In a historic milestone in agricultural research, India has successfully developed the world’s first two genome-edited rice varieties DRR Rice 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has described these varieties as game-changers that will boost agricultural productivity and enhance farmers’ incomes.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, made the announcement at a special event held at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium in New Delhi. The event witnessed the presence of a large number of scientists and farmers.
Both DRR Rice 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1 have been developed using CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing technology. These varieties offer up to 19% higher yield potential, a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, savings of 7,500 million cubic meters of irrigation water, and improved tolerance to drought, salinity, and climate-related stresses.
Minister Chouhan highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has achieved a landmark in scientific research. He stated that these newly developed rice varieties will pave the way for a second Green Revolution in Indian agriculture and play a crucial role in environmental conservation, positioning India as the "food basket of the world."
He also explained the "Minus 5, Plus 10" formula, under which paddy cultivation area can be reduced by 5 million hectares while achieving an additional 10 million tonnes of production. This strategy will help allocate more land for pulses and oilseed cultivation.
Minister Chouhan also felicitated the scientists who contributed to the development of these varieties. For DRR Rice 100 (Kamala), Dr. Satyendra Kumar Mangruthia, Dr. R.M. Sundaram, and their team were honored. For Pusa DST Rice 1, Dr. Viswanathan C, Dr. Gopalakrishnan S, and Dr. Shivani Nagar, among others, received recognition.
₹500 Crore Allocated for Genome Editing Research: The Government of India has allocated ₹500 crore in the Union Budget 2023–24 for genome editing of agricultural crops. ICAR has already initiated genome editing research in other crops, including pulses and oilseeds. The two new rice varieties will be introduced across several states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.
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