BRRI’s new rice variety can be a game changer

Over the years, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institutes (BRRI) has invented a wide range of rice varieties. Some have exceptional nutritional values while some are tolerant to saline soils or even extreme weather. Now, the autonomous institution has invented another special variety that can be a game changer in controlling diabetes.

With all required tests completed, the new variety called BRRI dhan-105 has been currently awaiting the approval of the National Seed Board to be cultivated in the field, said people familiar with the matter.

According to researchers, the BRRI dhan-105 has lower Glycemic Index (GI) value. The GI ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100. The scores indicate the effect of the food on blood sugar levels. The less the score, the lower the effect. For instance, potatoes have a high GI value ranging between 87-91, meaning consuming the food can lead to increased blood sugar levels.

BRRI officials said the dhan-105 has a GI value of 55.04 while other white rice’s GI value ranges between 73-77. It is the fourth suitable rice variety in terms of glycemic index invented by Bangladeshi scientists.

If the GI value is less than 55, it is considered as low glycemic index food. The medium GI is within the range of 56-69 and high when GI is higher than 70.

With an almost low value GI, BRRI dhan-105 can help to keep blood sugar level low amongst a large number of diabetes patients in Bangladesh.

There are three other rice varieties invented in Bangladesh that have lower GI value. Of them, the BR-16 variety has 52.4 of glycemic index value, while it is 53.1 in BRRI46 and 54.9 in BRRI-69.

An unintended success

Khandakar Md Iftekharuddaula, head of the Plant Breeding Division of BRRI told The Business Post, “The BRRI dhan-105 variety was not developed aiming for low GI value. But it achieved that automatically. And its GI value is good enough for the diabetic patients. Now the variety is waiting for approval from the National Seed Board.”

The BRRI dhan-105 was invented in 2006. It was tested for five years in a field trial inside the BRRI in Gazipur up till 2016. In 2017, the variety was sent to different regional offices for the farmers’ level test. In 2018 it was tested in the farmer’s field.

According to BRRI officials, the variety was deemed to be a failure initially as it did not achieve the expected level during the trials. But the Seed Certification Agency under the National Seed Board recommended that it be re-evaluated.

In 2021, the Seed Certification Agency expressed satisfaction with the production and other necessary recruitments for it to get certified. The field inspection wing of the seed board signalled to go ahead with the variety. Now the variety is waiting to get approval from the board.

“Its productivity is similar to BRRI dhan-58 which gives 4.10 tonnes yield per hectare in the farmers field. And the rice is slim and lucrative in size and colour. In parboiled rice the GI value will be reduced by 12-13 in value index,” said Khandakar Md Iftekharuddaula.

The rice variety contains 7.3 per cent protein and 27 per cent amylose. Its lifespan is 148 days while every 1,000 rice weighs 19.4 grams. It is white coloured slim rice.

BRRI officials expect that 6.5-8.5 tonnes of rice can be produced per hectare of land using the variety. The plant grows to 101 cm.

Replacing old varieties with newer ones

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), farmers cultivated the BR-16 variety on 40,824 hectares and yielded 1.76 lakh tonnes of rice in fiscal year 2020-21. BRRI dhan-69 was cultivated on 4,668 hectares of land and produced 18,107 tonnes of rice.

BR dhan-16 achieved 4.31 tonnes rice per hectare while BRRI dhan-69 produced 3.88 tonnes. Currently, no one is cultivating BRRI dhan-46.

Md Rabiul Haque Mojumder, crops wing director in-charge) of DAE, said, “We are not in a position to extend varieties targeting only low GI value. Farmers only want the varieties which have high productivity.

“BRRI dhan-46 is not being cultivated and BR-16 is also getting older. Old varieties become vulnerable to diseases and other problems. That is why we are not currently encouraging farmers to cultivate BR-16.”

He said that BRRI is trying to replace BR-28 and BR-29 with newer ones as the varieties are getting old and becoming vulnerable to diseases.

DAE will begin commercialising the rice variety once it is approved by the seed board.