Cibus and Crystal Crop Join Forces to Tackle India's Mustard Production Challenges
Cibus and Crystal Crop Partner to Develop Gene-Edited Mustard Traits for India
The partnership between Cibus, a US-based plant biotechnology company, and Crystal Crop Protection Limited, an Indian crop solutions firm, aims to develop improved mustard traits using gene-editing technology. The collaboration will combine Cibus' gene-editing platform with Crystal Crop's expertise in breeding and distribution of mustard varieties.
Mustard is a major oilseed crop in India, cultivated across approximately 8.5 million hectares. Despite being the world's largest mustard producer, India relies heavily on imports to meet its edible oil demand, importing over half of its consumption annually.
The companies believe that improved mustard varieties could increase productivity and potentially boost farm-level returns while contributing to India's efforts to strengthen domestic edible oil production. Cibus' gene-editing platform enables precise changes to a plant's existing genes without introducing foreign DNA, accelerating the development of improved crop varieties compared with conventional breeding methods.