Why in the News?
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently said that India is the first country in the world to create rice varieties using genome editing technology.
What are the new varieties?A team of researchers from different institutions, led by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), developed two new rice varieties — DRR Dhan 100 (called Kamala), made from the high-yielding Samba Mahsuri rice, and Pusa DST Rice 1, made from the Maruteru 1010 (MTU1010) variety. |
What are the benefits of the new rice varieties Kamala and Pusa DST Rice 1?
- Higher Yield: Both varieties produce more rice per hectare than their parent strains. Eg: Kamala yields 5.37 tonnes/ha vs. Samba Mahsuri’s 4.5 tonnes/ha; Pusa DST Rice 1 yields 3,508 kg/ha, which is 9.66% more than MTU1010’s 3,199 kg/ha.
- Drought Tolerance: Kamala is more resilient to drought, ensuring stable harvests during water shortages. Eg: Farmers can harvest good crops with less water in drought-prone areas using Kamala.
- Early Maturity: Kamala matures 20 days earlier, reducing resource use and allowing faster crop cycles. Eg: Early harvest saves water and fertilizer, enabling farmers to grow a second crop sooner.
- Salinity and Alkalinity Resistance: Pusa DST Rice 1 tolerates coastal salinity and alkaline soils better than its parent, boosting yield in tough environments. Eg: It yields 30.4% more under coastal salinity and 14.66% more under alkalinity than MTU1010.
- Reduced Environmental Impact: Early maturity of Kamala lowers methane emissions from rice fields, helping fight climate change. Eg: Shorter growing period means less methane released compared to traditional rice varieties.
Why are there objections to the genome-edited rice varieties?
- Lack of Transparency: There is concern that the genome-edited rice varieties were announced without adequate field-level data being shared publicly, making the scientific claims appear premature. Eg: Venugopal Badaravada, a former ICAR governing body member, criticized the lack of transparency and was later expelled, raising concerns about institutional accountability.
- Regulatory Concerns: Critics argue that exempting genome-edited crops (especially SDN-1 and SDN-2) from GM regulations is legally questionable and may bypass biosafety evaluations. Eg: The Coalition for a GM-Free India stated that de-regulating gene editing is “outright illegal” under India’s current biosafety framework.
- Seed Sovereignty and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): Activists fear that the gene-editing tools used are patented, which could threaten farmers’ seed rights and give control to private corporations. Eg: Concerns were raised about IPR entanglements with the technologies used in Kamala and Pusa DST Rice 1, potentially compromising India’s food and seed sovereignty.
When will the new rice seeds be available for farmers?The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) anticipates that certified seeds of these varieties will be available to farmers within two years, following the completion of necessary processes such as Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) registration and seed multiplication. |
Way forward:
- Ensure Transparent Evaluation: Conduct multi-location field trials and publicly share performance data to build scientific credibility and public trust.
- Safeguard Farmer Rights and Regulatory Oversight: Develop a clear IPR policy and establish robust, independent biosafety review mechanisms to protect seed sovereignty and address legal concerns.
Mains PYQ:
[UPSC 2020] In what way have the science-based technologies triggered off striking changes in agriculture?
Linkage: Genome editing is a science-based technology that represents a significant advancement capable of triggering changes in agriculture by developing improved crop varieties.
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