UK clears first gene-edited barley under precision breeding law

A gene-edited barley developed by Rothamsted Research has become the first crop to receive a Precision Bred Organism (PBO) marketing notice under the U.K.’s new regulatory framework, offering an early indication of how the country plans to handle gene-edited agriculture.

The designation confirms the crop meets criteria set out in the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and related 2025 regulations. It allows the barley to move into further evaluation, including field-based research, as a step toward possible commercial use.

The barley was developed using CRISPR gene editing to increase lipid levels in plant tissues. The aim is to produce a higher-energy forage crop for ruminant livestock such as cattle and sheep. Higher lipid content in feed can improve energy intake efficiency and may help reduce methane emissions during digestion.

According to researchers, the genetic changes involve targeted edits that could also arise through conventional breeding. The crop was reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, which concluded it qualifies as a precision-bred organism under the new rules.

The modification works by reducing the activity of genes responsible for breaking down plant oils, allowing the crop to accumulate more lipids in its vegetative tissues. This increases the crop’s metabolizable energy, potentially enabling livestock to derive more energy from the same feed.

The approval comes as the U.K. seeks to differentiate gene-edited crops from traditional genetically modified organisms and establish a regulatory pathway intended to support faster development while maintaining oversight.

The barley is being evaluated through the PROBITY initiative, led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network and funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK. The program brings together researchers, farmers and supply-chain partners to assess performance under commercial farming conditions.

The initiative also includes trials of precision-bred wheat aimed at improving grain quality and yield, involving John Innes Centre.