 10-30% yield increase under stress conditions.
• The development was led by public institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), ensuring broad accessibility to farmers.

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Detailed Insights:

• The new gene-edited rice varieties address critical challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and soil salinity, promoting sustainable agriculture.
• DRR Dhan-100 (Kamala), developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad, is an improved version of the popular Samba Mahsuri variety.
• Pusa DST Rice-1, developed by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, is derived from the MTU1010 variety.
• Unlike traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs), these gene-edited crops do not involve the introduction of foreign DNA, making precise changes within the plant's own genetic material.
• The technology of apomixis, which allows plants to produce clonal seeds without sexual reproduction, is being explored to preserve hybrid vigour indefinitely, potentially reducing seed costs for farmers.
• Professor Venkatesan Sundaresan and Imtiyaz Khanday were recognized for their work on self-cloning crop technology, with Sundaresan receiving a share of the Wolf Prize in agriculture in 2024 and both receiving the VinFuture Special Prize in 2025.
• India's regulatory framework has exempted gene-edited plants without foreign genes from the stricter approval process applied to transgenic GMOs, facilitating faster development and release.
• Globally, drought-tolerant HB4 wheat, a transgenic variety developed by Bioceres Crop Solutions, has been approved in countries like Argentina, Brazil, the US, and Australia.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• CRISPR-Cas9: A powerful gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise, targeted changes to an organism's DNA.
• Apomixis: A natural or engineered process where plants produce seeds clonally, without fertilization, preserving parental traits.
• Hybrid Vigour: The superior quality or increased vigour of hybrid offspring compared to their parents, often lost in subsequent generations.
• Cytokinin: A plant hormone that promotes cell division and differentiation, influencing processes like spikelet formation and grain number in rice.
• OsDST gene: A specific gene in rice that, when edited, can enhance the plant's tolerance to drought and salinity stress.