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On May 4, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released two genome-edited rice varieties—DRR Rice 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1—with an aim to increase production, and drought and salinity tolerance.
Scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR) in Hyderabad developed DRR Rice 100 (Kamala) based on Sambha Masuri (BPT-5204) and ICAR-IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) in New Delhi developed Pusa DST Rice 1 based on Cotton Dora Sannalu (MTU 1010).
The government has claimed that the two improved varieties have the potential to bring about “revolutionary changes” in terms of higher yield and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and that no foreign DNA has been added into the genome. But at the same time, scientists have raised biosafety concerns.
How have the varieties been developed?
The new varieties were developed using genome-editing technology based on CRISPR-Cas, which makes precise changes in the organism’s genetic material without adding foreign DNA, unlike in case of genetic modification (GM) which involves introducing foreign genetic material into the plant.
GM crops have been at the centre of criticism for posing known and unknown risks on the human health, animal health, and the environment and are banned for cultivation or import in India, apart from Bt cotton.
The two varieties were created using SDN1 (Site-Directed Nucleases-1) and SDN2 techniques. On May 4, the government said genome editing of SDN 1 and SDN 2 types of genes has been approved under India’s biosafety regulations for general crops.
“The development of these varieties is a significant step toward India’s goal of becoming a developed nation and promoting sustainable agriculture,” the government said. In the 2023-24 budget, the Union Government allocated Rs 500 crore for genome editing in agricultural crops.
ICAR has already initiated genome-editing research for several crops, including oilseeds and pulses.
The benefits
Overall, there has been a 19 per cent increase in yield, a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, saving of 7,500 million cubic meters of irrigation water, and improved tolerance to drought, salinity, and climate stresses, as per the government.
The DRR Rice 100 variety gives more grains per panicle and is said to mature 20 days earlier (~130 days), thus saving water and fertilisers and reducing methane gas emissions. The second variety, Pusa DST Rice 1 can increase yields by 9.66 per cent to 30.4 per cent in saline and alkaline soils, with the potential for up to 20 per cent increase in production.
These varieties have been developed for states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
What are the concerns?
While the government and ICAR scientists have said that no foreign DNA was added in the genome-editing technology, there are concerns about it not being precise and actually giving rise to unpredictable genetic errors or genetic changes, also known as unintended mutations.
Scientists said that biosafety concerns remain the same, especially because the CRISPR-Cas technology used has not been optimised as of yet.
CRISPR-Cas uses ‘Cas’ enzymes to cut and modify the DNA sequence of a native gene at a targeted region.
Soma Marla, former principal scientist at ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Hyderabad, told Down To Earth that the concentration of CRISPR-Cas enzyme for cutting a particular segment or region of the gene is vague and has not been standardised anywhere in the world yet. This can lead to unintended mutations.
“Dose of CRISPR enzyme that has to be administered differs from genome to genome and that has not been optimised globally. Whatever general dosages are suggested, they are being followed. The consequences of this can be some of these enzymes still remain in the genome and can go to other places and cut other genome areas, which is unintended,” he said.
Research has also suggested previously that genome editing techniques like the CRISPR/Cas technology, while having the potential to provide novel agricultural traits, can also cause side-effects like unintended genetic modifications (GM), leading to legitimate safety concerns.
These unintended mutations in SDN-1 technology, used in the two gene-edited rice varieties scientists warned, can lead to the creation of new gene sequences, producing new mutant proteins with unknown consequences.
Seed sovereignty could be at risk
With the introduction of the two varieties, there are also concerns around seed sovereignty of the country’s farming community as gene editing tools are proprietary technologies under Intellectual property rights (IPR) ownership.
The Coalition for a GM Free India, a platform of organisations and individuals representing farmers, consumers, technical experts and activists, said technologies like gene editing are “entangled in IPR issues”.
“The Government of India has to reveal the situation with regard to IPRs on the released varieties transparently, immediately. The Government of India is compromising on farmers’ seed sovereignty and our food sovereignty by bringing in technologies entangled in IPR issues. Promising some unverified yield increases on cereal crops like rice on which India already has a surplus production, the monoculture of which is causing severe environmental problems, cannot be the rationale for introducing a risky crop in India’s food systems,” it said.
Another worry is the possible risk of India losing its diverse rice gene pool.
“Release of these varieties not only jeopardises our native diversity of rice varieties but also threatens our trade possibilities in non-GM varieties,” said the Coalition.
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