NewzVille Desk
ICAR has developed India’s first genome-edited rice varieties – DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1. These varieties have the potential to bring about revolutionary changes in terms of higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that these two genome-edited rice varieties have been developed in India. He made the announcement at Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, NASC Complex in New Delhi today, where a large number of scientists and farmers were present.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India’s vision for a developed nation is being realized, and farmers are moving towards prosperity. Today’s achievement will be written in golden letters.”
“The development of these new crops will not only enhance production but will also yield positive results in environmental terms. It will save irrigation water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby lowering environmental pressure. This is a classic example of getting both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation”, he added.
Chouhan emphasized that in the coming times, there is a need for ensuring food security, increasing nutritious production, and providing food for both India and the world, while making India the food basket of the world. He stated, “We are proud that our efforts have led to the export of 48,000 crore worth of Basmati rice annually.” The Minister also urged the need to take further steps to increase production of soybean, arhar, tur, lentils, urad, oilseeds, and pulses.
Minister Chouhan also introduced the “Minus 5 and Plus 10” formula, explaining that it involves reducing the area of rice cultivation by 5 million hectares while increasing rice production by 10 million tons in the same area. This would free up space for the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds.
He urged the farmers to adopt advanced farming techniques. “We need to take agricultural research to the farmers. When agricultural scientists and farmers come together, miracles will happen”, Chouhan said.
Bhagirath Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, virtually congratulated the scientists.
Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR), Dr M. L Jat emphasized the importance of demand-driven research, highlighting the need to gather feedback from farmers about their specific requirements. This approach will ensure that research outcomes are tailored to meet the needs of farmers and effectively reach them with the right solutions.
The Minister honored the scientists who contributed to the research of the two varieties.
Pusa DST Rice 1
This veriety is developed by Dr. Vishwanathan C, Dr. Gopal Krishnan S, Dr. Santosh Kumar, Dr. Shivani Nagar, Dr. Archana Vats, Dr. Soham Ray, Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh and Dr. Pranjal Yadav.
DRR Rice 100 (Kamla)
This veriety is developed by Dr. Satyendra Kumar Mangruthia, Dr. R.M. Sundaram, Dr. R. Abdul Fiyaz, Dr. C.N. Neerja, and Dr. S.V. Sai Prasad.
Dr. Devendra Kumar Yadava, Deputy Director General, (Crop Science) ICAR, Dr. R.M. Sundaram, Director, ICAR-Indian Rice Research Institute, Hyderabad, Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh, Former Director, ICAR, and Dr. C.H. Srinivas Rao, Director, ICAR-IARI also addressed the event.
