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. "
IIHR will host a 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 developments in the horticulture sector.
Read more at Times of India
