Bengaluru: If you spot a bright golden yellow tomato in the vegetable market in the coming months, don’t mistake it for an unripe one. It could be a new variety loaded with vitamin D, which will boost your skeletal health and immune system.
This yet-to-be-developed, biofortified tomato is part of the country’s ambitious ‘Genome Editing‘ project of plants, which is taking shape at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) at Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, as part of a national programme initiated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Spearheading the project involving 16 varieties of vegetables, fruits and spices, IIHR Hesaraghatta is working on editing the gene sequence of tomato, chilli, grape, papaya, and pomegranate to get nutrient-richer and more climate-resilient varieties in the days to come, with the horticulture sector expected to generate close to 700 million tonnes of produce by 2047. Facilitating the ambitious experiment, IIHR has set up a centre of excellence in genomic editing on its Bengaluru campus at a cost of Rs 30 crore. “We were given a mandate to develop varieties in two years, and work is in full swing with scientists working on developing new varieties,” explained Tusar Kanti Behera, IIHR Hesaraghatta director.
Elaborating on the project and scope of the work, Behera said, “This is a transition phase where we are shifting our focus from developing high-yield varieties to nutrient-enriched ones that are resistant to biotic and abiotic factors, besides enhancing their economic value. As part of the experiment, we have taken up some of the traditional crops and lesser-known ones and made them nutrient-rich and resilient to climatic changes and diseases.”
Asked about the reasons behind choosing these varieties for the experiment, Behera clarified, “We have picked vegetable and fruit varieties whose gene structures are well characterised and sequenced.”
While the poor man’s apple tomato will be loaded with vitamin D, the others, including papaya, chilli, grape, and pomegranate, will be edited genomically to withstand some of the viral and bacterial diseases.
Different from GM crops
Allaying the fears of the commoners, the IIHR scientists clarified that genome-edited crops are completely different from genetically modified (GM) crops, to which there has been stiff opposition in India.
“Unlike GM crops, wherein an external DNA is inserted into a plant, genome editing allows only making changes to the existing genetic code of the plant, either by mutating it with its own gene or by way of particular pigment enhancement to make it more nutritious. This has already been seen in cauliflowers, with florets assuming purple and yellow colours rather than the usual white. This is largely due to the enhancement of pigment, which is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Similarly, the golden yellow colour of the tomato signifies the enriched vitamin D content,” Behera clarified.
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3-day National Horticulture Fest
IIHR will host three-day National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2025 from Feb 27 to Mar 1 on its Hesaraghatta campus to showcase multiple varieties of fruits and vegetables and horticulture technology. Themed around ‘Horticulture for Viksit Bharat-Nutrition, Empowerment and Livelihood’, the fair is expected to attract one lakh visitors from different parts of the country. IIHR will showcase new varieties of watermelon, avocado, bottle gourd, and chilli varieties, as well as launch vitamin D-enriched mushrooms and powdered flavours of dragon fruit. Over 200 stalls of IIHR and private firms will demonstrate the latest technologies and development in the horticulture sector.