Syllabus: 

GS3: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

Context: 

Recently, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed the world’s first two genome-edited (GE) rice varieties developed using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique, which marks a transformative step in its policy on agricultural biotechnology. 

More on the News

• Two affiliate institutions of ICAR (the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) have bred improved GE mutants of the popular Samba Mahsuri (BPT-5204) and Cottondora Sannalu (MTU-1010) varieties using CRISPR-Cas SDN-1 (Site-Directed Nucleases-1) technologies.
• The two new GE rice varieties, which are climate-resilient, conserve water, superior yields and high nitrogen efficient traits have been named DRR DHAN 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1. 
• This milestone is being celebrated by scientists and farmers alike as India’s first major success in precision breeding using genome editing. 

DRR DHAN 100 (KAMALA)

• The variety is developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad.
• This variety offers significantly higher yields, enhanced drought tolerance and earlier maturity than its parent, Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204).
• Scientists at ICAR-IIRR was developed it through genome editing by targeting the Cytokinin Oxidase 2 (OsCKX2) gene, also known as Gn1a, to boost grain count per panicle.

This OsCKX2-deficient mutant allele, modified through the Site-Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN1) genome editing to increase cytokinin levels in the rice panicle tissue. 

• The loss of OsCKX2, a gene in rice that encodes a cytokinin oxidase enzyme involved in the degradation of cytokinin, thus boosts the growth-promoting cytokinin hormone in rice panicle tissue, resulting in higher grain yield and better productivity. 
• The technique introduce precise mutations without incorporating any foreign DNA.

The Kamala variety has been recommended for cultivation across major rice-growing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala (Zone VII), Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (Zone V), Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (Zone III).

PUSA DST RICE 1 

• This new genome-edited (GE) variety has been developed by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute based on the widely cultivated fine-grain variety MTU1010, which involves editing the DST gene using the SDN-1 technique of CRISPR-Cas9.

• By knocking out a gene responsible for suppressing stress resistance, again using SDN-1 technology, the scientists achieved plants with reduced stomatal density and water use, alongside improved tillering, grain yield, and salt tolerance.

• This new variety targets the Drought and Salt Tolerance (DST) gene to improve the plant’s resilience to harsh soil and climate conditions.

• The new variety is relevant for farmers of saline and alkaline soils, where traditional varieties underperform. 

• This variety of rice has been recommended for cultivation across key rice-growing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala (Zone VII), Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (Zone V), Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal (Zone III).

PYQ: What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? (2021)

Mains Practise Question: 

Q: Discuss the significance of gene editing technology in Indian agriculture with reference to the recent development of genome-edited rice varieties. What are the potential benefits and concerns associated with its widespread adoption?