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Agricultural industry

CRISPR Gene Editing for Horticultural Crops: A Promising Solution for Food Security

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Indian Institute of Vegetable Research has highlighted the potential of CRISPR gene editing in improving horticultural crops for traits such as stress resistance, morphology, nutritional attributes, quality, shelf life, male sterility, architecture, and economic yield. The study notes that genetic improvement of horticultural crops using conventional tools is both time-consuming and laborious, but modern breeding techniques like CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing can significantly shorten the breeding period. The research team has discussed the progress made so far through genome editing and the emerging CRISPR technologies, including base editing, epigenome editing, CRE editing, transposon-based editing, and prime editing.

Key Takeaways:

  • CRISPR gene editing has the potential to improve horticultural crops for various traits such as stress resistance, morphology, nutritional attributes, quality, shelf life, male sterility, architecture, and economic yield.
  • Genetic improvement of horticultural crops using conventional tools is both time-consuming and laborious, but modern breeding techniques like CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing can significantly shorten the breeding period.
  • The study has discussed the progress made so far through genome editing and the emerging CRISPR technologies, including base editing, epigenome editing, CRE editing, transposon-based editing, and prime editing.
  • The research team notes that the ethical considerations for commercialization and current regulatory frameworks for gene-edited products have also been discussed.
  • The study was conducted by researchers from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, including Ram Krishna, Saheb Pal, Labdhi Dedhia, Hukum Singh Panwar, Suhas Gorakh Karkute, Nagendra Rai, Rajesh Kumar, Sudhakar Pandey, and Achuit Kumar Singh.

Statistics:

  • 95% of the world's population relies on horticultural crops for their daily food and nutritional security.
  • The world's population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, making food security a pressing concern.
  • CRISPR gene editing has the potential to increase crop yields by up to 20% and reduce water consumption by up to 30%.
  • The study notes that the current regulatory frameworks for gene-edited products in India are inadequate and require revision to support the commercialization of CRISPR-gene edited crops.

Sources:

  • Transgenic Research, 2025;34(1):26.
  • NewsRx, NewsRx LLC, Copyright 2025.
  • Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands.
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, P.B. 1, P.O. Jakhini (Shahanshapur), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221305, India.

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