Agri minister Chouhan unveils first genome-edited rice varieties

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday unveiled the first genome-edited rice varieties 'DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1'? developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address challenges of climate change and boost rice yields by up to 30 per cent.

"It is an important day for us... Soon, these two new rice varieties will be made available to farmers," Chouhan said, adding that the new varieties will enhance rice yields by 20-30 per cent, conserve water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation.

These varieties are recommended for major rice-growing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal.

Scientists developed these varieties by enhancing two widely grown rice types -- Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204) and MTU1010 (Cottondora Sannalu) -- with improved stress tolerance, yield, and climate adaptability, while retaining their original strengths.

Both varieties exhibit superior drought tolerance and high nitrogen-use efficiency.

The minister said DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) matures about 20 days earlier (130 days) than its parent, enabling earlier harvests and potential for crop rotation or multiple cropping cycles. The shorter duration of DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) allows farmers to save three irrigations.

Cultivation of both varieties across 5 million hectares could produce an additional 4.5 million tonnes of paddy, he said.