New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday announced the development of two genome-edited rice varieties in India, thus becoming the first country in the world to achieve this feat.

This marks a new beginning in the field of scientific research and innovation. 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.

Addressing the gathering at an event here, Chouhan said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “India’s vision for a developed nation is being realised, and farmers are moving towards prosperity. Today’s achievement will be written in golden letters”.

“During the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, PM Modi had called upon farmers to adopt modern techniques to overcome agricultural challenges. Inspired by his words, ICAR scientists have made exceptional achievements in the field of agriculture with the creation of these new varieties,” the minister said.

Chouhan emphasised 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.

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, especially the young farmers, to adopt advanced farming techniques. Chouhan said, "We need to take agricultural research to the farmers. When agricultural scientists and farmers come together, miracles will happen."

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.

These 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.

—IANS

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