The genome-edited rice seed Pusa DST Rice 1 is expected to reach farmers within a year, pending completion of intellectual property procedures, Viswanathan Chinnusamy, Joint Director (Research, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, has said.
Dr. Chinnuswamy, who led the development of Pusa DST Rice 1, delivered the Sree Visakham Thirunal Endowment Lecture on ‘Genome Editing: India’s Trailblazing Path to the First Edited Rice Variety’ here on Monday. The lecture was organised by the Indian Society for Root Crops (ISRC) and the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI), Sreekariyam.
Several crops
Within the next five to six years, several genome-edited agricultural crops will be ready for large-scale cultivation, according to him. Genome editing, he said, helped overcome limitations in seeds and allowed for the addition of specific desirable traits.
V. Arunachalam, Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), emphasised the potential of tuber crops in fighting malnutrition. He also stressed the use of genome editing to improve crop yield and quality.
CTCRI director G. Byju, who presided, emphasised the role played by tuber crops in ensuring food and nutritional security, right from the Travancore era to the present day.
