The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the country’s foremost agricultural research body, has unveiled the world’s first genome-edited rice varieties designed to boost yields by 20-30%, conserve water, and cut down on methane emissions. The two innovative varieties, ‘DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)’ and ‘Pusa DST Rice 1’, were introduced by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday. These high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties are expected to trigger a second Green Revolution in India. Chouhan urged ICAR to ensure quick availability of these seeds for farmers.

An official mentioned that scientists are working on securing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for the varieties. Certified seeds will be available for farmers within two years. ICAR’s claims suggest that cultivating these rice varieties on five million hectares could yield an additional 4.5 million tons of rice, save 7,500 million cubic meters of irrigation water due to their short-growing period (20 days earlier), and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

These developments have paved the way for applying genome-editing methods to other crops, ensuring better yields and resilience against climate changes. The ‘Kamala’ variety is suitable for major rice-growing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and several others. Meanwhile, ‘Pusa DST Rice 1’ is also recommended for cultivation in many of these states. ICAR began its genome-editing research on rice in 2018, aiming to enhance traits of popular rice varieties for improved stress tolerance and higher yields.