Archive · 19 Dec 2025
ICAR Initiates Genome Editing in 41 Crops
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is working on editing the genes of 24 field crops and 17 horticultural crops to make them better.
They have already made two types of rice and a type of mustard with this technology.
Other groups are also working on 10 more crops.
Additionally, they have made 23 new crop types using radiation in the last five years, which are safe to eat.
These new crops have better traits like bigger seeds, resistance to diseases, and can handle different climates.
ICAR is also studying how climate change affects farming and has identified 310 districts in India that are very vulnerable to climate change.
They are teaching farmers new ways to grow crops that can handle these changes better.
ICAR has initiated genome editing in 24 field crops and 17 horticultural crops.
Two genome-edited rice varieties and a low glucosinolate mustard line have been developed.
23 new crop varieties have been developed using radiation techniques in the last five years.
ICAR is implementing the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project to study and mitigate climate change impacts on agriculture.
310 districts in India have been identified as vulnerable to climate change, with 109 categorized as 'very high' and 201 as 'highly' vulnerable.
- Who
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
- What
- Initiation of genome editing in 41 crops and development of radiation-based crop varieties
- When
- Ongoing, with recent developments and releases in the last five years
- Where
- India, with specific research at ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi
- Why
- To improve crop yield, disease resistance, and climate resilience
- Field Crops
- 24
- Horticultural Crops
- 17
- Genome-Edited Rice Varieties
- 2
- Low Glucosinolate Mustard Line
- 1
- Radiation-Developed Varieties (Last 5 Years)
- 23
- Total Radiation-Developed Varieties
- 72
- Climate Vulnerable Districts
- 310
- Very High Vulnerability Districts
- 109
- High Vulnerability Districts
- 201
