SHIMLA/NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 26: ICAR scientists have cleared the air on the recent controversy over India’s gene edited rice varieties DRR Dhan 100 Kamala and Pusa DST 1.
They said the varieties were evaluated strictly under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice AICRPR during 2023 and 2024 and the results prove that these new lines are reliable options for farmers, especially in salinity affected regions of South India.
Farmers’ groups in the target states have also backed the work of Indian scientists and welcomed the clarity.
According to ICAR, the trials were conducted only in the Target Performance Environments TPEs of their parent varieties MTU1010 and Samba Mahsuri mainly in Zone VII.
A monitoring team of experts verified the conduct of the trials and only data from qualified locations where stress levels were adequate and the results were statistically valid were considered. ICAR said that analysing data from all locations in the country as done by The Coalition for a GM Free India is unscientific and misleading.
Pusa DST 1 earlier known as IET 32043 was evaluated under both normal and stress conditions in Kharif 2023 and 2024.
It matched MTU1010 under normal field conditions and outperformed it in inland saline coastal saline and alkaline soils.
Yield comparison in stress affected TPE fields
Alkaline soils
Pusa DST 1 recorded 3731 kg per hectare
MTU1010 recorded 3254 kg per hectare
Inland saline soils
Pusa DST 1 recorded 3508 kg per hectare
MTU1010 recorded 3199 kg per hectare
Coastal saline soils
Pusa DST 1 recorded 2493 kg per hectare
MTU1010 recorded 1912 kg per hectare
Zone VII is the main region where MTU1010 is widely cultivated and farmers often suffer heavy losses due to salinity and alkalinity.
Farmers from Andhra Pradesh Telangana Tamil Nadu and Karnataka said they trust the Indian scientific system and welcome varieties that can withstand stress and deliver stable yields.
ICAR clarified that gene editing does not add foreign DNA and only fine tunes existing traits making the varieties safe and suitable for Indian conditions. With climate stress rising across coastal and inland belts scientists say these gene edited rice varieties can help farmers sustain production.
Farmers and scientists now share the same view that India’s new gene edited rice lines are practical dependable and ready for adoption
#ICAR
#RiceResearch
#GeneEditedCrops
#FarmersFirst
#ClimateResilientAg