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Developing Climate-Resilient Rice Genotypes: through CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing for Enhanced Salinity and Submergence Tolerance

Students & Supervisors

Student Authors
Tahia Hasan Mim
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Engineering, FST
Supervisors
Md. Mortuza Ahmmed
Associate Professor, Faculty, FST

Abstract

Bangladesh, a key rice-producing country where the crop is an anchor of food security and agricultural livelihood, is now severely threatened by compound climate change-related stressors, such as salinity intrusion and severe flooding (submergence). More than 40% of the country’s rice is produced in coastal lowlands, and these environmental stresses cause substantial yield reduction and this issue lowers both the people’s food resources and national food reserve. While mutation breeding offers the possibility of developing resistant varieties, these techniques are slow and limited in scale in addressing these dual stresses. This study demonstrates that rice genotypes with climate adaptability (using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing) can grow under saline-flooded conditions (17 cm). This study details the application of powerful CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system to produce tolerant rice strains, which can grow in stressed conditions. Agrobacterium-mediated delivery of dual single guide RNA cassettes targeting OsHAKI (a salt-responsive gene) and SUB1A (a flood tolerance regulator). The (T2) line was edited under simulated stress, and then the stable integration of each variation was confirmed by high-resolution melting analysis and full-genome sequencing. The data were displayed as sharp spikes on the monitor. An analysis of rice genotypes from 1995 to 2024 based on gene-editing efficiency, tolerance scores, and yield performance. Correlation and trend analysis was done in a correlation with gene edits, and salinity tolerance (r = 0.37), submergence tolerance (codominant; r = -0.15), yield (r = -0.22) was checked using the methods and procedure. Field trials were conducted under simulated field conditions in the southern coastal belt (8-12 dS/m salinity; 10-14 days' submergence). On average, gene-edited lines yielded 48.6 ton/ha-20-25% more than traditional ones. The results reveal that CRISPR-Cas9 editing sharply strengthens rice’s tolerance to salt and floods, helping fields stay productive even as Bangladesh’s air thickens with humid heat and the weather keeps changing. This method provides breeders with a powerful and flexible tool to develop rice varieties that can withstand any round of climate fluctuations.

Keywords

Climate Resilience Rice CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Molecular Breeding Bangladesh Agriculture

Publication Details

  • Type of Publication:
  • Conference Name: Gazipur Agricultural University International Conference (GAUIC 2025)
  • Date of Conference: 12/12/2025 - 12/12/2025
  • Venue: Gazipur Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
  • Organizer: Gazipur Agricultural University
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