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9th July 2025 (13 Topics)

CRISPR-Edited Rice

Context:

Researchers at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) have successfully used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to enhance phosphate uptake and transport in japonica rice by modifying a phosphate transporter gene (OsPHO1;2), potentially reducing fertilizer use and increasing crop yield.

CRISPR-Cas9 Technology in Agriculture:

  • CRISPR-Cas9 is a precision gene-editing tool derived from Streptococcus pyogenes, enabling targeted modification of DNA without introducing foreign genes.
  • NIPGR researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out a 30-base pair binding site of a repressor gene (OsWRKY6), enhancing expression of the phosphate transporter OsPHO1;2 in rice.
  • This increased phosphate translocation from root to shoot, boosting yield without altering seed quality.

Impact on Fertilizer Use and Yield:

  • Gene-edited lines showed:
    • 20% yield increase at standard phosphate fertilizer doses.
    • 40% yield increase even with just 10% of the recommended phosphate dose.
  • This helps address the issue of low phosphorus use efficiency, as typically only 15–20% of applied phosphate is absorbed by plants.

India’s Fertilizer Dependency:

  • India is heavily dependent on imports for phosphate fertilizers.
  • Developing indigenous high-efficiency varieties can promote nutrient use efficiency and reduce environmental runoff.

Regulatory and Biosafety Aspects:

  • Concerns around off-target effects and foreign DNA integration are being addressed:
    • Off-target edits were tested with in-silico tools—no unintended mutations were detected.
    • Foreign bacterial DNA (e.g., Cas9 and vector DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens) is removed via Mendelian segregation in subsequent generations.

Scientific Significance:

  • Marks India’s leadership in plant gene editing, particularly in rice.
  • If extended to indica rice cultivars, it may revolutionise phosphate management in Indian agriculture, where phosphorus deficiency is common in alkaline and acidic soils.

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