The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has successfully developed two genome edited rice varieties, which will be formally announced in New Delhi by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The new variety developed from Samba Mahsuri can be harvested 15-20 days ahead of its original. The yield is almost 25% more, which is about eight tonnes more per hectare. Each panicle of the paddy will give 450 to 500 more grains in this variety than the original crop.
The ICAR claimed that the cultivation of these improved rice varieties ‘DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)’ and ‘Pusa DST Rice 1’ in about 5 million hectares of the recommended area will produce 4.5 million tons of additional paddy and save a minimum 7,500 million cubic meters of irrigation water. Besides, it will also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 20% (32,000 tons). The initiative marks a significant step forward in India’s efforts to ensure food security and sustainable agriculture in the face of mounting environmental challenges.