**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer provided by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to Unstarred Question No. 1785 in the Lok Sabha, scheduled for February 10, 2026. The question concerns the benefits of genome-edited rice varieties, specifically DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1, including their details, impact on agriculture, water conservation, climate resistance, and suitability for certain states. No specific deadlines or action items are mentioned.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Genome Editing Definition:**
* Genome editing is a breeding tool that makes targeted and precise edits (mutations) in DNA.
* It is an improved version of traditional mutation breeding, which used chemicals and radiation to randomly mutate DNA.
* **Release of Genome-Edited Rice Varieties:**
* India has released its first genome-edited rice varieties: DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa Rice DST1.
* **Impact on Sustainable Agriculture:**
* DRR Dhan 100 gives a 14.12% yield enhancement over its parent variety Samba Mahsuri.
* Pusa Rice DST1 shows yield advantages of 14.66%, 9.66%, and 30.36% in alkalinity, inland salinity, and coastal salinity zones, respectively, over MTU1010.
* DRR Dhan 100 offers higher productivity, reduced crop duration, lower water/fertilizer needs, and reduced methane emissions.
* Pusa Rice DST1 boosts productivity in salinity-affected rice ecosystems.
* **Paddy Production and Water Conservation:**
* Large-scale deployment is expected to increase paddy production by 10-15% in regions using Samba Mahsuri and MTU1010 as the new varieties replace them.
* Replacing Samba Mahsuri with DRR Dhan 100 over 1 million hectares could save around 150,000 million liters of water per season.
* **Climate Resilience:**
* DRR Dhan 100 combines early maturity and lodging resistance.
* Pusa DST Rice 1 has enhanced tolerance to salinity stress.
* **Suitability and State Identification:**
* Based on two-year field trials, DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST1 are suited for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala (Zone VII).
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers in Regions Currently Cultivating Samba Mahsuri and MTU1010**
* **Impact**
* Expected to experience a 10-15% increase in paddy production over time as they adopt DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST Rice 1.
* Potential for significant water savings, especially with DRR Dhan 100.
* Access to rice varieties with improved climate resilience, such as drought tolerance and salinity resistance.
* **Action Required**
* Consider adopting DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST Rice 1 to replace Samba Mahsuri and MTU1010 for increased yield and resource efficiency.
**Farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala (Zone VII)**
* **Impact**
* Access to rice varieties specifically identified as suitable for their region, based on field evaluation trials.
* Potential for improved rice productivity and resource efficiency.
* **Action Required**
* Evaluate the performance of DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST Rice 1 under local conditions to determine their suitability for adoption.
Key Entities Referenced
DRR Dhan 100: A genome-edited rice variety developed in India that enhances grain yield, reduces crop duration, and lowers water and fertilizer requirements.
Pusa DST Rice 1: A genome-edited rice variety developed in India that demonstrates yield advantages under alkalinity and salinity conditions.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The Indian ministry responsible for agricultural research, education, and the welfare of farmers, which is answering the parliamentary question.
All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice (AICRPR): The organization that conducted field evaluation trials of DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST1 rice varieties.
Andhra Pradesh: One of the states in India where DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST1 are identified for cultivation.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1785
TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH FEBRUARY, 2026
BENEFITS OF GENOME EDITED RICE VARIETIES
1785. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृषि और ककसान कल्याण
मंत्री be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the genome editing;
(b) whether it is true that India has recently released world’s first genome edited rice varieties;
(c) the way by which the two varieties–DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1–game
changer in sustainable agriculture;
(d) the quantum of additional Paddy production could be achieved with the above varieties,
the extent to which water per hectare can be saved and to what extent to which these new
varieties are climate-resistant; and
(e) whether it is true that the above varieties are suitable to only selected States including
Andhra Pradesh, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृषि और ककसान कल्याण राज्य मंत्री (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)
(a): Genome editing is a breeding tool to make targeted and precise editing (mutations) in any
genome (DNA). This is a refined and improved version of earlier practiced mutation breeding
wherein DNA of plants or animals was randomly edited or mutated using chemicals and
radiations.
(b): Yes. It is true that India has released world's first rice varieties by genome editing viz.,
DRR Dhan 100 (KAMALA) and Pusa Rice DST1.
1(c): DRR Dhan 100 being a genome edited variety give significant 14.12 % enhancement in
grain yield over its parent variety, Samba Mahsuri. Pusa Rice DST1 variety demonstrates a yield
advantage of 14.66%, 9.66%, and 30.36% under alkalinity, inland salinity and coastal salinity
adaptation zone, respectively over MTU1010.
Cultivation of DRR Dhan 100 provides higher productivity, reduced crop duration, lower
water and fertilizer requirements, and reduced methane emissions from rice ecosystems.
Likewise, Pusa Rice DST1 gives higher productivity in salinity affected rice ecosystems. Thus,
both these genomes edited rice varieties with higher yields can prove game changer for
sustainable agriculture.
(d): Following large-scale deployment, it is anticipated that paddy production in the regions
currently cultivating Samba Mahsuri and MTU1010 will increase by 10-15% over time, as the
genome-edited varieties DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST Rice 1 progressively replace their
respective parent varieties.
Substantial water savings are also projected with the adoption of DRR Dhan 100.
Assuming a standard rice water requirement of 100,000 litres per hectare per day, the
replacement of Samba Mahsuri with DRR Dhan 100 over 1 million hectares is estimated to save
approximately 150,000 million litres of water per season. This estimate is based on a
conservative reduction of 15 days in crop duration due to the early maturity of DRR Dhan 100.
Both genome-edited varieties are endowed with key climate-resilient traits. DRR Dhan 100
combines early maturity and lodging resistance, while Pusa DST Rice 1 offers enhanced
tolerance to salinity stress. Collectively, these attributes position the varieties as high-impact
interventions for improving productivity, resource-use efficiency, and climate resilience in rice-
based production systems.
(e): Yes. These two varieties have been identified for selected zones and states based on their
two-year performance in field evaluation trials conducted by AICRPR (All India Coordinated
Research Project on Rice). DRR Dhan 100 and Pusa DST1 have been identified for the states
of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala (Zone VII).
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