IARI Develops India’s First Ever Non GM Herbicide Tolerant Rice

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) developed the country's first-ever non-GM (genetically modified) herbicide-tolerant rice varieties.

These rice varieties can be directly seeded and significantly save water and labour compared to conventional transplanting.

On Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi will officially release the two new varieties of rice.

As per a leading media report, Paddy transplantation is both labour- and water-intensive. The field where the seedlings are transplanted has to be "puddled" or tilled in standing water. For the first three weeks or so after transplanting, the plants are irrigated almost daily to maintain a water depth of 4-5 cm. Farmers continue giving water every two-three days even for the next four-five weeks when the crop is in tillering (stem development) stage.

Director of IARI, AK Singh said, "Water is a natural herbicide that takes care of weeds in the paddy crop's early-growth period. The new varieties simply replace water with Imazethapyr and there's no need for nursery, puddling, transplanting and flooding of fields. You can sow paddy directly, just like wheat.

According to sources, "the ALS gene in rice codes for an enzyme (protein) that synthesises amino acids for crop growth and development. The herbicide sprayed on normal rice plants binds itself to the ALS enzymes, inhibiting their production of amino acids."