ICAR to launch two genome edited rice varieties

Picture used for representational function.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association

The Indian Council of Agricultural Analysis (ICAR) has efficiently developed two genome edited rice varieties, which can be formally introduced in New Delhi on Sunday (Could 4, 2025) by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The ICAR mentioned the event of such seeds was “first-ever such achievement” within the nation utilizing cutting-edge genome enhancing know-how.

The primary selection, named as DRR Dhan 100 Kamala, was developed from a well-liked excessive yielding inexperienced rice Samba Mahsuri and the second selection is from Maharashtra Expertise College 1010 (MTU1010), which can also be broadly utilized by farmers throughout the nation.

The brand new selection developed from Samba Mahsuri may be harvested 15-20 days forward of its authentic. The yield is sort of 25% extra, which is about eight tonnes extra per hectare. Every panicle of the paddy will give 450 to 500 extra grains on this selection than the unique crop.

“That is climate-friendly as this selection makes use of water and minerals judiciously. That is tolerant to extend in temperature too,” a supply in ICAR mentioned. The range may be cultivated by direct seeding technique too.

Named as Pusa DST Rice 1, the variability developed from MTU1010 is a ‘salinity stress tolerant’ crop. When cultivated beneath areas which have nationwide common of salinity, the brand new selection produced 9.66% further yield than MTU1010. Equally, in alkaline situations, the brand new selection gave 14.66% extra yield than its authentic and beneath ‘salinity stress’ situations, the yield of the brand new selection was 30.36%.