Genome-Edited Seeds

Recently, the Union Agriculture Minister announced the launch of two genome-edited rice varieties which were developed by scientists at ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research).

Under the budget announcement 2023-24, the government of India had allocated Rs 500 crore for genome editing in agricultural crop
India ranking in production of rice: second (186.5 million tonnes) after China (211 million tonnes).

What Are Genome-Edited Seeds?

Genome-edited seeds are created using special tools to make precise changes in a plant’s own DNA.
These tools (like CRISPR-Cas9) help improve the plant without adding genes from other species.
This makes them different from traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Two genome-edited rice varieties

DRR DHAN 100 (KAMALA): Developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad.
- Technology: Used genome editing (CRISPR-Cas9), targeting the Cytokinin Oxidase 2 (CKX2 or Gn1a) gene.
- Features: Higher yields, improved drought tolerance, and early maturity compared to its parent variety, Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204).
PUSA DST RICE 1: Developed by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi.
- Based on MTU 1010 fine-grain variety.
- Technology: Developed through Site Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN1) genome-editing, the new variety, Pusa DST Rice 1.
  - Target gene: DST (Drought and Salt Tolerance) gene.
- Features: High resilience to drought, salinity, and alkaline soils.

Benefits

Higher Yields: These new rice varieties are expected to produce up to 30% more rice per hectare of land compared to current varieties.
Faster Growth: They may also mature (be ready for harvest) 15-20 days earlier than existing rice.
Less Water and Emissions: These rice varieties will likely need less water to grow and will contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Need of Genome-edited seeds

More precise agriculture: With the help of genome- edited seeds, rice production can be increased by 10 millions in the same area while reducing the area of rice cultivation by 5 million hectares.
Reduction in green house gas emission: Seeds like DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1 require less irrigation water than old seeds while producing 4.5 million tons of additional paddy in about 5 million hectares of the area.
- It helps in reducing methane emission by 20 per cent (32,000 tons) as flooded rice fields are a major source of methane gas.
Time: Genome editing accelerates development due to which these varieties can mature faster than the conventional ones.
- Water for three irrigations will be saved, which will amount to 7,500 million cubic meters that can be used in other crop production.
Climate resilience: These varieties can tolerate drought, salinity, and extreme temperature better than the conventional ones.

About Paddy

Paddy is a principal crop of the kharif season.
Contribution in foodgrain basket: 40% , plays major role in the nation’s food security,
Highest paddy growing states: West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Assam.

Regulatory Framework

Legal Exemption : In India, SDN1 and SDN2 genome-edited plants are exempted from strict regulations under Rules 7-11 of the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1989.
This means they are not regulated by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).

Difference Genome-Edited Seeds and Genetically Modified Crops

Feature	Genome-Edited Seeds	Genetically Modified (GM) Crops
Genetic Material Modification	Primarily involves precise modifications to the plant’s own genes (e.g., deletion, insertion of small sequences, base pair changes).	Involves the insertion of genes from other species (foreign DNA) into the plant’s genome.
Foreign DNA	Generally no foreign DNA is present in the final product (especially with SDN1 and SDN2 editing).	Foreign DNA from another organism is intentionally introduced and integrated into the plant’s DNA.
Precision	Highly precise and targeted modifications to specific DNA sequences.	Gene insertion is often random within the genome, and the exact location and effects can be less predictable.
Process Mimicry	Can mimic naturally occurring mutations or accelerate conventional breeding outcomes in a targeted way.	Introduces genetic combinations that would not occur naturally through traditional breeding.
Regulation (in some regions)	May face less stringent regulation than GM crops, particularly if no foreign DNA is introduced (e.g., SDN1 and SDN2).	Often subject to extensive and strict regulatory processes due to the introduction of foreign genetic material.
Examples of Traits	Enhanced yield, improved stress tolerance, increased nutritional content, extended shelf life, disease resistance (often by modifying existing resistance genes).	Insect resistance (e.g., Bt crops), herbicide tolerance, novel protein production.
Examples of Technologies	CRISPR-Cas9, TALENs, ZFNs (using SDN1, SDN2, and sometimes SDN3 methods).	Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, gene guns.
New Rice Varieties in India	Kamala’ (DRR Dhan-100) and ‘Pusa DST Rice 1’ (developed using SDN methods).	BT Cotton is a commercially grown example in India.

Also Read
UPSC Daily Editorials	UPSC Daily Current Affairs
Daily Current Affairs Quiz	Daily Main Answer Writing
Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store	UPSC Test Series
Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store	Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store