Thursday, May 02, 2024
The National Seed Board has approved two new rice varieties — BRRI dhan105 and BRRI dhan106 — developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) for cultivation.
The approval came in the board’s 109th meeting presided over by Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter on Thursday, the BRRI said in a press release.
BRRI dhan105 is a low Glycemic Index (GI) diabetic rice variety suitable for the Boro season and BRRI dhan106 is a high-yielding T Aus rice variety suitable for non-saline tidal areas in the country.
With a GI value of 55, BRRI dhan105 is expected to gain wide acceptance as diabetic rice due to its low GI properties.
The variety’s amylose content is 27 per cent and its protein content is 7.3 per cent. The cooked rice is neat and tastes savoury.
The size of the variety is medium slender and golden in colour. Its growth duration is 148 days. The weight of 1,000 grains of this variety is 19.4g, read the release.
The average grain yield of the variety is 7.6 tonnes per hectare, the BRRI said, adding that if proper management is provided, it can produce 8.5 tonnes per hectare. The plant height of the variety is 101cm.
In the case of BRRI dhan106, the average yield is 4.79 tonnes per hectare which is 17.4 per cent higher than the checked variety of BRRI dhan27.
The production can increase up to 5.49 tonnes if proper management is ensured, according to the institute.
Its grain contains 27.2 per cent amylose and 8.5 per cent protein. The cooked rice is fluffy.
The grain size of the variety is medium bold and golden in colour. Every 1,000 grains of the variety weigh around 24.5g. The average plant height is 125cm and its lifespan is 117 days.
The flag leaf is erect, wide and long, and dark green. The purple colour is present at the plant’s base and the rice grain’s tip.
The special feature of the new variety is having lodging tolerance ability.
