India's Genome-Edited Rice Revolution:

India has officially approved and released two genome-edited rice varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1, developed using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology.

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This marks a significant advancement in Indian agriculture, promising increased yields, climate resilience, and water conservation. These varieties are distinct from traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as they are developed without introducing foreign DNA, making them a form of precision breeding.

Pusa Rice DST1, from IARI, has been engineered for enhanced drought and salt tolerance. By disabling a gene that limits stress response, scientists reduced stomatal density and water use while improving tillering, salt resilience, and grain yield. It showed significantly better performance under stress compared to the MTU1010 variety.

DRR Dhan 100, developed by IIRR, modifies the Samba Mahsuri variety by editing the OsCKX2 gene to boost yield by 19%, accelerate maturity by 20 days, and perform better under drought and low-fertilizer conditions.