4 new varieties of rice released

GAZIPUR, Aug 29: Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has released four new varieties of rice.

Besides, 7 other high yielding and submergence, salinity and disease tolerant varieties of rice, jute and potato were released on 26 August at a meeting of the National Seed Board (NSB) headed by the agriculture secretary.

BRRI Director General Dr Md Syedul Islam disclosed these in a press conference at the Institute’s office on Wednesday noon.

The four newly released varieties of rice are Brri dhan-59, 60, 61(Boro) and 62 for Aman season.

He said that Brri dhan 62 is the world’s first zinc-enriched rice variety, capable of fighting diarrhoea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunting.

It is also the most early-maturing variety ever released for Aman season which can be reaped in 100 to 105 days, he said.

Brri dhan-61 is saline-tolerant and of good grain quality while Brri dhan-59 and 60 could be reaped 10 to 12 days earlier than the country’s best performing Boro rice variety – Brri dhan-29.

The other varieties the NSB released are four rice varieties by Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (Bina) and two jute and one potato varieties.

risingbd/ASB