The New Nation - Internet Edition

AS appeared recently in media, the country is likely to start commercial production of some new flood-tolerant rice varieties from next financial year if the government approves the release of four such varieties on completion of 'multi-location testing' (MLT) in the country. In view of the recurring floods almost every year, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute in cooperation with the Manila-based International Rice Research Institute has evolved these varieties of rice for plantation in the flood-prone areas. Introduction of new flood-tolerant varieties would help mitigate sufferings of farmers who have to replant paddy when floodwaters start receding from croplands.

BRRI experts are hopeful that farmers would be able to start production of flood-tolerant rice varieties from next year to prevent crop losses caused by flash floods and heavy monsoon rains. Floodwaters regularly engulf vast rain-fed lowland areas in Bangladesh causing huge loss to the standing crops and thus shortfall to foodgrains. According to IRRI expert David Mackill, not only in Bangladesh, floodwaters engulf vast lowlands in Asia and crops losses from prolonged submergence are estimated at around $1 billion a year. Under a programme taken up for Bangladesh and India, the IRRI has begun to multiply the seed from 150 grams of seed received from the institute in Manila in September last year. The new varieties developed through multiplication will survive under water for about two weeks.

Four flood-tolerant varieties so far developed came from implanting submergence-resistant gene under conventional breeding in four locally popular varieties collected from Bangladesh and India. Indonesia was the first country in Southeast Asia to introduce the flood-tolerant rice and China has expressed its interest to work with the IRRI. The IRRI-supported green revolution in 1960s and 1970s with high-yielding rice seeds is also working on drought-resistant varieties to deal with a world affected by global warming.