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Indian scientists have developed the first ever low-pungent mustard that is pest and disease-resistant. It is based on CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

Facts About:

• Among India’s domestically grown oilseeds, rapeseed-mustard stands out.
• However, its pungent oil and unpalatable meal have posed challenges for both consumers and livestock.
• Scientists have undertaken breeding efforts to create Canola-quality (white) mustard with reduced pungency and improved meal quality.

About Rapeseed-Mustard

• Rapeseed-Mustard: India’s significant oilseed is rapeseed-mustard, contributing significantly to vegetable oil production and meal availability.
• Pungency: Mustard seeds contain glucosinolates, compounds that give the oil and meal their pungent flavor and odor.

Quest for Canola-Quality Mustard

• Canola-Quality Pursuit: Scientists aimed to breed mustard lines with low glucosinolate content similar to Canola.
• Reducing Pungency: Efforts to create low-pungency oil and meal have faced challenges due to the necessity of glucosinolates in plant defense.
• Vulnerability to Pests and Diseases: Canola-quality mustard lines have not been cultivated extensively due to their susceptibility to pests and diseases.

Role of Gene Editing

• Innovative Research: Gene editing emerges as a solution to balance glucosinolate levels for improved quality and plant defence.
• CRISPR/Cas9 Approach: Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool to target and modify 10 out of 12 GTR genes in Indian mustard.
• Achieving Desired Changes: Editing GTR genes led to lower glucosinolate content in seeds while preserving higher levels in leaves and pod walls.

Benefits of GE Mustard

• Easy Synthesis: Glucosinolates are synthesized in mustard leaves and pod walls before translocation to seeds.
• Dual Benefit of Glucosinolates: The study revealed that edited mustard lines with low-seed glucosinolates exhibited improved defence against pests and diseases.

Distinction between GE and GM

• GE Mustard: The new mustard lines are genome-edited (GE), not genetically modified (GM).
• Transgene-Free Solution: Unlike GM crops with foreign genes, GE lines have no foreign DNA and no residual gene-editing tools.

Regulatory Considerations and Future Prospects

• Regulation Changes: India’s regulatory environment is shifting, exempting GE plants free of exogenous introduced DNA from stringent approval requirements.
• Potential Field Trials: Scientists are preparing for open field trials of GE mustard, with expectations to conduct them in the upcoming planting season.
• Importance of Self-Reliance: With massive edible oil imports, domestic oilseed production through breeding advancements like GE mustard becomes vital for self-reliance.

Economic Implications and Self-Sufficiency

• Importance of Oilseeds: India’s substantial edible oil imports highlight the need for boosting domestic oilseed production.
• Mustard’s Role: Mustard’s high oil content and protein-rich meal position it as a significant oilseed crop.
• Potential Benefits: Both GE mustard and GM hybrid mustard have the potential to reduce dependence on imported vegetable oils.

Conclusion

• The journey of rapeseed mustard from its pungent state to a potentially improved, self-sufficient crop demonstrates the power of innovative breeding techniques.
• The breakthrough in gene editing opens doors to balancing quality and plant defence.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/gene-edited-mustard-less-pungent-more-useful-8901549/