CRISPR & Agrochemicals – How Gene Editing is Engineering Smarter & Stronger Crops

Haven't we all witnessed it at some point? Bananas and avocados that go from rock-hard to overripe in the blink of an eye. Strawberries and tomatoes that ripen too quickly.

Have you ever wondered that these minor but familiar inconveniences together reflect a larger truth about our food industry? It comes as no surprise that despite vast progress in how we grow and ship food, many crops remain fragile and prone to waste. But this is beginning to change.

Instead of rethinking artificial preservatives or packaging tricks, scientists are now modifying plants’ biology using CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. It is a genetic editing tool that makes precise changes to a plant’s DNA, making them more resilient, nutritious, and longer-lasting.

As these crops slowly migrate from labs to the field, they’re also reshaping the critical role of agrochemicals. We’re seeing the rise of tailored, crop-specific formulations that align with each plant’s new traits. Together, CRISPR and next-generation chemistry are helping to build a more efficient and sustainable food system.

CRISPR vs GMO - What's the Difference?

CRISPR can most often be compared to a pair of molecular scissors guided by a GPS-like guidance. Instead of inserting something new, it makes small, precise changes like additions/deletions to a plant’s own genes. That could mean turning off the pesky gene that ripens fruits too quickly, adjusting how a plant handles drought, or bumping up its natural vitamins.

Take rice, for example. Scientists have recently tweaked a single gene, OsRR22, which controls how the plant manages nitrogen. With just that one edit, the rice needed 40% less nitrogen fertilizer, all without losing yield. That’s a big deal because not only are nitrogen fertilizers costly, but they are also one of the biggest contributors to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. 

Now, here's what makes CRISPR different from traditional GMOs. In GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), scientists usually add a gene from another species into a plant. For example, they might insert a bacterial gene into corn to help it resist pests. This process mixes DNA from different organisms.

CRISPR works only within the plant’s own DNA, making changes that could, in theory, happen naturally over generations. It simply accelerates the process, with accuracy that traditional breeding methods can't match. 

Because of this, many countries, including the UK, Japan, and India, are starting to treat CRISPR-edited crops differently from GMOs. Since they don’t contain foreign DNA, they’re often seen as more natural or traditional. That means very few regulatory barriers and a much faster adoption in the real world.  

Current CRISPR Breakthroughs

In fact, we’re already seeing CRISPR-edited crops move from research trials to on-ground fields. Here are some of the real-world examples.

Tomatoes that Fight Rickets

UK scientists at the John Innes Centre used CRISPR to switch off the Sl7‑DR2 gene in tomatoes. This increased provitamin D₃ in both the fruit and leaves of tomato plants. When exposed to sunlight, this provitamin converts into vitamin D₃, thereby completing up to 30% of an adult’s daily requirement of Vitamin D per tomato. With over 1 billion people globally deficient, these tomatoes could be a sustainable, plant-based solution, and they stay fresh up to three times longer. 

New Hope for India's Waste Farmland

In many parts of India, farmland is becoming too salty to support the growth of crops. Scientists in India used CRISPR to develop a new type of rice that can grow in salty soil. This rice also grows faster and yields up to 30 percent more. One variety, DRR Dhan 100, even saves water and helps cut greenhouse gases. Farmers don’t need new irrigation or tools. Just better seeds that work with the land they already have.

A Naturally Sweeter Tomato

Researchers in China have utilized CRISPR to genetically modify tomatoes, resulting in naturally sweeter varieties. They turned off two genes that limit the amount of sugar in the fruit. As a result, the tomatoes contain 30% more natural sugars, such as glucose and fructose. No sugar was added, and no artificial ingredients were used. These tomatoes are just grown that way. They taste better and are still healthy.

Space Grown Vegetables

At the University of Wisconsin, scientists created a tomato named “Inkspot” that can grow in lunar-like soil. They used CRISPR to make it smaller, stronger, and rich in antioxidants. This tomato variety grows well in challenging environments with limited water availability. It was designed for space missions, but it can also help grow food in dry, damaged land here on Earth. Places like deserts and disaster-hit areas could benefit from this smart crop.

By 2033, the global market for CRISPR-edited crops is expected to surpass $31 billion, up from the current $5 billion figure. At the same time, major agrochemical companies are preparing for a 30 to 40% shift in how they formulate seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products to suit these next-gen plants.

Role of Agrochemicals in CRISPR Farming

Here’s the truth: CRISPR crops can’t do it all on their own. To work effectively in real-world farms, with ever-changing temperatures and soil profiles, they require the right support.  This includes fertilizers and crop protection products that cater to their unique characteristics.

As a result, the future of farming lies in the brilliant teamwork between gene-edited seeds and next-gen agrochemicals. For instance;

• Insect-resistant plants, which are gene-edited to repel pests, require low doses of bio-pesticides to delay the build-up of resistance. 
• Fast-rooting varieties, such as nitrogen-efficient CRISPR rice, require high-speed nutrient blends that deliver essential elements within the first few days of growth. 
• Salt-tolerant CRISPR rice should be paired with moisture-locking seed coatings to support root health in high-salinity zones. 

What’s Coming Next?

As farming undergoes significant changes, the agrochemical industry must adapt and innovate in parallel. Gene editing helps make crops stronger and more efficient. Agrochemicals are now made to match exactly what each crop needs.

Farmers are also using local knowledge of soil, water, and climate to decide how and when to grow. This new system helps grow more food, save resources, and support both farmers and agri-businesses.

As CRISPR and climate-resilient farming become more mainstream, precision agrochemicals will play a vital role in bridging the gap between lab innovation and field application. At Scimplify, we’re combining sustainable manufacturing and in-house scientific expertise to support the next generation of agrochemical products.

Looking to strengthen your agrochemical supply chain or scale your agribusiness? Get in touch with us at info@scimplify.com today!