Two new rice varieties approved

The National Seed Board has approved two new rice varieties — BRRI dhan105 and BRRI dhan106 — developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

The approval came from the board’s 109th meeting, presided by Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter, on Thursday, according to a BRRI 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 Aus rice variety suitable for non-saline tidal areas in Bangladesh.

With a low GI value of 55, BRRI dhan105 is expected to gain wide acceptance as diabetic rice. Its amylose content is 27 per cent and its protein content is 7.3 per cent.

The cooked rice is neat and tastes savoury. The grain is medium slender in size and shape. Its growth duration is 148 days and its 1,000-grain weight is 19.4g.

BRRI in a press release said that the variety’s average grain yield is 7.6 tonnes per hectare. If proper management is provided, it can produce 8.5 tonnes per hectare. The variety’s plant height is 101 cm.

On the other hand, BRRI dhan106 is a high-yielding rice variety suitable for non-saline tidal submergence areas for the Aus season. Its average yield is 4.79 tonne per hectare, which is 17.4 per cent higher than the check variety BRRI dhan27.

If proper management is ensured, it can produce 5.49 tonnes per hectare yield. Its grain contains 27.2 per cent amylose and 8.5 per cent protein.

The cooked rice is fluffy. The grain is medium bold in size and shape and golden in colour. The 1,000-grain weight is around 24.5 grams. The average plant height is 125cm and the lifespan is 117 days, said the BRRI press release.