CRISPR-Edited Japonica Rice By NIPGR Boosts Yield And Phosphate Efficiency

Scientists at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) have developed CRISPR-edited japonica rice that absorbs phosphate more efficiently.

CRISPR-edited japonica rice leads to a 20% increase in yield under normal fertilizer use, and up to 40% under low-phosphate conditions. The breakthrough could improve crop performance and reduce dependence on phosphate fertilizers.

Japonica Rice

The other main eco-geographical race of Oryza sativa, alongside Indica.
Grown mainly in cooler subtropical zones and temperate regions.
Primary type of rice cultivated and consumed in Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia; Popular for its sticky texture when cooked.
Plants have short to intermediate height; Leaves are narrow and dark green.
Grains are short to medium in length, oval or round in shape.
Known for low grain shattering and 0–20% amylose content.
Panicles may have awns or be awnless.

Key Scientific Development

Technique used: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.
Target gene: OsPHO1;2, a phosphate transporter that moves phosphate from root to shoot.
Challenge addressed: Only 15–20% of phosphate fertilizer is absorbed by plants; the rest is lost to runoff or soil binding. Initial issue: Knocking out the repressor gene (OsWRKY6) (that blocks the transporter gene) improved phosphate transport but harmed plant growth.
Final solution: Edited only the 30-base-pair binding site for the repressor without deleting the gene itself, preserving other plant functions.

Why Japonica?

Easier to modify than Indian indica rice.
Serves as a proof-of-concept before applying the technology to Indian cultivars.
- A cultivar is a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated.

Benefits in Gene-Edited Rice

Increased phosphate transport and shoot accumulation.
Roots absorbed more phosphate before it became insoluble in soil.

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a gene-editing tool used to modify the DNA of a specific gene by removing, adding, or changing parts of its sequence.

Higher number of panicles and seeds.
No adverse effects on seed quality, starch, or nutrient content.
Yield increase:
- 20% with full fertilizer use.
- 40% with just 10% of recommended phosphate.
No foreign DNA detected in the final generation.

Why Does It Matters?

Phosphorus is vital for crop growth, but most of it (80–85%) from fertilizers goes unused due to soil reactions.
India imports over 4.5 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizers annually.
Gene-edited rice could improve nutrient efficiency and support sustainable farming.
The breakthrough could improve crop performance and reduce dependence on phosphate fertilizers.

Phosphorus Importance for Plants

Some specific growth factors associated with phosphorus are:

Stimulated root development
Increased stalk and stem strength
Improved flower formation and seed production
More uniform and earlier crop maturity
Increased nitrogen N-fixing capacity of legumes
Improvements in crop quality
Increased resistance to plant diseases
Supports development throughout entire lifecycle

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