Bangladesh releases its first biotech rice

Scientists in Bangladesh have developed country’s first biotech rice variety giving farmers an answer to the difficulties they face in harvesting the staple with machines, reports UNB.

Stems of BRRIdhan-86, the variety that got official release approval yesterday, are strong and stout and easy to reap by mechanical harvesters. This will come handy to farm owners, who suffer from dearth of farm labourers and also find it difficult to use harvesters.

BRRI breeders told the news agency that the new variety having half metric tons of extra yield potential over the country’s most produced rice variety BRRIdhan-28 is derived from Iranian rice variety Niamat through application of a biotech tool called - anther culture.

Anther culture, applied for the first time in rice science in Bangladesh, is a biotech plant culturing technique where immature pollens are made to divide and grow into tissues either on solid and liquid medium.

The scientists at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) have also developed a new rice variety having highest ever zinc (27.6 mg/kg) content. The variety - BRRIdhan-84 - also got approval along with three more new rice varieties

yesterday.

In 2013, Bangladesh released world’s first biofortified zinc-rich rice variety BRRIdhan-62 with 19 mg/kg of the micronutrient. Since then countries scientists at BRRI and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) have, so far, developed six zinc-rich rice varieties with the today’s one richest with high in zinc content.

BRRI scientists told the news agency that BRRIdhan-84 is also moderately enriched with another key micronutrient - iron.

Zinc deficiency causes stunting, while iron deficiency is a leading cause of anaemia. More than one-third of under-five children in Bangladesh are stunted, while more than 43 per cent women of reproductive age are anaemic.

A meeting of the National Seed Board (NSB) held in the capital yesterday with the agriculture ministry secretary in the chair also gave nods to short-duration transplanted Aus variety - BRRIdhan-82, broadcast Aus variety BRRIdhan-83 and another rice variety - BRRIdhan-85, which can withstand stagnant water.

Talking to the news agency yesterday BRRI Research Director Dr Tamal Lata Aditya said both the biotech rice and the zinc-rich rice will be good supplements to Boro-season mega variety - BRRIdhan-28. Both of the new ones have higher yield potentials of varying degrees comparing to BRRIdhan-28.

The new varieties come at a time when two of the country’s most common rice varieties—BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan29 -- released back in 1994, are losing potential due to ageing.

The prospect of higher rice yield through the release of the new varieties also comes against the backdrop of diminishing returns from the country’s rice fields.

 

Bangladesh releases its first biotech rice

Scientists in Bangladesh have developed countrys first biotech rice variety giving farmers an answer to the difficulties they face in harvesting the staple with machines, reports UNB. Stems of BRRIdhan-86, the variety that got official release approval yesterday, are strong and stout and easy to reap by mechanical harvesters. This will come handy to farm owners, who suffer from dearth of farm labourers and also find it difficult to use harvesters. BRRI breeders told the news agency that the new variety having half metric tons of extra yield potential over the countrys most produced rice variety BRRIdhan-28 is derived from Iranian rice variety Niamat through application of a biotech tool called - anther culture. Anther culture, applied for the first time in rice science in Bangladesh, is a biotech plant culturing technique where immature pollens are made to divide and grow into tissues either on solid and liquid medium. The scientists at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) have also developed a new rice variety having highest ever zinc (27.6 mg/kg) content. The variety - BRRIdhan-84 - also got approval along with three more new rice varieties yesterday. In 2013, Bangladesh released worlds first biofortified zinc-rich rice variety BRRIdhan-62 with 19 mg/kg of the micronutrient. Since then countries scientists at BRRI and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) have, so far, developed six zinc-rich rice varieties with the todays one richest with high in zinc content. BRRI scientists told the news agency that BRRIdhan-84 is also moderately enriched with another key micronutrient - iron. Zinc deficiency causes stunting, while iron deficiency is a leading cause of anaemia. More than one-third of under-five children in Bangladesh are stunted, while more than 43 per cent women of reproductive age are anaemic. A meeting of the National Seed Board (NSB) held in the capital yesterday with the agriculture ministry secretary in the chair also gave nods to short-duration transplanted Aus variety - BRRIdhan-82, broadcast Aus variety BRRIdhan-83 and another rice variety - BRRIdhan-85, which can withstand stagnant water. Talking to the news agency yesterday BRRI Research Director Dr Tamal Lata Aditya said both the biotech rice and the zinc-rich rice will be good supplements to Boro-season mega variety - BRRIdhan-28. Both of the new ones have higher yield potentials of varying degrees comparing to BRRIdhan-28. The new varieties come at a time when two of the countrys most common rice varietiesBRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan29 -- released back in 1994, are losing potential due to ageing. The prospect of higher rice yield through the release of the new varieties also comes against the backdrop of diminishing returns from the countrys rice fields.