In a promising development for rice farmers, researchers from the Department of Agriculture–Crop Biotechnology Center (DA-CBC) have successfully used a floral dip-based gene editing technique to boost tungro resistance in NSIC Rc 402, a widely cultivated Indica rice variety. Tungro, a viral disease transmitted by leafhoppers, causes up to 30% crop loss annually—equivalent to 456,000 tons of rough rice—posing a major threat to the country’s rice production and food security. […]