BULLETIN 1
Groundnut Breeding at ICRISAT Delivers Strong Yield Gains: Genetic Gain Assessment Reveals

ICRISAT October 8 2025
With groundnut being central to food, nutrition and edible oil security, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has set a new benchmark in crop improvement by measuring Realized Genetic Gain (RGG) in its groundnut breeding program.
A recently published ICRISAT study confirms steady yield improvements in groundnut breeding over time, while also identifying opportunities to refine breeding strategies for faster progress.
The significant gains achieved in the past 2 decades demonstrate how genetic advancements are translating into higher on-farm yields, strengthening national and global food and nutrition security.
Since 1976, ICRISAT’s groundnut breeding program has released over 240 improved varieties across 39 countries, benefiting millions of farming families across Asia and Africa. Notably, ICRISAT in partnership with NARS partners in India released the first high oleic acid cultivars, ICGV 15083 (Girnar 4) and ICGV 15090 (Girnar 5).
The study focused on two major market types of ICRISAT-bred groundnut, Spanish Bunch and Virginia Bunch and evaluated them for three key yield-related traits: pod yield, shelling percentage, and seed weight.
Conducted over a two-year period covering three to four growing seasons, testing ICRISAT-bred groundnut varieties since 1988, the research highlights the steady genetic progress achieved through ICRISAT’s breeding efforts.
The study recorded annual yield gains of about 27 kg/ha in medium-duration varieties and 25 kg/ha in late-maturing varieties, clear evidence of the groundnut breeding program’s consistent impact on productivity.
These results show that continuous improvement efforts are paying off. The study also found variations in the trait shelling percentage, pointing to opportunities for refining breeding strategies in that area.
Dr Janila Pasupuleti, Principal Scientist – Groundnut Breeding at ICRISAT, noted that while the results show a positive trend over the past two decades, there is a continued need to integrate advanced tools such as computed tomography and genomic selection in breeding.
Looking ahead, ICRISAT’s groundnut breeding program is advancing toward a data-driven breeding approach, combining genomic selection, modern phenotyping, data analytics, and machine learning.
This integrated strategy aims to fast-track the development of 'breakthrough groundnut varieties' that are not only high yielding but are nutritionally superior, stronger resistance to pests, diseases, and drought.
See https://pressroom.icrisat.org/groundnut-breeding-at-icrisat-delivers-strong-yield-gains-genetic-gain-assessment-reveals

BULLETIN 2
Heidelberg University Researchers Discover Plant's Drought-Survival Mechanism

 

Figure: Wild type (left) and genetically modified Arabidopsis plant (right) after drought stress. Photo: Heidelberg University / COS
ISAAA News

Researchers at Heidelberg University's Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) have discovered a molecular mechanism that plants use to reduce water loss during extreme drought and intense sunlight significantly. The discovery centers on the cysteine synthase complex, a protein complex located in the plant's chloroplasts. This complex acts as a sophisticated internal sensor, receiving and forwarding stress signals that are critical for initiating the plant's defense response to dry conditions. This mechanism is crucial for sustaining the plant's life during periods of water scarcity.
When the cysteine synthase complex is activated by stress signals—which include a nutrient signal from the roots and a specific plant hormone induced by intense light—it stimulates the biosynthesis of the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). ABA is the primary molecule responsible for regulating water conservation. It works by triggering the closure of stomata, the microscopic pores on the surface of leaves that function like vents to control the exchange of air and water vapor. By closing these pores, the plant effectively conserves water and prevents dehydration.
This groundbreaking research has significant implications for future agricultural practices. Based on these findings, the team was able to create a modified Arabidopsis plant that maintained growth while more effectively withstanding soil dehydration. The researchers believe this discovery offers a new approach for developing climate-resilient crops, providing a path forward for improving global food security in the face of ongoing climate change.
For more details, read the news article in Heidelberg University's Newsroom.

SCIENTIFIC NEWS

ProPE expands the prime editing window and enhances gene editing efficiency where prime editing is inefficient
Sarah Laura Krausz, Dorottya Anna Simon, Zsuzsa Bartos, Zsuzsanna Biczók, Éva Varga, Krisztina Huszár, Péter István Kulcsár, András Tálas, Zoltán Ligeti & Ervin Welker
Nature Catalysis (2025) Published: 10 October 2025

 

  

Abstract
Prime editing (PE) is a promising gene editing method that exploits a reverse transcriptase fused to a Cas9, whose single guide RNA (sgRNA) is extended with a reverse transcriptase template containing the desired DNA modifications. Its efficiency and specificity are inconsistent, requiring extensive optimization. To address this, we propose prime editing with prolonged editing window (proPE), which uses a second non-cleaving sgRNA to target the reverse transcriptase template near the edit site. ProPE requires less optimization than PE and extends PE’s potential for allele-specific modifications. By overcoming five limitations of PE, proPE significantly increases overall editing efficiency 6.2-fold up to 29.3% for low-performing edits (<5% with PE) and broadens its applicability to modifications beyond the typical PE range, encompassing a major portion of human pathogenic single nucleotide polymorphisms. With these enhanced properties, proPE holds considerable promise for improved gene editing, including disease modelling and therapeutic intervention.

See https://www.nature.com/articles/s41929-025-01406-6

  

Figure:
Schematic representation of the PE process depicting the steps (i–v), where potential bottlenecks (A–E) may inhibit PE efficiency that are eliminated by the proposed corrective mechanisms of proPE (A*–E*). nCas9, nickase Cas9.