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BSS-01
AMAN-PADDY-SEMINAR (with picture)
BRRI develops seven high yielding Aman paddy varieties
RAJSHAHI, June 26, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
(BRRI) has developed seven modern paddy varieties for Aman season creating
high hope among the farmers in general in the region including its vast
Barind tract.
The varieties like Brridhan71, Brridhan75, Brridhan80, Brridhan87 and
Brridhan90 are comparatively high yielding, drought tolerant and short
duration than local variety ‘Swarna’ which is prone to various diseases and
insects always affect the farmers.
BRRI Chief Scientific Officer Dr Aminul Islam revealed this while
presenting his keynote paper in technical session of a daylong regional
seminar titled “Way Forward of boosting Aman Paddy Yield in Rajshahi region”
at BRRI’s Regional Office conference hall in Rajshahi yesterday.
He identically mentioned that the Swarna variety can easily be replaced
with the modern Brridhan varieties in the Barind area and that can be the
effective means of ensuring food security through boosting paddy production.
The modern varieties have opened up door of enormous prospects of food
security along with mitigating the crises of irrigation water.
Additional Secretary (Research) of the Ministry of Agriculture
Komolaranjan Das addressed the seminar as chief guest with BRRI Director
General Dr Shahjahan Kabir in the chair.
Director General of Bangladesh Sugar Crop Research Institute Dr Amzad
Hossain, Additional Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dev
Dulal Dhali, BRRI Director Dr Ansar Ali and its Senior Scientific Office
Harun-Or-Rashid also spoke.
Komolaranjan Das urged the DAE officials to expand the drought tolerant
varieties to the drough-affected areas like Tanore and Godagari Upazilas in
Rajshahi, Nachole and Gomostapur Upazilas in Chapainawabgonj and Porsha and
Shapahar in Naogaon districts for better yield.
He said concerted efforts of all scientists, researchers and extension
officials are very important to boost Aman paddy yield to feed the gradually
increasing population of the country.
As the rice is staple food of the country so its production needs to be
enhanced through managing all sorts of challenges, including diseases and
adverse impact of climate change.
Dr Shahjahan Kabir told the meeting that BRRI has, so far, developed 41
Aman varieties including 39 inbreeds which are suitable for cultivation in
the country.
“We have released seven drought tolerant varieties including one
aromatic for the Barind area,” he said adding that some of those have gained
popularity among farmers during the last couple of years.
He also mentioned that the conventional varieties are being replaced by
the modern varieties which are good signs for the region in terms of boosting
yield.
More than 100 paddy related scientists, researchers and extension
officials from both government and non-government entities concerned joined
the workshop sharing views on the issue.
BSS/AH/FI/1032 hrs