Home ›› 29 Dec 2022 ›› Nation
A team of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) scientists has been researching the development of new varieties of quick-maturing Boro rice which would be resistant to drought and cold.
Scientists have finally made a breakthrough after researching the development of this new variety for over six years. However, it is not yet suitable for distribution among the farmers, said BRRI Habiganj Principal Scientific Officer Partha Sarathi.
“Due to untimely floods and excessive cold in haor areas, Boro season paddies are often destroyed or the yield is not as expected. Keeping this in mind, we are developing a new rice variety e-paddy 67,” Partha said, adding that currently, experimental cultivation off the paddy is underway.
The official is hopeful that the variety will be fully developed within two years if the experiment becomes successful.
BRRI Sylhet divisional office sources said farmers of the region have not found success in cultivating previously developed cold and drought-tolerant varieties, Boro-88, 89, and 92. These varieties take respectively 142, 156 and 160 days to mature.
The varieties are also prone to fungus attacks due to the weather and climate of the region. The blast of rice disease is common among Boro-88, 89, and 92 varieties.
As a result, there is a high probability of crop loss due to flash floods in the haor region, said Sylhet Divisional Agriculture Officer Mojibur Rahman.
“We advise our scientists to develop new varieties that are fast-maturing as well as cold and drought tolerant so that Boro paddy farmers in haor areas can reap the benefit of their hard work. The currently developing variety e-paddy 67 has potential and we expect it will soon be ready for commercial cultivation,” said Mojibur.
The exploratory cultivation of the new variety is going on in the current season on leased land and they are making headway in the research, Partha Sarthi told The Business Post.
“We have cultivated e-paddy 67 in several areas in the Sylhet division and Kishoreganj district. If we succeed in cultivation it will be sent to the seed certification agency,” Partha said.
After the National Seed Board tests and approves the paddy, it will be officially named and released for commercial cultivation.
