ICAR refutes allegations of bias in evaluation of gene-edited rice varieties
New Delhi, Nov 26
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Wednesday refuted allegations of bias in the evaluation of gene-edited rice varieties Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala).
The Coalition for a GM-Free India and others have alleged bias in the process of evaluation of Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) in All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice (AICRPR) trials, 2023 and 2024.
“The analysis of data from all the locations in the country by ‘The Coalition for a GM-Free India’ is not only unscientific, but also misleading,†said ICAR, the apex body for managing research and education in agriculture, in a statement.
It is because the Coalition considered the performance of the rice varieties from "all across the country (which is not correct, and any breeding line of rice is not expected to perform well across the whole country),†ICAR added.
The apex body explained that every year rice breeders nominate over 1,200 breeding lines or rice varieties by blind-coding and sending them to the AICRPR trial sites/centres (about 100 trial sites across the country) for independent field evaluation and validation for a period of 2-3 years.
The system, in operation since 1965, and also followed by Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala), has contributed to the development and release of more than 1,750 rice varieties and hybrids.
“It is pertinent to note that more than 350 rice varieties presently grown across the country in an area of about 47 Mha have been tested, evaluated, and validated under AICRPR and later released through Central Varietal Release Committee (CVRC, now known as Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties) and State Varietal Release Committees (SVRCs) and notified in the Gazette of India,†ICAR said.
DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1, developed through gene editing, were tested at locations including the Indian states, which have been identified as the Target Performance Environments (TPEs) for the parents, viz., MTU1010 and Samba Mahsuri (i.e., South Indian States located in Zone VII), ICAR stated.
Further, it noted that both gene-edited rice varieties Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 Kamala demonstrate superior yield and stress tolerance in target performance environments.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a farmer's daughter, I know how important proper evaluation is. Every region has different soil and climate conditions. Testing varieties where they're meant to grow makes perfect sense. Hope these new varieties help our farmers! ðŸ™
While I support scientific progress, I think both ICAR and the Coalition should collaborate more transparently. Public trust in gene-edited crops is crucial for adoption. More open dialogue would benefit everyone.
The explanation about Target Performance Environments is logical. You can't expect rice from South India to perform well in Punjab! The Coalition's methodology does seem flawed. Let science speak for itself.
With climate change affecting agriculture, we need stress-tolerant crops. If gene editing can give us better yields without foreign genes, it's worth exploring properly. ICAR's system has delivered 1750+ varieties - that's impressive!
I appreciate that ICAR responded promptly to these allegations. However, I wish they'd share more detailed data publicly. Transparency builds trust. The blind-coding system mentioned sounds good, but independent verification would be better.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.