Why in news
India became the first country to develop genome-edited rice varieties.
These new varieties will be available to farmers in six months, with large-scale production in the next three crop seasons.
What are the new varieties?
Two rice varieties were developed:
DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) – based on Samba Mahsuri.
Pusa DST Rice 1 – based on MTU1010.
Developed under the guidance of ICAR.
What are its peculiarities?
Designed to handle climate change, pest attacks, and water scarcity.
Kamala: Higher yield, drought tolerance, better nitrogen use, matures 20 days earlier.
Pusa DST Rice 1: Better yield under salinity stress conditions (inland, coastal, alkaline).
What was the technology used?
Used SDN-1 (Site-Directed Nuclease-1) and SDN-2 genome editing techniques.
No foreign genes added; these edits are natural and precise.
First time this method is used to develop rice, although used earlier in tomatoes, soybeans, and fish.
Are they GM crops?
No, these are not GM crops.
GM crops (SDN-3) involve inserting foreign genes; this method doesn’t.
Only native genes were edited, not replaced.
Many countries don’t regulate SDN-1 and SDN-2 like GMOs.
What are the objections?
Some farmers and activists claim:
The data is not transparent.
The tech is being rushed without adequate field testing.
It raises concerns about seed sovereignty due to Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
ICAR rejected these claims and expelled a farmer representative who criticized the announcement.
COMMENTS