Two new Boro rice varieties approved

The National Seed Board has approved two new high-yielding Boro rice varieties developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). 

The rice varieties were approved in the 111th meeting of the National Seed Board held on Tuesday.

As a result, the total number of rice varieties developed by BRRI stood at 115. 

The meeting was chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Ms Wahida Akter. Director General of BRRI Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir along with other high officials of related ministries and departments were also present in the meeting.

Among two new varieties BRRI dhan107, a premium quality balam type high yielding boro rice variety. The line was collected by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in 2015 from farmers' fields and developed through pure line selection. 

The selected pure line was tested for three years in the research field of BRRI, Gazipur and then it was evaluated in the experimental field of BRRI regional stations in 2019 as well as in different farmers’ fields of Bangladesh in 2020.

Afterwards, it was evaluated in the Proposed Variety Trial (PVT) established by the Seed Certification Agency (SCA) in Boro 2022. 

Due to its successful performance in the PVT, BRRI authority applied to National Seed Board (NSB) for releasing the variety and later on NSB released Lata balam as BRRI dhan107 as a premium quality balam type high-yielding Boro rice variety for cultivation throughout the country in its 111th meeting. 

The average plant height of BRRI dhan107 is 103cm. The average growth duration of BRRI dhan107 is 143 days which is approximate to BRRI dhan50. 

The flag leaf is broad, erect and long. The colour of the leaf is green. The average yield of BRRI dhan107 is 8.19 t/ha, although with appropriate management, under a favourable environment it can be yielded at 9.57 t/ha. 

The result of PVT showed that on average BRRI dhan107 yielded 17.67% higher than the check variety BRRI dhan50 in ten locations. The grain quality of the rice is excellent, that is, the grain is extra-long slender (7.6 mm). The amount of amylose and protein of the variety is 29.1% and 10.02%, respectively. 

The weight of 1,000 grain of BRRI dhan107 is 26.1 grams. The grain color of BRRI dhan107 is as like as straw and the milled rice of the variety is extra-long slender and white. Therefore, it is expected that the people of Bangladesh will be interested for the cultivation of the variety and as a result BRRI dhan107 will play a major role in the national rice production of Bangladesh.

BRRI dhan108 is a High-yielding (Jira type) Boro rice variety. This variety has medium slender fine grains as like as Jira dhan and a greater number of grains (250-270) per panicle. The breeding line BRH11-9-11-4-5B is high yielding variety which has been selected for cultivation throughout the country during the Boro season. 

BRH11-9-11-4-5B has been developed by hybridization between IR 80561 and China inbred 321 and pedigree selection. 

The research program started in 2012 at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) under the NATP-PIU-BARC project. The grain yield and various agronomic parameters of this new breeding line were extensively tested in diverse agroecological conditions of Bangladesh in farmers' fields. 

Finally, at the meeting of the National Seed Board - this homozygous breeding line was released for cultivation in Boro season as BRRI dhan108 throughout the country.  

The average plant height of BRRI dhan108 is 102cm with erect, broad, dark green leaves and it is also lodging tolerant with 149-151 days growth duration. 

The grain type of this variety is medium slender as like Jira dhan. This variety has been developed for better market prices for the farmers and branding. BRRI dhan108 has high yield and fine grain. The main characteristic of this variety are densely a greater number of grains (250-270) per panicle. 

The average yield of BRRI dhan108 is 8.7 t/ha, which is 1.0-1.5 t/ha more than BRRI dhan100. BRRI dhan108 grains has excellent physico-chemical characteristics, with a 1000 grain weight of 16.3 g, white and medium slender fine grains as like as Jira dhan. 

The content of amylose and protein is 24.5% and 8.8%, respectively. Its cooked rice is non-sticky.