Staff crunch hits rice research
Anisur Rahman Khan
Despite developing high-yielding varieties (HYV) of rice, the Hybrid Rice Division of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has been facing difficulties to make them available to farmers due to inadequate manpower. While 10,000 experts are working in China to develop and raise the production of HYV rice, there are only eight experts to do so at the Hybrid Rice Division, experts told The Independent yesterday, revealing the sorry state of research on the most important variety of rice to feed about 160 million people.
Recently, BRRI researchers released two HYV rice for Boro and Aman seasons to farmers to help increase the production. The two varieties are the short duration BRRI Hybrid Dhan-5 and BRRI Hybrid Dhan-6 for Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. The division is now working to develop another HYV for Boro that could be harvested in 135 days, the experts said.
There is huge potential for cultivating HYVs in Bangladesh during the Boro season. Itd be possible to raise rice production by planting a proper variety by selecting quality seeds. But the hybrid coverage in Bangladesh is only about 10 per cent as against 52 per cent in China, said Dr Md Jamil Hasan, head of the Hybrid Rice Division.
India has many experts in its hybrid research division, he added. BRRI released BRRI Hybrid Dhan-5 for the Boro season in 2016 and BRRI Hybrid Dhan-6 for the Aman season in 2017 at the farmers level, he said, adding that they are yet to reach the mass level due to shortage of manpower.
The farmers could raise a yield of nine to 9.5 tonnes per hectare by harvesting BRRI Hybrid Dhan-5 within 143-145 days. They could raise five to seven tonnes per hectare by harvesting BRRI Hybrid Dhan-6 within 110-115 days, said Jamil Hasan. We have only eight experts in our research division. Of them, three are now on deputation for their PhD degrees, he added.
Jamil Hasan said they do not have the capacity to produce seeds on a large scale. There is need to train farmers across the country to produce seeds on their own. But it is very tough to train such a large number of farmers with so little manpower, he added.
We are developing a new variety of Boro with a target of 135-day growth duration. We would need three to four years more to release the variety. The production capacity will be eight to 8.5 tonnes per hectare, he noted. According to Hasan, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation is responsible for marketing the seeds to
farmers. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is helping us in producing seeds at the farmers level. Itd be possible to raise the countrys production if more farmers are trained, he observed.
Farmers in Faridpur, Mymensingh, Barisal, Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha have been trained to produce hybrid seeds with the help of DAE officials, he added.
Asked if it would be possible to develop more short-duration varieties, Jamil Hasan said: Yes, it is possible, but the grain will not be mature. But there are possibilities of the plant being attacked by various insects or pests. Besides, the grain is dependent on photosynthesis to mature and need a certain period.
He also said the production would not be high if more short- duration varieties are to be developed. The percentage of amylase in BRRI Hybrid Dhan-5 was 23-24pc and 23.5pc in BRRI Hybrid Dhan-6, he added. According to experts, these two varieties were developed locally from paternal and maternal lines and so they easily adapted to the weather. Besides, there are lower possibilities of attacks by pests. The varieties are tolerant to natural calamities, the experts said.
The plantation period of BRRI Hybrid Dhan-5 is suitable between October and January, according to experts. The BRRI has developed a total of 91 HYVs of rice till date.
IK
