Genome-Edited Rice

Context:

Recently, India has made history by becoming the first country to develop genome-edited rice varieties, marking a significant milestone in agricultural innovation. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) developed two climate-resilient varieties, DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1, using advanced genome editing tools.

About New Rice Varieties:

The two rice varieties developed using genome editing are:

DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala): Developed from Samba Mahsuri, a popular high-yielding green rice.
Pusa DST Rice 1: Developed from the Maruteru 1010 (MTU1010) variety.

Characteristics of the Rice Varieties

Kamala (DRR Dhan 100):

Yield: 5.37 tonnes per hectare (vs. 4.5 tonnes of Samba Mahsuri).
Traits:

Drought-tolerant
High nitrogen-use efficiency
20 days earlier maturity

Benefits:

Saves water and fertilizers
Reduces methane emissions due to early harvest

Pusa DST Rice 1:

Yield: 3,508 kg per hectare
(9.66% higher than MTU 1010 under inland salinity stress).
Stress Performance:

14.66% higher yield under alkaline conditions
30.4% advantage under coastal salinity stress

What Technology Was Used?

Scientists employed Site-Directed Nuclease 1 and Site-Directed Nuclease 2 (SDN-1 and SDN-2) genome editing techniques to develop these varieties. This technology enables precise changes in the organism's genetic material without adding foreign DNA, distinguishing it from genetically modified (GM) crops.
The newly developed rice varieties do not involve foreign genes, a defining feature of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Since SDN-3 was not used, they fall outside the conventional definition of GM crops.
This distinction is crucial in regulatory terms. Many countries, including India, have deregulated SDN-1 and SDN-2 methods under certain conditions due to their perceived safety and precision.

What are the Objections?

Despite the breakthrough, some controversies have emerged:

· Premature Claims: Farmers' representative Venugopal Badaravada criticized ICAR's claims as premature and misleading, demanding accountability and transparent data.

· Intellectual Property Rights: The Coalition for a Genetically Modified-Free India raised concerns about gene editing tools being proprietary technologies under Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ownership, potentially compromising farmers' seed sovereignty and food sovereignty

Conclusion:

These genome-edited rice varieties are expected to revolutionize Indian agriculture by providing higher yields, climate resilience, and water conservation. Large-scale seed production is likely to take place over the next three crop seasons, following necessary clearances